Pastor Terry Frankenstein

ESCANABA — Bethany Lutheran Church of Escanaba is pleased to welcome Rev. Terry Frankenstein as its new pastor. Bishop Katherine Finegan of the Northern Great Lakes Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America will preside at the installation service for Frankenstein.

The service will be held Sunday, Aug. 30 at 3 p.m. in the gazebo across from the marina at the north end of Ludington Park. Social distancing and mask-wearing will be observed. Attendees are asked to bring their own folding chairs. There will be no food or beverage served, but if “distanced fellowship” following the installation is desired, attendees are welcome to bring a personal picnic lunch.

Special music for the installation will be provided by Sr. Choir Director John Beck and accompanist Kim Beck. Bethany would like to invite everyone to come and greet Frankenstein following the installation.

Frankenstein completed her Master of Divinity at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., in December of 2016. She also completed a unit of clinical pastoral education under the direction of the Rev. David Rumbold at Lutheran Homes in Oshkosh, Wis., and her internship at Bethany Lutheran Church in Ishpeming under the direction of Rev. Warren Geier. Ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament, Frankenstein served as pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Manistique before returning to Escanaba. She has completed a Master of Business Administration and, at present, is working toward certification in spiritual direction through Franciscan University.

Born in Chicago, Frankenstein moved as a youngster to Escanaba, the place she and her family call home. She and her husband John are the parents of two grown children: Tyler Frankenstein, who lives with his wife Loan and two children in Raleigh, N.C.; and Stacey Frankenstein Markon, who lives with her husband Anthony and two children in Oshkosh, Wis. John supports Pastor Terry’s call, while continuing to stay busy with his machine tooling customers at Central U.P. Industrial Supply Co.

A call to ministry came to Frankenstein while she was attending lay school in the local Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Delta Conference. She saw lay school as an opportunity to deepen her understanding of the Lutheran faith and was excited to take classes at Wartburg Theological Seminary, where she began her call in Word and Sacrament ministry. This call was tested and confirmed by the candidacy process and a four-year program to obtain her Master of Divinity degree. 

Frankenstein sees one of her primary strengths as pastoral care.

“I strongly believe in the importance of visiting shut-in members and hospitalized members of a congregation, including those in failing health, the suffering and dying, and the grieving. Over time, these visits can develop into trusting relationships, with conversations that yield important discussions about faith. I believe I interact naturally and easily with people,” she said.

Another area of pastoral strength involves her connecting with youth who are beginning with Sunday school, completing confirmation, and through high school and college. Frankenstein also has a great deal of administrative experience and feels comfortable overseeing necessary aspects of church business and administration.