News

We pray for the family and friends of Rev. Doris Nolan, who passed away peacefully on January 25, 2025, at her home in Simi Valley, California. She was surrounded by the love of her family and friends.

Memorial gifts in Pastor Doris’s honor may be directed to ELCA World Hunger, Lutheran Disaster Response, Global Refuge, or Lutheran World Relief. We will share details of memorial services as they become available.

We pray for the family and friends of Deacon Lorraine S. Brugh, who died Saturday, January 25, 2025. A memorial service will be held Saturday, 2/22/2025 at 10:30 am at Pinnacle Presbyterian (25150 N Pima Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85255).

Deacon Brugh was the Frederick J. Kruse Endowed Chair in Church Music at Valparaiso University. She helped lead the development of the ELCA’s Evangelical Lutheran Worship and was co-author of The Sunday Assembly, published in 2008 to help church leaders incorporate the hymnal’s materials into worship services. She was involved in the development of Lutheran music and worship practices for many years and is a past-president of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians. At our 2024 assembly, along with Deacon Kate Adelman, she organized Wild Life: A Hymn Festival.

We pray for the family and friends of Arlene Helen (Iverson) Johnson—widow of the Rev. Ken Johnson—who passed away peacefully at the age of 93 on August 1, 2024, in Phoenix Arizona.

She served as church secretary at Grace Lutheran Church in Phoenix from 1979-1996. Her life was marked by her unwavering support to her husband’s pastoral work, embodying the role of a pastor’s wife with grace and resilience. They served congregations in St. Helens, Oregon; Portland, Oregon and Phoenix, Arizona.

A service to celebrate Arlene’s life will be held on October 5th, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at Mountain View Lutheran Church in Ahwatukee, located at 11002 S. 48th St, Phoenix, AZ 85044. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Arlene’s memory to Mountain View Lutheran Church.

We pray for the friends and family of Pastor Colin H. Melby, who died on August 28, 2024 in the Philippines. We especially lift up and pray for his wife Connie Melby.

We pray for the family and friends of Deacon Brenda Laukonis, who died March 16, 2024. She was most recently an administrator at Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Tucson and filled many other roles for Lutheran Churches in Alaska and Chicago throughout her life of giving.

We pray for the family and friends of Rev. Leslie Niemi, who died January 22, 2024, in Lake Havasu City.

A memorial service was held at Mount Olive Lutheran Church on January 26 with Pr. Craig M. Corbin officiating. A final service was held at Eden Lutheran Church in Munising on June 10 with Bishop Katherine Finegan and Rev. Paul Kelto officiating.

We pray for the family and friends of Marge Ahlstrand—widow of the Rev. Kenneth Ahlstrand—who died July 20, 2024.

She was surrounded at home by her daughters and now rests in the Peace of the Lord.

We pray for the family and friends of Rev. Nelson Sulouff, a member of Resurrection, retired ELCA pastor, and military chaplain who passed away on February 14, 2024.

We pray for the family and friends of Norma Jean MacAdam, who passed away on Palm Sunday, March 25,2024, at the age of 94. She is the wife of Rev. Thomas L. MacAdam, founder of Saved By Grace Lutheran Church in Pahrump.

Her son, Kevin MacAdam, lets us know that her memorial service will be held at Good Samaritan Lutheran Church on May 7th at 11:00 a.m. and her internment at the veterans cemetery next to Rev. MacAdam that same day at 2:00 p.m. in Boulder. Anyone that would like to attend either service is welcome.

We pray for the family and friends of Rev. John Roger Anderson, who died December 24, 2023.

Rev. Anderson was a former bishop of the Southwest California Synod, and a former pastor at Lord of Life Church in Sun City West.

Roger's Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, January 13th at 11:00 AM at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1 West Avenida de los Arboles, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360. Memorials preferred in lieu of flowers to the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Ossuarium Fund (which Roger served on the committee) or the El Salvador/Sister Church Fund https://www.htlcto.org/give.

We pray for the family and friends of Rev. Charles Paulson, who died December 15, 2023.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, 2/10/2023, 11am, American Lutheran Church of Sun City (17200 N Del Webb Blvd., Sun City, AZ 85373). A reception will follow the memorial service in the Fellowship Hall at noon following the memorial service. People attending the reception shout RSVP at 623-974-2512.  Lunch will be provided, and this will help them plan accordingly.

Pastor Paulson worked within the ALC congregation for twenty years and was much beloved by a good percentage of the membership as he was the intake pastor with whom they had first and often quite memorable contact.

We pray for the family and friends of Rev. Dr. Carl Braaten, who died October 28, 2023.

A memorial service will be held November 25, 2023, 1pm, at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Sun City West, 13724 W. Meeker Boulevard, Sun City West, AZ 85375.