Pastor Joan Oleson grew up in Fowlerville and Clawson, MI where her father served as a Lutheran pastor. After graduating from Clawson High School, Pastor Joan attended and graduated from Capital University in Columbus, OH. She then moved to Williston, North Dakota where she served as the Christian Education Director of First Lutheran Church for three years. Returning to school after being asked by the North/West Lower Michigan Synod to develop a mission in the Jenison/Hudsonville area, Pastor Oleson graduated from Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, OH in 1996 and was ordained at her parish, Christ, Wyoming, MI. She continued to work as developer and then was called as first pastor of Bread of Life Lutheran Church, Hudsonville, MI, serving from 1990-2007. In October of 2007 she was installed as pastor of Saron Lutheran Church in St. Joseph, MI.
Pastor Joan was married in 1978 to Jim, a certified public accountant and North Dakota native. Jim works for ACSET (Area Community Services Employment & Training Council) in Grand Rapids, MI. They have four grown daughters, Erika (Ohio), Heather (Minnesota), Alissa (Delaware), and Gretchen (Michigan).
Pastor Oleson’s hobbies include walking, flower gardening,
music, (very) amateur photography, genealogy, and icons.
