How did Pastor Jonathan discern a Call to Bethesda?
By the grace of God and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, on November 6, 2022, Bethesda voted affirmatively to extend a Letter of Call to Pastor Jonathan Dolan for the position of Associate Pastor for Youth and Family, which he immediately accepted. Pastor Jonathan was very impressed by what he read about Bethesda in their Ministry Site Profile. He absolutely loved the "Summary Description" that read in spoke about "strengthening youth programming, promoting an inclusive and welcoming community, working for racial justice and building rapport with all." When his family came to visit us, he saw firsthand that those weren't simply words on a page, but active responses by the people of Bethesda. On December 5, 2022, Pastor Jonathan officially began his Call in that role for us.
What experiences have formed Pastor Jonathan into the servant-leader he is today?
Prior to serving alongside Bethesda, Pastor Jonathan had spent 3.5 years (June 2019 - November 2022) in mission and ministry with the saints of God at American Lutheran - ELCA as their Pastor. ALC is rural congregation, located in the childhood hometown of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Little House on the Prairie), De Smet, South Dakota. Pastor Jonathan completed his first Pastoral Internship serving the people of God at Holy Trinity - ELCA in Dubuque, Iowa. His second serving the people of God at First English - ELCA in Platteville, Wisconsin and serving as the Lay Lutheran Campus Minister for the University of Wisconsin - Platteville (8,500 students).
By the grace of God, Pastor Jonathan comes now excitedly to serve us at Bethesda with a variety of pastoral experiences. Serving in a rural, South Dakota prairie community; to being in a medium sized congregation serving in the industrial river town of Dubuque; to serving in a college town congregation which simultaneously housed the Campus Ministry. Also worth noting is that Pastor Jonathan served as a Camp Counselor (Jericho Cabin) at Lutheran Lakeside Camp - ELCA in Spirit Lake, Iowa. In every congregational setting, he has participated in some capacity for youth in Sunday School, Confirmation and High School. All of these experiences have prepared Pastor Jonathan for the Christ-centered work of being Bethesda's Associate Pastor for Youth and Family. Pastor Jonathan has been gifted with an excellent memory and an affinity to sound Lutheran theology which will serve him well as oversees the curriculums used in our congregation. Pastor Jonathan is ready for the joys and sorrows, tribulations and triumphs that will come while serving now as one of our pastors at Bethesda!
What should we know about Pastor Jonathan's family?
Pastor Jonathan and his wife Lisa Marie Dolan (Hulshizer) met at North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) while participating in collegiate Concert Choir and NIACC Singers (the Show Choir). This love for music served as the initial bond that they shared. Their first date was to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, MN on Sept. 28, 2008. They have gone at least 11 times together since. They also learned that they enjoyed similar tastes in movies, tv shows, video games and familial life. Lisa graduated with an Associate's Degree in Nursing from NIACC in May 2010. Eventually, Pastor Jonathan proposed to Lisa on 11/11/11 at 11:11 am. Lisa graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Iowa in December 2012. Pastor Jonathan graduated with a Bachelor's in The Study of Religion from the University of Northern Iowa in May 2013. Lisa and Pastor Jonathan were married on June 7, 2014 the same date his Grandma and Grandpa Dolan were married on 70 years earlier in 1944. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Dubuque so that Pastor Jonathan could begin his seminary studies at Wartburg Theological Seminary - ELCA. He graduated with a Master's in Divinity in May 2018.
Today, Pastor Jonathan and Lisa share parental responsibilities of three children. Their oldest child, Anastasia Joy is 5 and attends kindergarten at Fellows Elementary in Ames. Their second, Etta Rose is 3 and goes to daycare. Their youngest, Theodore Christof is 8 months and also goes to daycare. The kids attend daycare because Lisa is also fulfilling her vocation. Lisa works full-time as an RN-BSN at McFarland's Pediatric Clinic in Ames. Learning to balance 3 children under 5 with two full-time working parents has been an experience.
What other things does Pastor Jonathan enjoy?
Most certainly a product of his generation, you can find Pastor Jonathan in his free time playing RPGs, Sports, FPS games on his Xbox One X or RTS, Simulation, City Building games on his Asus Gaming Laptop. Though that free time is limited because of children and chores. Pastor Jonathan also enjoys immersing himself in epic high fantasy series like: The Wheel of Time or the Realm of the Elderlings. He is also a devout student of learning history and does his best to understand, state, national and global politics. Aside from feeling a Call to serve God's people, Pastor Jonathan also felt called to be a Social Science Educator for a number of years before trying to run for political office. Lastly, Pastor Jonathan loves experiencing new places and people by way of travel. He has been fortunate enough to visit 14 countries and 24 of the 50 US States.
