Pastor Kevin M. Koester became our sole pastor in September of 2025. 

Pastor Koester is from Davison Township, Michigan, which is a few miles east of Flint. He lived there from the time he was born in 1979 until he left for college in 1998. He was baptized at Christ Lutheran Church in the Hadley Hills of Michigan, where some of his ancestors settled upon immigrating from Germany. He also has roots in the Frankenmuth and Toledo areas.

His parents, Kermit and Sherry, still live at the family farm where he and his father were raised. He has three brothers, Kyle (who now runs the farm: mostly corn, soybeans, and wheat, with a few cattle), Eric (married to Marya), and Ethan (married to Lu). They all live in Michigan not far from home.

His college education began with two years at Kansas State University, majoring in Architecture. A series of events led him to Concordia College–Ann Arbor in the Pre-Sem Program. His confirmation pastor and both of his grandmothers had a role in encouraging him to consider training for the Office of the Holy Ministry. He graduated in December of 2002, with a major in History/Political Science and a Minor in Religious Studies.

He spent five summers working for a custom wheat harvesting crew based in Meade, Kansas, and travelling through Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado. Other jobs he held included fast food, teacher’s assistant, chapel assistant, substitute teaching, U-Haul driver, and school bus driver.

In March of 2003, he began classes at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. His vicarage was in Berwyn, IL, a suburb of Chicago. He graduated in May of 2007. At that point he was called to serve as pastor of Zion and Mt. Calvary Lutheran Churches in Owensville and Belle, MO. He served the saints of those two congregations for just over six years. From 2013 to 2023 he was pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Brookfield, IL, where he learned much about classical Lutheran education. In 2023 he became Principal at Christ Lutheran School in Sterling, IL, and Assistant Pastor at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Walnut, IL. In 2025 he accepted the Divine Call to serve St. Paul Lutheran Church in Stover.

In the midst of his vicarage year, he married his wonderful wife, Rebekah, on July 16, 2005. She already knew what life was like in a pastor’s family, having grown up as a pastor’s daughter. Her father, David Kollmeyer, currently serves as pastor in Pinckneyville and Conant, IL, as well as a prison chaplain for the Southern Illinois District. He and his wife Nancy live in Chester, IL, and their son Andy lives across the river in Missouri with his wife Erin. Rebekah is a great teacher, having taught full-time for three years before marriage and having held various part-time roles at various schools throughout their marriage. However the best testament to her and Pastor’s determination to teach God’s truth to His people is their children.

In 2006, they welcomed into this world their firstborn, Chloe, who now attends Luther Classical College in Casper, WY, and aims to be a mother and teacher to many one day. Julia, born in 2008, is a senior at Wittenberg Academy and is talented in many ways, including playing organ at St. Paul. Aaron, born in 2010, is enrolled at Lutheran School Association Hybrid High School in Cole Camp, and he’s eager to help out at home, church, and community in many ways.

Pastor notes God’s work in all of the above: “We’ve all seen God at work to bless us. Sinners are we all, to be sure, and yet God’s grace has been incredibly abundant. No matter where we live and serve Him, we know that with God and His Word, great things can and will be done, for God is always faithful and His Word is true.”