REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH
Redeemer Staff
Pastor Del Strecker
My name is Pastor Del Strecker and I am the transition pastor appointed by Bishop Candea to serve here at Redeemer. I am a native Kansan and grew up on a dairy farm near Sylvan Grove, Kansas. I was a High School teacher for 34 years teaching German, Speech and Debate before retiring and going to Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. I was the first person in the Central States Synod to graduate from the TEEM program, a program for ordination for second career persons.
​
I was ordained in 2009 and my first call was to the Peace Lutheran Parish, a four congregation parish consisting of Ada Lutheran, Courtland, Kansas, Amana Lutheran, Scandia, Kansas, Our Savior’s Lutheran, Norway, Kansas and American Lutheran, Belleville, Kansas. My subsequent calls were to Elim Lutheran, Marquette, Kansas and to the dual congregations of Immanuel Lutheran in Wilson, Kansas and Gloria Dei Lutheran in Lucas, Kansas.
​
After my retirement from ministry in 2020, I have served as transition pastor at St. John’s Lutheran, Salina, Kansas, Emanuel Lutheran Church, Hutchinson, Kansas and Concordia Lutheran, Concordia, Kansas.
​
My wife Anita, who is a member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, Salina, Kansas and I celebrated our 46th Wedding anniversary this past June. We have two children. Our daughter Jessica Bergmann, her husband Holk and son Noah, live in Tiburon, California, just outside of San Francisco. Our son, Neil and his wife Keisha and son, Blaise live in Clay Center, Kansas. His oldest son, Clayton, lives here in Salina.
I am an avid gardener and love spending my free time tending to my garden.
Ruth Mirtz
Organist, Accompanist
Ruth Mirtz is the head organist at Redeemer. She is a graduate of Dana College (Blair, Nebr.) where she studied organ with Dr. Paul Neve. She also holds a Masters of Library and Information Science and a PhD in English. She is the director of the library at K-State Salina. Contact her at rmirtz@redeemer-elca.org.
Ann Metcalfe
Director of Music, Choir Director, Bells Director
Ann received her Bachelor's of Music Education from Bethany College in 2009 and her MA in Education from Baker University. She has taught music in the Smoky Valley School district and is currently teaching music for the Concordia Elementary School. She was the children's choir director at Messiah Lutheran Church in Lindsborg from 2010 to 2013 and has also been heavily involved with the Lindsborg non-profit theatre company, Broadway RFD. Her husband Daniel and daughter Kahlan are also members of Redeemer.