Church Staff
Rev. Peter A. Speckhard has served as senior pastor since 2002, after serving as associate pastor here from 2000-2002. He was born and raised in Valparaiso, Indiana, where his father served as a professor of education at Valparaiso University. Pastor Speckhard received a B.A. (‘92) with majors in English and German as a Christ College Scholar from Valparaiso University. After taking a year to discern the call into ministry, he went on to receive his M.Div. (‘97) from Concordia Seminary. He served as a missionary-at-large for the Northern Illinois District of the LCMS before receiving the call to Faith Lutheran. Pastor Speckhard also serves as associate editor of the Forum Letter (a pan-Lutheran publication) and with the ecumenical College of Pastoral Leaders at Austin Theological Seminary. Pastor Speckhard has also served as one of the district counselors for the LWML, served on the boards of our association Lutheran grade school and high school, and beginning in 2004 took part in a three-year Pastor-Theologian program sponsored by the Center of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, NJ. He also maintains membership in several pro-life organizations. Apart from things theological, he enjoys hockey, poetry, tennis, politics and puttering around in the garage. Pastor Speckhard married Heidi, his high school sweetheart, in 1992. Heidi graduated from John Carroll University and taught Latin for five years before becoming a full-time homemaker. The Speckhards’ have seven children—Samuel, Ella, Eva Marie*, Anna, Rachel, Johanna and Stephen. *Eva Marie has gone on to the Church
Triumphant, having been stillborn in 2001
Reverend Joshua Errer has been the Associate Pastor at Faith Lutheran since July 2011. He was raised on his family’s crop and dairy farm in Owendale, Michigan. His father also worked as an electrician and taught electrical skills at a local technical center; his mother ran a daycare and served as the church organist. After graduating high school in 2002, Pastor Errer attended Central Michigan University and earned a B.S. in Education with a double major in Social Studies and History. In the summer of 2007, he began his studies at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis which included a year of vicarage at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Bossier City, LA under the supervision of Rev. Sig Kunz. He graduated with a Master of Divinity in May of 2011. Pastor Errer was ordained at his childhood congregation of St. Paul in Linkville, MI, on June 12, 2011. Pastor Errer entered into marriage with his wife Erica on August 7, 2010. They met while participating in a scholarship program designed to teach leadership skills at Central Michigan University. Erica graduated from Central Michigan University with a Masters of Counseling degree in 2010. The Errers’ have one son, Henry. In their spare time, Pastor Errer and Erica enjoy music, theater, movies, reading, traveling, cooking and baking.
Paul Heiser has been Director of Music at Faith Lutheran since 2002. Before accepting the position here he served a variety of congregations in Illinois and Wisconsin. A native of the Wisconsin Rapids area he attended college at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (Music and German), the University of Illinois-Champaign/Urbana (Masters and doctoral work in musicology) and recently became a rostered Director of Parish Music through the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s colloquy program. He has served as Dean of the Northeast Wisconsin chapter of The American Guild of Organists and was a contributor to two hymnal companions for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. His wife Pamela is an accomplished musician and teacher and together they have three children, Andrew, Karin and Elana.
Kristy Fischer is the Director of Christian Education (DCE) at Faith. She arrived in July of 2005. Born in Wyoming, Kristy has lived in many different states, but claims Austin, TX as her home town. Kristy attended Concordia University Austin for one year before transferring to Concordia University Nebraska. Kristy received her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Youth Ministry and a partial minor in Family Ministry in May 2004. After a year internship at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Moore, OK, Kristy received her DCE certification in June 2005.Faith Lutheran Church is her first Call as a professional church worker. Her responsibilities include Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, leading both middle school (JAM) and high school (FLY) youth groups, and teaching 6th grade Confirmation. She also currently serves at N.E.W. Lutheran High School on the Board of Directors, leads chapel at Trinity Lutheran Elementary, and reads each week at Faith Christian Preschool. She is also currently participating in a special 20 month leadership training through K.I.N.D.L.E. for further professional training. In April 2012, Kristy married Will Fischer. She enjoys spending time with her husband and traveling to visit her family and to see her many godchildren. Kristy also has a love of reading Young Adult Fiction and watching lots of movies.
Kelly Tollar is our church secretary. She was born and raised in Wausau, WI where she was a member at Trinity Lutheran Church. She married her husband Mike in June of 1989. They have three children: Ashley, Ezra & Jessalyn. She and her family have been members of Faith since 1994, and has been secretary since 2006. She has assisted with Faith Christian Preschool, Vacation Bible School and has taught Sunday School.