Pastor Rodger Prois was born and raised in Minnesota. After meeting the love of his life, he moved to the East Coast for his education. He was advised as a confirmation student to consider the ministry, but was more intent on being in business and followed that path. Pr. Rodger was working in the financial services industry when God called him to be a student at Luther/Northwestern Seminary (now Luther Seminary) and he graduated in 1993. Given his sales and marketing experience, his first calls were to start new congregations in Utah and central Wisconsin. That work led Pr. Rodger to help congregations redevelop and transform to be vital in the 21st century. A series of events led him to accept a call to serve the ELCA World Hunger and Disaster Appeal in Chicago, and subsequently a move to Iowa where he was eventually called to be bishop of the Western Iowa Synod, ELCA.

 

When his term as bishop ended, Pr. Rodger was not ready to retire and is now serving Long Lake Lutheran Church. He feels that the call to be pastor of a congregation is the best call in the church and is loving the people and area of Northwest Wisconsin.

 

He and Christine have been married for over 50 years and have two adult children and four grandchildren, whom they adore. Pr. Rodger has been a sports fan his entire life; he played football and baseball in his early years, enjoyed mountain biking and racquetball in mid years, and most recently relishes being outdoors on a golf course or fishing from their pontoon.