Pastor Kate Reuer Welton
she / her
Pastor Kate Reuer Welton grew up in South Dakota and settled back in Minneapolis after many adventures, including completing a Master of Divinity degree at Harvard Divinity School. Kate was called to serve as Campus Pastor at the University of Minnesota in 2010 and remains excited about proclaiming the Gospel in this lively context and working with student leaders to discern God’s call for our community each year.
Pastor Kate has worked as a community organizer and teacher in a wide range of places including Lutheran Social Service of MN, Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, and Native Arts High School on Lake Street in Minneapolis. Her favorite travel adventures include studying Spanish in Oaxaca and hiking the Annapurna Trail in Nepal with her little brother. Kate is married to Jim, mother to Benjamin and Eleanor, and is an eager gardener in May and June. She enjoys hiking and camping with her family, and the occasional Netflix binge. Her approach to the Christian life? “Awe, wonder, and curiosity.”
Feel free to send her an email! pastorkate@umnlutheran.org
Dana Rademacher Hansen – Programs + Outreach
they / she
Dana was born and raised in Minnesota, and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota (Ski-U-Mah!). The best part of their job is getting to know students, hear their stories, and to help share and spread God’s expansive love on campus in new, creative ways.
Dana is married to Kat, dog and cat mom to Theo and Rosie, and loves board games, a good cup of coffee or tea, TikTok, and practicing yoga. She is passionate about Queer Theology and Queer readings of scripture, abolition, and dreaming up ways to use Dungeons & Dragons in the church! She is currently enrolled at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities, pursuing a Master of Divinity. With LCM, Dana coordinates the work we do to welcome and gather students, including our outreach, digital communications, service and justice, and community-building work.
Reach her by email at dana@umnlutheran.org.
Erik Nelson – St. Paul Outreach Intern
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Erik is a current student at Luther Seminary who’s very excited to work with LCM. Erik has lived all over the country, including in Texas, Kansas, Illinois, and North Dakota, but he has loved living in Minnesota best. Erik is based on the Saint Paul campus, reaching out to the community there and running a weekly Bible study.
He is passionate about celebrating the ways that faith and science make each other stronger. In his undergraduate education at the University of Northwestern, Erik studied the integration of science and faith. He’s excited to bring that perspective to LCM. Erik is also enthusiastic about extending God’s welcome to all people. When he’s not preparing Bible studies or writing papers, Erik enjoys exploring the Twin Cities’ natural areas, cheering on local drag, and listening to political podcasts.
Claire Nelson – LCM Leadership Fellow
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Claire recently graduated from the University of Minnesota with a BA in English. She intends to pursue a Master of Divinity exploring the ways a healthy religious practice can support mental well-being, and she is interested in religion reporting. In her free time, you’ll find Claire reading nonfiction or theology, biking, doing yoga, spending time with family, or hanging out with friends.
As the LCM Leadership Fellow, Claire is charged with using her gifts and passions to nurture communities of belonging for students at the University of Minnesota. She will be particularly focused on nurturing a Queer-affirming Chrisitan community for BIPOC students, providing support and structure to ongoing student interfaith collaboration at the University, as well as providing leadership in the ongoing life of LCM-TC.
Nate Crary – Musician
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Michelle Greene – Administrative and Development Assistant
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Michelle has served as the administrative assistant for LCM-TC since 2014. She worked professionally in the arts, but somehow found her way to the non-profit sector in development. Now, she is blessed to be a part of the gig economy because she refuses to settle on just one of her many interests. Her life centers around her non-traditional family where she is happily unmarried to Frank and spends most of her time with his two adult children and three beautiful grandchildren. She cares for her parents and geriatric dog, gardens, pumps iron, consults with a variety of other non-profits and is a massage therapist in private practice. She reads like a fiend and follows the news a little too closely.