Pastor Krista Stokke
Pastor Krista Stokke grew up in DeKalb Illinois and lived in DeKalb until she graduated from Northern Illinois University. She received a General Studies Degree, and before attending seminary she was a manager at McDonald’s and worked at a bank. Her parents still live in DeKalb, and she has a younger brother who lives in St Louis with his wife and two children, and a sister who lives in Des Moines Iowa with her husband, and one child, and my sister is expecting another gift from God in April.
In eighth grade she thought she wanted to be a pastor, so that was on her heart and mind until she graduated from Northern Illinois University. About a year after graduating from college, she went to Luther Seminary in St Paul, MN. She graduated in May 2002. From 2002-2008, she served in Illinois at a 2-point parish in Granville and McNabb. From 2008-2011, she served at a church in Glenville, MN. From August 2011-2012, she did a chaplain residency at St John’s Hospital in Maplewood, MN, and was on the medical/surgical and oncology floor. From August 2012-December 2012, she was an Interim Chaplain at St John’s Lutheran Home in Albert Lea, MN. She was helping them out because their chaplain was
having chemo treatments. She led worship at the nursing home each Sunday, visited with the residents, and offered several bible studies throughout the week at the nursing home. From 2013-2019, she served as pastor at a 2- point church in Vandalia and Loogootee Illinois. Pastor Krista also served as the interim pastor at Calvary Lutheran in Belleville for several years.
Since November 2019, Pastor Krista has served as HSHS hospice chaplain for Central and Southern Illinois.
After Seminary she took classes in Spiritual Direction and is a Spiritual Director. Some of her hobbies and joys are visiting family and friends, playing golf, singing, playing the piano and guitar, knitting, seeing and playing with my niece and nephews, watching most sports on television and attending sporting and musical events. She loves baseball, guess who is her favorite baseball team?
She was active in her various communities. In Vandalia she was a Rotary member, Soroptimist member, and hospice volunteer. She also served on the food pantry board. When she was serving in Glenville Minnesota, she was a Kiwanis Member and she sang in a community choir. In Granville, IL., she was a Trustee on an Education Foundation, Habitat Board member and served as president, Rotary Member and Club Chaplain. She was even involved in a few musical productions in Granville.
Location
St. Martin of Tours is located at 1190 North 6th Street, Mascoutah, Illinois.
A Brief History of St. Martin’s
September 26, 1976 – Reverend James L. Clark and around 140 members left Zion Lutheran Church in Mascoutah, IL and formed St. Martin of Tours Lutheran Church.
October 3, 1976 – Services began in the gymnasium of Holy Childhood Catholic School.
May 20, 1979 – Services began in a newly constructed church on a three acre plot donated by members at Sixth Street and Fuesser Road.
1988 – St. Martin’s purchased the adjacent day care center on Fuesser Road and renamed it the St. Martin’s Child Development Center.
1994 – St. Martin’s member Jerry Norton began construction of a Gazebo and Columbarium in memory of his wife Myrna and daughter Filipa.
2002 – St. Martin’s sold the Child Development Center.
2006 – Reverend Clark retired after serving St. Martin’s for 30 years. Reverend James Bannit became the interim pastor.
2008 – Reverend Heidi Wallace was called as pastor of St. Martin’s and serves until 2010.
2010 – Reverend Jan Worms, who served as music director and organist for many years, retired.
2011 – Reverend Waylon Middendorf became the interim pastor.
2014-2018 – Reverend Margo Peterson served as the pastor at St. Martin’s.