Our transitional Pastor Kenneth Ahlstrand began his work here at Lord of Grace on September 1, 2007. Pastor Ken is responsible for leading the congregation in between Pastor Moe's leaving and the calling of a new Pastor at Lord of Grace.

Pastor Ken grew up in Moline, Illinois and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and psychology from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois (a Phi Beta Kappa, liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America). He received his Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, Illinois and has actively pursued continuing education while serving as Pastor in four churches in Illinois (Christ, Quincy; Grace, Springfield; Grace, Woodstock; and Bethlehem, St. Charles) over a period of 35 years. Since June 2000, Pastor Ken has served as Transitional Pastor for six churches in the Tucson area (Resurrection, Oro Valley; Desert Hills, Green Valley; Lutheran Church of the King, Tucson; Dove of Peace, Tucson; Trinity, Rita Ranch; and Beautiful Savior, Tucson).

Pastor Ken's wife Marjorie is a retired public school music teacher, having taught for more than twenty years. She has also actively engaged in church music as an organist, pianist, accompanist, choir director, and bell choir director. She is presently assisting Lutheran Church of the Foothills in beginning to offer an alternative worship service as the director of music for that service.

The Ahlstrands have four daughters: Michelle (a Speech Pathologist), who lives in Tempe, Arizona with her husband Derek and their three sons Jonathan, Jacob, and Micah; Karin (a Doctor in Neuropsychology), who lives in Tucson and will be married to Lee on September 29th ; Rebecca (a Buyer for Sam Levitz), who lives in Tucson; and Elizabeth (who will finish her Bachelor's Degree in Ceramic Arts in December 2007), who lives in Denver. Pastor Ken's mother, Alice, also lives in Tucson and will be attending church at Lord of Grace.

And so, with open hearts and open arms, we welcome a well-traveled and richly-experienced Pastor Ken and his family to Lord of Grace!