Lutheran Pastor returns home to Northeast Iowa

By Thomas Nelson, tnelson@charlescitypress.com

The Rev. Russ Leeper, or Pastor Russ, recently was installed at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Charles City, around the area where he grew up.

Leeper has been working as an ELCA Lutheran pastor for 25 years in the Midwest, after graduating from Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque in 1992.

“I actually grew up in Iowa, in Waterloo,” Leeper said. “Then I went to Warburg College in Waverly.”

While in Wartburg Leeper got his degree in psychology, and then went straight to seminary.

After completing seminary he did an internship in Tanzania. Following that he went to northeast Nebraska for five years as a pastor for two small town churches, then to Lincoln, Nebraska, as an associated pastor for another five years.

He was then called to Madison, Wisconsin. After 10 years there and 20 overall as a pastor, Leeper took a detour.

“I had decided to become a funeral director,” he said.

Deeper said he enjoyed working with the funeral directors while he was in Madison and he also enjoyed the community.

“Circumstances were such that we wanted to stay in the Madison area,” Leeper said. “I began apprenticing as a funeral director.”

After doing that for nine months, Leeper felt the calling to return his service to the church.

“I really loved being a pastor,” he said.

From there he ended up at a church in northwestern Wisconsin, specifically Spooner, where he stayed for five years.

He since felt the desire and need to be closer to family, Leeper said.

“My parents still live in Cedar Falls and my wife’s father and his wife live in western Iowa,” Leeper said.

This move brings Leeper and his wife closer to both of their families.

Leeper first came to Charles City two Sundays ago, and was installed last Sunday, August 27, he said.

“I started here working on Aug. 15,” Leeper said. “We’re looking forward to being closer to family.”

Leeper and his wife’s parents were at St. John for the installation.

“My godmother, who is my great aunt, is in Clarksville,” Leeper said. She’s now able to listen to his services on the radio.

“It’s wonderful,” Leeper said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to bring her to services here sometime.”

Being back in his home area is a bit surprising for him.

“Its surprises me when somebody mentions ‘we’re doing something in Waterloo,'” Leeper said. “I’ve been long enough so it’s just about time for me to get a hair cut. I need to call and make an appointment at the place I used to go to when I was a kid.”

Leeper is looking for to working the community, and recognizes a long history of St. John Church reaching out to the community and helping those in need, he said.

“We want to continue to do that,” Leeper said. “We really want to be welcoming of families and especially kids.”

He said he wants to be a positive force in Charles City and welcome all to St. John.

“It’s nice to be back,” Leeper said. “I love to laugh and the congregation seems to love to laugh. They’ve laughed at my jokes so far.”