Our Pastors

Zion Lutheran Church Anoka
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Pastor Connie Tiede

Pastor Connie Tiede

Interim Lead Pastor at Zion

Pastor Connie Tiede has been serving as one of the pastors of Zion since 2003. She grew up in New Ulm, MN and attended college at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. She went to Luther Seminary in St. Paul where she met her husband Mark, who is also a pastor serving in S. Minneapolis. Together they have 3 adult children, two of whom are married and live in the Twin Cities area. We enjoy spending time with family, our dog Rosie, going for walks and love to travel.

Pastor Sue Wallager

Pastor Sue Wallager

Pastor for Spiritual Care

Pastor Sue Wallager has served Zion for eight years. She grew up in Coon Rapids, MN and graduated from Luther College, Decorah, IA with a BA in Elementary Education. Pastor Sue received her Masters of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary in St Paul, MN. She has served congregations throughout Minnesota. She is married to Jeff, an ELCA Chaplain at St. Cloud Hospital, and together they have three children, Emma, Carl and Soren. She enjoys spending time attending her children’s sports and activities, walking their dog, Mya, and spending time with her family.

Pastor James Barsch

Pastor James Barsch

Pastor of Adult Education

Pastor James Barsch has served as Pastor of Adult Education for four years. He grew up in Fond du Lac Wi and graduated from Carthage College in Kenosha WI with a BA in American History and Speech. Pastor Barsch received his Masters of Divinity degree from Hamma School of Theology in Springfield Ohio. He has served congregations in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. He has 2 adult daughters Pastor Amie Odahl and Gretchen Barsch. He has five grandchildren, Nathan, Thomas, Jorgen, Katrina, and Maggie. In his free time, he enjoys playing with his dog Abby, baking, exercising, fishing, and reading.

Ken Johnson

Ken Johnson

Visitation Minister

Ken Johnson and his wife Peg joined Zion after moving to the Twin Cities from Madison, Wisconsin. After retiring from a career in the accounting field, Ken felt a call to ministry and completed the TEEM Ministry program at Wartburg Seminary (TEEM is Theological Education for Emerging Ministries) with an emphasis on rural ministry. Most recently Ken served on the staff at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Madison, where he assisted with pastoral care and visitation ministry. Ken is a part-time addition to the Pastoral Care/Visitation Team at Zion and does hospital, nursing home, home visits and nursing home services and funeral services. Ken’s hobbies include anything railroading including books and DVDs, model railroading, and in the past has volunteered as an engineer on one of the excursion railroads in Duluth. Ken and his wife Peg have two children and six grandchildren.