Meet Our Pastors
Rev. Genelle Netland Senior Pastor
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Pastor Netland grew up in the Southeast Iowa Synod. She’s a graduate of Luther College with a BA in Public Communication Communicative Disorders and has one year of graduate work in Speech Pathology at the University of Kansas. Pastor Genelle has worked for Lutheran Campus Ministry at both KU and the Twin Cities. She has served with youth at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis and did her internship in Avon, CT. She graduated from Luther Seminary with a Masters of Divinity degree in May 2001. She started at Calvary on September 1st, 2001 and was installed as senior pastor on July 11, 2009.
Rev. Jeremiah Holst Associate Pastor
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Pastor Jeremiah grew up in Duluth, spending time along the shores of Lake Superior with his parents and younger brother. He attended Luther College in Decorah, IA, earning a degree in music education and spending his summers working for Voyageurs Lutheran Ministry in northern Minnesota. After college, he lived in Rochester, MN for three years while working as support staff for children with developmental disabilities and behavioral disorders. In 2007 he moved out to Berkeley, CA to attend Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, completing his internship at United Lutheran Church in Eugene, OR and graduating in 2012. After graduation, he accepted a call to serve as Pastor at Shepherd of the Pines parish in Solway and Shevlin where he served until 2019. He lives in Bemidji with his wife, Katherine and their son, Bjorn.
Jami Goetz Vicar
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Jami grew up in a small town in North Central Iowa called Buffalo Center. He attended Wartburg College where he earned a degree in religion and further pursued his passion for music by singing in the men’s choir and playing percussion in Wartburg’s two ensemble bands. After college, Jami continued following his calling to ministry at Luther Seminary, where he has completed two years of his Master of Divinity degree. In his free time, Jami enjoys watching movies (especially Marvel movies!), playing video games, drinking coffee, running, and making music.
Meet Our Staff
Joan Meulebroeck Director of Children’s Ministry
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Joan Meulebroeck began her work with Calvary in January of 2003 as membership secretary. In June of 2009 she was hired as Director of Children’s Ministries which includes Calvary’s preschool. She holds a degree in Elementary Education from Bemidji State University with an emphasis in Kindergarten and Math. She was Director of Christian Education and Music at St. Peter Lutheran in Dubuque, IA prior to returning to Bemidji.
Shar Paquette Worship and Music Minister
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Shar has lived in Bemidji since 1990. She has a grown daughter who lives with her husband in Moorhead, MN. Shar married her best friend, Don Carlson, the summer of 2013. They enjoy working on their cabin, walking, listening to music and reading. Shar holds a BA in Business from UND in Grand Forks, ND. Shar worked for Schoolcraft Learning Community for 14 years, and concurrently worked part-time at Calvary planning and leading contemporary worship starting in January 2012. Shar began the full-time position as Worship and Music Minister in August of 2014. It is her prayer that she continues to learn and grow into this position, and that she can bless God and Calvary through her work here.
Garrett Fultz Church Administrator
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Garrett moved from Little Falls to Bagley at the age of ten with his four siblings and parents, Curt and Kitty Fultz. He graduated from Bagley High School in 2012 and decided to pursue a college degree at Bemidji State University. After over a year attending psychology courses, Garrett switched his focus toward business. In 2016 he graduated from BSU with a degree in Business Administration with emphases in Marketing and Management. Prior to being employed at Calvary Lutheran Church, Garrett was a Manager at Arby’s while working as a Merchandiser for Nabisco in Bemidji.
Aaron Bieberdorf Administrative Assistant
Aaron grew up in Bemidji, MN and has lived here all his life. He was baptized at Calvary Lutheran Church in October 2003. Aaron went to Sunday School at Calvary and got his Spark Bible in 2011, went through confirmation, and was confirmed in 2016; He’s been on a total of five mission trips, the furthest being Arkansas. He graduated from Bemidji High School in 2020 and has enjoyed watching his brother and sister play basketball and football through their high school careers. Aaron is an avid NFL fan and loves to watch the Packers and Vikings. Before Calvary, Aaron volunteered at the Sanford Clinic and Orthopedics Center for the summers of 2018-2019. He’s excited and looking forward to serving Calvary through his gap year from school and giving Calvary all he has to offer. In the fall of 2022, Aaron will attend Central Lakes College in Brainerd and pursue a psychology major. After two years at Central Lakes, he plans to transfer his credits to Minnesota State, Moorehead, where he will complete his college education.
Kim Warren Administrative Assistant
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Kim grew up in Rogers Minnesota, and moved to Bemidji six years ago with her husband, Rev. Pete Warren, who is the pastor at Aardahl Lutheran Church of Bemidji. In June of 2018 Kim and her husband welcomed a son Marcus to the family. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, listening to music, and spending time with her husband and son. She has an extensive ministry background that started as a volunteer in her home congregation in Rogers, MN, and followed her through to serving on a year-long ministry team with Youth Encounter, and then working in the Youth Encounter office. In 2004, she completed the Youth and Family Ministry Certification course through Wartburg Seminary and was a youth director for a short time. Since then, she has had a variety of jobs in a variety of fields from retail customer service, to office management, to paraprofessional. Kim is ecstatic to join the staff at Calvary and looks forward to the journey ahead.
Gene Bright Custodian
Gene Bright is the evening and weekend custodian at Calvary Lutheran Church. He was born in St. Cloud, MN and graduated from Stillwater High School in St. Cloud. Gene is a veteran of the United States Army and served in Vietnam. In his spare time, Gene enjoys reading, watching a little television and working in the garden.