Biographies are not always easy to write. You would think that they would be one of the easiest things to write considering that I know all of the information. I know when I was born and when I graduated from this or that school and so forth. Sure, that information is easy to write but man it is dry to read and not always that helpful. In maybe 5 sentences I could relay the bare details of where I have lived and where I went to school but I don’t know that that would be the most helpful. I could go for a chronological approach and just dress it up a little bit. I have done this in the past. This is a little bit better but often reads like a list that someone has tried to make interesting (because that is actually what it is). So, this time I may try something different. Instead of going chronologically through the highlights of my life, I thought that I might try to go geographically by state. It may be confusing as all-get-out, but on the bright side it will give you something to talk to me about as you ask for some clarification. I will proceed from South to North.
Alabama
I lived in Alabama for 1 year (summer of 2011 to summer 2012) during vicarage. Vicarage is like an internship, for those who are unfamiliar with the term. After two years of seminary classes, the professors have had enough and they send us out to different congregations around the US (and sometimes Canada or Germany) to learn how to be pastors by actually doing stuff like preaching. I was sent to Elberta, Alabama. It is a warm town on the Gulf Coast between Mobile and Pensacola. The congregation that had to endure me was St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. If you find yourself vacationing in this area I recommend a visit. You may even be able to hear some stories about “Vicar Silas”. This is the extent of my experience in Alabama.
Arkansas
I lived in Arkansas for about 10 years (~1995-2004). We lived in Batesville, Arkansas. My brother was born here. While we lived here I attended a number of different schools including, Landmark Baptist Academy (grades 2-3), Sulphur Rock Elementary (grade 4) and, Hope Lutheran School (grades 5-8). I was confirmed at Hope Lutheran Church. While living in Arkansas I learned many life skills such as proficiency with various BB guns, the fine art of aiming bottle rockets, which Arkansas snakes are poisonous (hint: Just assume they are. [Except those bright green ones. Those are okay to pick up if you want to.]), how to roll a three-wheeler on ice and not get hurt (hint: Jump off.) and how to drive a car. This is the extent of my experience in Arkansas.
Missouri
I lived in Missouri for 8ish years (~2005-2011, 2012-13, 2017). I have lived in Concordia, St. Louis and now, Carthage. In Concordia, I went to High School at Saint Paul Lutheran High School for four years (class of 05). I was a dorm student there for three years and then my family moved there in 2004 at which time I lived at home. I lived in St. Louis (well, Ellisville, for two years and then in St. Louis proper for one year) while I was attending the Seminary. I lived in Carthage for two weeks when I was called by you to be your pastor (its history, it counts). In Missouri I experienced such life events as learning to play football, getting cut from the basketball team, getting a job at a grocery store (because I didn’t have basketball practice any more), meeting a young lady at the store who was a checker named Megan Krause, graduating from High School, getting married (to Megan Krause, June 20th 2009), getting a Ham license (KC0YAN), I graduated from the Seminary (2013) and was installed as the pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (2017). This is the extent of my experience in Missouri.
South Dakota (Just barely south of Wisconsin)
I lived in South Dakota for roughly 12 years (1987-1995, 2013-2017). My two younger sisters and I were born in Revillo, SD. It is a small town named after the train conductor’s son at the time, whose name was ‘Olliver’ (they just spelled it backward). I lived in Canistota, South Dakota for three years while I was the pastor of Zion and St. John Lutheran Churches (St. John is located in Montrose, SD). Canistota was named after the train conductor’s home town at the time, Canastota, NY (yeah, they spelled it wrong and I don’t think it was on purpose). In South Dakota I experienced such life events as being baptized, learning to walk, walking to school, learning how to wear a snow suit, being ordained, baptizing people, and being a father. This is the extent of my experience in South Dakota.