BROWNTOWN — Jordan Lutheran Church, W9006 Smock Valley Rd., has a new interim pastor, Pastor Bob Castro, who began serving the church on Reformation Sunday in 2020.

He was ordained into the ELCA in the summer of 1998. Before his ordination he was a lawyer for 13 years, graduating from the University of Wisconsin Law School in the summer of 1981.

In 1992, he went to Latvia for the first time. He has been serving on a continuing short-term basis since that time, having served in Latvia for two to three weeks at a time for 30 times. It was his work in Latvia that led him to leave his law practice and enter seminary and become a pastor.

In his second call he became deeply concerned about the reality that young people who grow up in the church do not remain in the life of the church following confirmation. As he began to study this reality, he decided to try to address it be re-entering seminary to seek a doctor degree in preaching, and focusing on preaching to young people, teens and young adults, in worship. He graduated with a doctorate degree in preaching in May of 2006 and his doctoral thesis was on the differences between preaching to young members and preaching to older members.

Since 2005, he has been teaching preaching in Latvia both in workshops for pastors and at seminary to students.

About six years ago he sought certification to serve in the LCMC before his last call. Following that call, which ended on Jan. 31, 2020, he contacted LCMC again to renew that certification. Perry Fruhling helped in arranging for his service in the LCMC.

Beginning this month, he will be gathering online with parents to arrange for Christian Education for the students of Jordan.