Meet Pastor Tim Ehling

My name is Tim Ehling.  I am a pastor in the ELCA.  I am very excited and honored to have been invited into a new ministry and title:  Mission Developer for the Holy Innovation of forming a Cooperative (CO-OP) in the Kettle River Conference of the NEMN Synod of the ELCA.  WOW!  Trying saying that 3x quickly😊

There are 3 important things you need to know about me: 

  1. I love being a pastor. Teaching, preaching, and experiencing the unique and wonderful ways the Holy Spirit works in our lives is so exciting and life-giving to me.
  2. I believe that Jesus is God’s son. He died on a cross for me, for you.  He rose to life again and is active and alive in the world.  He is the fullest expression of the love of God that we know.
  3. I think the church is in the world for a specific reason. The church is NOT a building.  It is the people that God so deeply loves.  The people of the church are meant to grow, change, and experience God in many different ways as the church is active and involved in the world.

I live in Duluth, MN with my beautiful wife Becky.  We have 3 grown daughters, 3 sons-in-law, and 2 very energetic huskies.   We love them all!  The delight for Becky and me is our 3 beautiful and amazing grandchildren- Emerson-6, August-4, and Leona 3 months.  They bring joy, laughter, and a spark of life to our lives.  They also remind us of the precious gift of taking time to play.

I have been an ELCA pastor for 31 years.  Have served in 4 different synods and 5 amazing congregations.  I am grateful to be a part of the NEMN synod for the past 3 years.  Most recently, I had the wonderful experience of serving as Interim Pastor to Our Savior’s in Virginia MN.

I enjoy backpacking, canoeing, mountain biking, wilderness camping, Cross Country skiing, skijoring with the huskies, snowshoeing, and sitting around a campfire.  The more time I spend in the wilderness, the closer I feel to God and remember who I am.  Becky and I are runners and enjoy finding 5- or 10-kilometer races, or ½ marathons to be apart of in our spare time.  Being geographically closer to our family has been one of the best decisions we have made.  We both look forward to the exciting things God has planned for us in the next chapter of our lives.