"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
- 1 Corinthians 12:27
Rev. Dr. Kate Schlechter, Senior Transition Pastor
Pastor Kate Schlechter lives into the motto that is “Life is pilgrimage.” A recent move to Los Alamos, NM and the Bandelier Natl Forest with her dog, KOI, has placed her in the position of interim senior pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. She frequently speaks of her thirty-two-year calling as a pastor in the ELCA as cultural plunge into the lives, hearts, and the mythologies of God’s beautiful human and non-human creation. A recent bear encounter in her kitchen didn’t dampen her enthusiasm for nature. 25 years of her vocational pilgrimage has been accompanying congregations undergoing various dimensions of change and forced transition. She has served congregations in Hawaii, Washington, Arizona, California, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, Wisconsin and New Mexico.
A native Californian, Pastor Kate grew up sailing off the coast of Southern California before attending Bauder College in Sacramento, CA where she obtained an AA degree in Fashion Merchandising and Design. Upon completing her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature with a teaching option from California State University, Long Beach, Tokyo beckoned and life in the mission field of Japan. Through the Lutheran Church of America, she served Koishikawa Lutheran Church, the only hearing and impaired congregation in Japan. Each Sunday service was simultaneously presented in both Japanese and Japanese sign language. Bunkyo Katariina Dormitory, attached to the congregation, housed 300 women ages 13 to 30. While in Tokyo, Kate was called into the ordained ministry and returned to Minnesota to attend Luther Seminary. Ordained in Great Falls, Montana before moving to Oahu to serve St. John’s Lutheran Church for her first call.
A cultural mythologist and a detective at heart, Kate loves a good mystery, depth psychology and theology. Her love and passion for literature and psychology led her to complete a PHD in mythology/psychology where she explored a 4,000-year-old Mesopotamian poem, “The Descent of Inanna to the Great Below” and its relevance for postmodern ordained women and the patriarchy within Christianity. In addition to her pastoral calling, Pastor Kate received her Master of Psychology from Seattle Pacific University and is a trained marriage and family therapist who also maintains a private spiritual direction practice.
Deacon Amy Schmuck
Deacon Amy Schmuck began her journey to ordained diaconal ministry in the ELCA as a second career. She first served for 20 years as a special education teacher in Illinois with her BS in Special Education and Elementary Education and an MS in Education- Curriculum and Instruction from Quincy University in Quincy, IL. Once she and her family relocated to Denver, Colorado in 2015, she began a discernment process, taking a break from teaching to learn what God might be up to in her life with this change. An opportunity to serve part-time as a Director of Youth Ministry at her congregation, Holy Love Lutheran Church in Aurora, Colorado arose, and she continued to grow in her faith and her strength as a partner in ministry. Deacon Amy attended Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN and earned her MA in Leadership and Innovation for Ministry in 2023. She also served as a Chaplain Resident for a year at St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, CO, and completed a part-time Deacon Internship at Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lakewood, CO (yes, all of that in 2023). Deacon Amy was ordained for Ministry of Word and Service in the ELCA on February 24, 2024. She was installed in her first call here at Bethlehem to serve as “Deacon for Welcome and Lifelong Learning” on March 23, 2024. Deacon Amy and her spouse of 27 years, Alan, are excited for this new adventure in Los Alamos and have deep gratitude for the way God has been at work throughout this process. Alan and Amy have been blessed to be parents to two “kiddults” Adam and Connor who are both college students, and a cattle dog mix named Virgil.