Rev. Tim Graham, Bishop, IN-KY Synod
Bishop Timothy Mark Graham was elected and called to serve the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA, at the 2024 Indiana-Kentucky Synod Assembly, in Louisville, KY. His official start began on September 1, 2024.
Bishop Tim is an Iowa Hawkeye by birth. At three-weeks-old, he was adopted by the late Rev. Vernon and Mrs. Ellen Graham (while Vernon was a student at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, IA). However, most of his young and adult life have been spent in Fort Wayne, IN.
Prior to the assembly election, Bishop Tim served Messiah Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, IN, in various capacities, for seventeen years. His initial call to Messiah in 2007 was actually a dual parish call shared with Grace Lutheran Church/Light of the Cross, also in Fort Wayne, as the redevelopment pastor. Grace/Light of the Cross celebrated Holy Closure at the end of 2009, and Bishop Tim was called to serve Messiah as the Associate Pastor for Youth and Family Ministry in 2010 and then as the Senior Pastor in 2015.
Bishop Tim obtained his undergrad degree from Purdue University in Fort Wayne (when it was still IPFW) in Organizational Leadership and his Master of Divinity from Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, IA. Bishop Tim was ordained at Trinity English Lutheran Church, Fort Wayne, IN, which was his home congregation prior to his first call. Bishop Tim also worked for 14 yrs. as a forklift drive at Supervalu prior to attending seminary.
Bishop Tim, and wife, Meme (Michelle), are the parents of four adult children in Fort Wayne: Sashelle Rose (fiancé Alex Knight), Timothy Graham, Jr., Larraine Graham (husband Cody Williamson), and Robert Graham. They also have seven grandchildren including Jaylen, twins Maleyah and Michelle, Noelle, Elias, Graham, and Greyson.
REV. DAN FOREHAND Assistant to the Bishop for Emerging Ministers and Ministries
The Rev. Dan Forehand
Assistant to the Bishop for Emerging Ministers and Ministries; Acting Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry Transition
Pastor Dan Forehand is the Director for Candidacy – working with individuals who feel a call to ministry in many ways – Pastor, Deacons, and SAMs. Dan serves as our Synod Liaison to our companion synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chile.
Dan served previously as Pastor/Redeveloper at Grace Lutheran Church in Elkhart, Indiana and Pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Knoxville, Tennessee prior to accepting this call. He is a graduate of Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio.
Dan is married to Kim, a pediatric occupational therapist, and has two daughters, Naomi (6) and Annika (4). They also have a lovely black cat, Espresso, who they are teaching to be grateful.
Rev. Priscilla Geerdes, Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry Transition
Priscilla Geerdes joined the Indiana-Kentucky Synod as the Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry Transition in December of 2024. Her ministry is to assist both congregations and rostered leaders in leavings and callings, to arrange for interim ministries, and to work with Synod Authorized Ministers.
Priscilla comes to us from serving a 21-year call at St. Paul’s in Roberts, IL. A Michigander by birth, she spent most of her formative years here in the Indiana-Kentucky Synod being a member of Our Savior’s in Winchester, Bethany in Indianapolis, and St. Paul’s in Vincennes. She is a graduate of Valparaiso University and Trinity Lutheran Seminary, and spent six summers serving on either the staff of Lake Luther or Lutheran Hills. She is a proud second generation female pastor, and her mother, Pastor Barbara Hunter, did her internship at Trinity in Union City and served in the I-K Synod from 1987-1999.
Her husband, Pastor Matthew Geerdes, is wrapping up his service in Illinois and engaging in the discernment and call process in this synod. They have two amazing children, Lily and Isaiah, who are both University of Iowa Hawkeyes. Two insane cats round out the family and keep everyone on their toes.
Most importantly, like everyone, she is a beloved child of God! She is passionate about sharing the love of Christ, working toward peace and justice, and educating herself on the injustices facing those of various races, genders, ages, identities, and abilities. She looks forward to working with leaders and congregations to creatively imagine ways to be the church now and in the future.
REV. DR. JERRY O’NEAL Director of Stewardship
Pastor Jerry O’Neal serves part-time as the IK Synod Director for Stewardship and Mission Support. In this role, he works with Bishop Bill Gafkjen and Pastor Nancy Nyland to strengthen congregations and leaders in the areas of stewardship and generosity. A native of North Carolina, Jerry graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1993, then served for over seven years in the U.S. Army. Next, he attended Georgia Tech, obtaining a M.S. and Ph.D. in Operations Research (mathematical modeling) in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Jerry later attended Trinity Lutheran Seminary, obtaining his M.Div. and being ordained in 2010. His first call was to Calvary, Bluffton from 2010-2016; he has served at Holy Trinity, Muncie since 2016.
Pastor Jerry and his wife Amy have two grown children, and his hobbies include playing music, walking his dogs, and playing chess. He is passionate about helping people view stewardship holistically: stewardship is about “managing all of life with Jesus Christ at the center” (Glenn Taibl). He would be happy to work with you to discover how God might be leading your congregation towards joyful generosity! Please contact him at [email protected] if you would like to know more.
APRIL LYNCH Administrative Assistant to Bishop Gafkjen; Database Manager
April started with the Indiana-Kentucky Synod in May 2003.
April’s role serves as administrative assistant to Bishop Tim Graham and works to tend to his busy schedule and calendar, schedule meetings and help keep his days as organized as possible.
April loves scrapbooking, reading, spending time with her friends and family April has been married 28 years to her husband Juan and they have a adorable 9 year old Shih Tzu named “KG” after one of April’s favorite basketball players Kevin Garnett. April loves basketball and football and is a lifelong Pittsburg Steeler Fan.
Julie Walda, Synod Accountant
Julie joined the synod staff in December 2022 as the Synod Accountant. As synod accountant, Julie handles all things money for the synod. Julie has an accounting degree from Manchester University and has many years of experience in the non-profit sector.
Julie has used her finance skills in many volunteer capacities as church treasurer, PEO chapter treasurer, and as a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace instructor. Julie is very active in her congregation, St. John Lutheran in downtown Fort Wayne.
Julie and Chris, her husband of 31 years, live in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They spend many hours in the car traveling to cross country & track meets for Evan (senior at Valparaiso) and Lauren (sophomore at St. Olaf). Julie also enjoys travel, spending time at their lake cottage, reading, puzzles and making greeting cards.
[email protected]
Karl Biermann, ELCA Foundation IN, KY, OH Regional Gift Planner
A 2004 Trinity Lutheran Seminary graduate, Pastor Karl Biermann served as a parish pastor for 10 years in his native Texas before being called in 2014 to serve as assistant to the bishop in the Northeastern Ohio Synod. His primary responsibility was to match pastors and deacons with congregations through the call process – which can seem more like a matchmaking art than a science!
Pr. Biermann and his wife of almost 23 years, Lana, enjoyed the people, fun attractions, and seasons in Ohio during his seminary studies in Columbus, pastoral internship at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Upper Arlington (Columbus), and campus ministry experience at Capital University. Both more recently appreciated the warm relationships formed residing in the Akron area with their 16-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son.
