Jon has greatly enjoyed supporting Bethlehem’s mission and ministry since 1981, first as a volunteer and now on staff as Lead Pastor for Operations. He is very thankful for this opportunity to serve Bethlehem full-time as he leads an excellent support staff focused on areas like properties management, financial administration, office management, communications, information technologies, media, and human resources, as well as kitchen, wedding, and library coordination.
Jon was born just miles from Bethlehem, and spent his formative years growing up in a Christian home in Duluth. During high school, God used prayers from family members and friends, a letter from his dad describing the importance of trusting and following Jesus, and contact with individuals in the Jesus People movement to plant seeds that later blossomed into saving faith. Then, in the fall of 1975 as a freshman at St. Olaf College, God drew Jon into his kingdom and turned his life right-side up through the college ministry of a local church (Emmaus Baptist), the witness of several close friends, and a powerful time of reading Scripture. He was baptized shortly afterward.
God brought Jon and his wife, Pam, to Bethlehem within weeks of their 1981 wedding through Pastor John’s preaching and Pastor Tom’s leadership of Toshavim (and its softball team!). Jon has been involved in various ministries since, including the Council of Elders (and its 1980s precursor, the Council of Deacons), the North Campus building committee, adult small groups and children’s Sunday School small groups, the Worship & Music search committee for Chuck Steddom, and Toshavim worship leadership. Pam has also been involved extensively with worship and children’s ministries at Bethlehem. They shared an Elliot Park duplex for nine years with good friends from Bethlehem (Pastor Tom & Julie Steller), and now live in New Brighton, just two miles from the North Campus. Their daughter, Rebecca, is married to Charlie. Their son, Daniel is married to Nicole.
Before joining Bethlehem’s staff, Jon served as a group leader at Parametric Technologies (PTC), a product development software company, where he led its Windchill division Development Services team. Prior to PTC, he was employed by Control Data’s ICEM CAD/CAM division as a project leader and software developer. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Duluth, with degrees in Mathematics and Computer Science.