Board
Lutheran Bible Translators’ board members are professionals with years of experience in business, ministry, and missionary work around the world.
Marlis Norton
Chair
Bio
Previously worked in Information Technology project management in the marketing and media arenas; retired and serving in numerous capacities at church and elsewhere.
Nickie Wilson
Vice-Chair
Bio
USAF Lieutenant Colonel, retired; varied international and domestic mission experience.
Rev. Dr. Wayne Braun
Secretary
Bio
Senior Pastor at Fishers of Men Lutheran Church in Sugar Land, TX, former missionary to Germany.
Ed Lamb
Treasurer
Bio
Retired IT Executive. Currently an Executive Advisor/Life Coach and Owner of Fruitful Connections. Board Secretary at Christ Greenfield Church in Gilbert, AZ.
John Rodenburg
Bio
Licensed CPA in Illinois; decades of business experience; president of Trinity Springfield and former longtime member and treasurer of CID LCMS.
Rev. Dr. Paul Mueller
Bio
Now retired, served as the Executive Director of the Center for Applied Lutheran Leadership and Director of the Mission Training Center, Concordia University, Portland; Regional Director – Africa and Evangelistic Missionary in Liberia for LCMS World Mission; and full professor teaching mission and outreach courses at Concordia in St. Paul, MN and Portland, OR. He is the secretary for the North American Mission Executives group.
Jan Wendorf
Bio
Former Lutheran high school teacher, past president of the LWML, member of several non-profit boards.
Dr. Johnnie Driessner
Bio
Doctoral Faculty and Dissertation Chair (Part-Time), University of Phoenix; previously served in a variety of faculty and administrative posts at Concordia University Portland, including Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President, and Interim President; previously deployed to the Concordia University Educational Network (CUEnet) as Director of Academic Programming.
Deaconess Heidi Goehmann
Bio
Certified EMDR therapist, freelance author, mental and relational heath advocate.
Deaconess Sonja Baumeister
Bio
Program Coordinator for Mission Training Center which helps lay leaders learn to engage in God’s mission in their own communities.
Rev. Dr. Ronald Rall
Bio
Former Senior Pastor, Timothy Lutheran Church, St. Louis; Former Missionary to Papua New Guinea, currently part-time teaching at Timothy Lutheran Seminary in PNG and doing continuing education for pastors and evangelists there. Translator of A Child’s Garden Book (Concordia Publishing House) into Melanesian Pidgin.
Staff
Executive
Dr. Mike Rodewald
CEO/Executive Director
Rev. Dr. Rich Rudowske
COO/Director for Operations
Jennifer Kunkel
Board Executive Assistant
Communications & Development
Alyssa Petty
Assistant Director for Marketing and Strategic Engagement
Rhoda Houge
Development Assistant
Jill Inman
Communications Assistant
Rev. Dr. Tilahun Mendedo
Executive Development Officer
Molly Poppe
Creative Content Writer
Caleb Rodewald
Creative Lead
Sarah Rudowske
Graphic Designer
Rev. Dr. Brent Smith
Executive Development Officer
Emily Wilson
PR Coordinator
Program Ministries & Operations
Paul Federwitz
Assistant Director for Program Ministries
Charlotte Brandt
Gift Records Coordinator
Sarah Esala
Regional Director - South & East Africa/Pacific
Rev. David Federwitz
Regional Director - West Africa
Katie Hogan
Program Ministries Assistant
Calvin Inman
IT Coordinator
Kathy Knipmeyer
Gift Records
Stephanie Luetjen
Accounting Assistant
Rev. Dr. Berhanu Ofgaa
Program Director - Ethiopia
Melissa Schweigert
Human Resources Manager
Angela Tayloe
Finance Manager
Eshinee Veith
Training Coordinator
Open Positions
The International Office Team
At Lutheran Bible Translators, we believe access to God’s Word brings transformation. We also believe the ministry of Bible translation belongs to the entire Church. By joining LBT’s staff, you can be involved in this great mission both at home and abroad.
In everything we do at LBT, we value innovation, professionalism, dialogue, and cultural sensitivity.
Where are the international offices?
LBT’s headquarters is based in Concordia, Missouri. The international offices staff is responsible for managing LBT’s daily operations, outreach efforts, and missionary support services.
Does LBT offer student internships?
In Concordia, MO LBT welcomes unpaid internships in conjunction with a college or university in order to offer college credit. Local or remote opportunities could exist in development, communications, IT, administration, the executive’s office, and in missionary support.
Internationally If you are interested in an international internship, our team will work with you to see if your skills and passion fit any of the needs our missionaries have on the field. We do not keep a list of international needs published on our website. Instead, we work directly with you and our missionaries on a case-by-case basis to give you a productive role in our ministry in a place where you’ll be an asset to the work overseas.
Don’t see an internship opening that works for you? Propose your own internship idea!
