Pastor Rick Biedermann
Email: pastor@stjamestrinity.org
Cell: 515.229.6193
Pastor Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays 9am – 12:30 pm (By Appt. Only.)
I was born in Orange, Texas but moved to Grundy Center, IA when I was two and lived there until 4th grade when we moved to Ankeny, IA, which is where I graduated from high school. I went to Wartburg College in Waverly, IA and graduated with a major in Social Work. I then went to Wartburg Seminary in Dubuque, IA where I received my Masters of Divinity.
My father is a retired Lutheran pastor. I come from a long line of Lutheran pastors: fourth generation on my mom’s side and fifth on my dad’s. I have a younger sister and brother who live in Minnesota and Spain.
I met my wife, Nancy while working two summers at Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp in Iowa. I was a counselor and she was one of the camp nurses. Nancy graduated from St. Olaf with a nursing degree. She worked a few years as a nurse but then became a paraprofessional in the school system working mostly with kids with special needs.
We have two adult children, two grand-daughters and a grand-dog. Our oldest, Steven is married to Lindsay and they have two daughters, Alice Pearl and Violet Noelle. Steven is an ELCA pastor in Cottage Grove, MN. Our daughter, Rachel has her Master of Arts degree in Youth and Family Ministry and works at the University of Jamestown and her husband, Lucas is serving on his first call as an Associate Pastor of a Lutheran church in Jamestown.
My faith journey began when I was baptized Jan. 18th, 1959. My faith was nurtured by parents, grandparents, Sunday School and Confirmation teachers and Bible Camp both as a camper and counselor. I felt called to be a pastor while in college. My favorite verse is Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” I have served as a solo pastor, youth and family pastor and education pastor at churches in WI (near Viroqua and in Marshfield) and in Iowa (Cedar Falls, Ankeny and Burlington.) Hobbies include: riding bike, going on walks, reading (fiction and fantasy/science fiction), watching and cheering the Packers and watching movies. We enjoy spending time with our family.
Laurel Boyer, Administrative Assistant
Email: admin@stjamestrinity.org
Cell: 715.828.5596
Office Hours: Mondays & Wednesdays 9am – 2pm
Our Administrative Assistant is Laurel Boyer. She is also serving as Administrative Assistant for English Lutheran Church of Bateman. She has lived in Chippewa Falls most of her life with her family moving to Chippewa Falls when she was in 2nd grade from Duluth, MN. She has an Administrative Assistant-Associate Degree from Chippewa Valley Technical College as well as 20+ years of experience. She grew up in a Presbyterian Church, with her father being the Pastor.
She has a wonderful 25-year-old daughter, Makaya, who is an Art Teacher in Eau Claire. She also has an 6-year-old son named Greyson, who is a charmer and is as sweet as can be. She feels very blessed to be his Mom and he has been a wonderful addition to her life! She is very proud of both of her children!
She enjoys hanging out with Greyson or doing an art project with him. She also enjoys painting, refinishing furniture, beading jewelry, making signs and working out in the yard.
Laurel’s favorite bible verse is Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Noli Hadt, Organist
Noli began as our organist/accompanist November 2017. She has 15 years of recent experience from Zion Lutheran Church in Seymour. She is happy to be closer to home since she lives outside of Fall Creek. She took organ lessons as a teenager and was also the organist at Milltown Lutheran Church in Milltown, WI.
Deb Burfield, Custodian
Deb Burfield was born in Duluth Minnesota, the daughter of a truck driver. She attended school in Tomah, and then Altoona, where she completed her freshman year of high school. After her father’s death in 1975, she and her mom moved to Fall Creek, where she finished high school and now calls home.
Deb enjoys camping, working in the yard, taking walks in the woods, and listening to the sounds of nature. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends. She has an older sister and brother-in-law in Black River Falls, and several nieces and nephews in Marshfield and the surrounding areas.
Deb has been a very dependable and respected school bus driver for the past 25+ years. She has been employed by the Fall Creek School district for the last 20 of these years. She loves the children and they love her right back!
For several years Deb has worked as the custodian at St. James Trinity. Her duties include cleaning, setting up and taking down for weddings, funerals and other groups that use the church facilities. She also provides light maintenance inside the church, along with lawn care and light snow removal.
In Deb’s words, “One of the things I like most about working at SJT is giving back to my church family that have helped me in my faith journey. It gives me great pleasure to offer a clean and welcoming place to worship. I love helping people, both the ones I know and strangers. There is no greater joy than sharing kindness, love, and joy to someone that may not be as fortunate. I also have much pleasure in singing in the church choir. I am thankful that I can share God’s work through the sounds of music.”