By Tammy Kilby
For the Times
WIOTA — Church bells continue to ring out in celebration in the Wiota area, as the Lutheran church community welcomes a new pastor. Clayton Faulkner and his wife, Kate, left the state of Texas to place roots in nearby Dubuque, Iowa, to lead the Lutheran community in Wiota.
Now the pastor at Wiota Lutheran Church, 6650 Wis. 78, and the East Wiota Lutheran Church, 10311 Wis. 78, Faulkner brings a sense of renewal to the Wiota Lutheran parishes that have been without a pastor since June 2023. Faulkner’s first church service at the Wiota Lutheran Church was held on Sunday, Sept. 1, and at the East Wiota Lutheran Church on Sunday, Sept. 15.
“We are so lucky to have him as our Pastor,” said Connie Bocklund, Acolyte for the Wiota Lutheran parish. “For a while we filled in as we could.”
Anita Rygh, President of the Council, mirrored those thoughts.
“It’s good that he’s here, and he has a family,” Rygh said.
In addition to leading the Wiota parishes, Faulkner is also the Dean of Chapel of Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque. Faulkner studied and earned multiple degrees in 2021 from Wartburg Seminary, including a Doctor of Worship Studies and a Master of Divinity. Wartburg Theological Seminary is a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, accredited by the Association of Theological Schools and the Higher Learning Commission. Just prior to moving to the Midwest, he was the pastor at New Life Lutheran Church in Pearland, TX; and the former Director of Worship, Music, and Technology at Faith Lutheran Church in Bellaire, Texas.
“I’m going where God wants me to be,” Faulkner said. “Apparently that’s here in the Midwest.”
Living and working in Dubuque means a short commute to the Wiota area each weekend for church services.
“I keep hearing about the Wisconsin winters. Let’s hope I won’t have to get pulled out of the ditch,” Faulkner joked.
The Wiota Lutheran Church and East Wiota Lutheran Church work as one parish with the same mission, as it reads on their website: “Reaching out to congregation, community and world; Inviting all to hear and see the gospel of Jesus Christ proclaimed.”
The East Wiota Lutheran Church, originally named the Cherry Branch Church, remains to be the oldest Norwegian Lutheran Church in the United States, still holding church services after 180 years. The Wisconsin Council for Local History designated East Wiota Lutheran Church as a registered landmark in the 1960s.
Something that is unique to the East Wiota Lutheran Church are the church’s windows. Each are meticulously hand painted, not stained glass as is sometimes the case with churches. In fact, the stencils are still owned by the parish, to be used for touchups if necessary.
The Wiota Lutheran Church was built in 1991, which is completely handicap accessible. Providing parishioners all the amenities of having everything on one level allows those who have a difficulty getting around to attend the church services, as well as community events that are held in the gathering hall.
“Everyone is welcome here,” Faulkner said. “Please stop in sometime and join us. We hope to meet everyone from the area.”
Faulkner and his wife have been married for eight years. They have two teenage sons, Deacon and Masamo, who were adopted from Ethiopia.
“One of my sons was a staff counselor at church camp this past summer,” said Faulkner, who enjoys living the Christian example for his family.
Services are held at 10 a.m. on Sundays at the Wiota Lutheran Church, with the exception of the third Sunday of every month when church services are held at the East Wiota Lutheran Church.
