Team

Pastor
Our New Pastor: Pastor Joseph Leavengood
Pastor Joe has been installed as the minister of the St. John Lutheran Church on Feb 9, 2020.

2019 Church Committee Members
President – Jeff Shows
Vice President – Michael Wiederhold
Secretary – Carol Dismukes
Treasurer – Danita Smith
Trustees – Linda Kieschnick, Jan Perry, Joyce Lerche

2019 Cemetery Committee
Chairman – Steve Perry
Secretary – Virginia Shows
Treasurer – Nolan Lerche
Trustees – Joyce Tanner, Mark Richardson
Administrator – Carol Dismukes

Musicians
Organist – Virginia Shows
Pianist – Beth Campbell

Team Member Photos

About Pastor Joe

Pastor Joe Leavengood is our new Pastor, arriving in Dime Box in January of 2020.  Growing up mostly near Tucson, AZ, he was a paperboy, musician, baseball player and cross-country runner before going to college at the Air Force Academy in Colorado.  For three decades he served in the Air Force around the globe in intelligence, in operational roles, and as a Judge Advocate Officer, and just kept going to school when he could, earning an MBA, MA and JD along the way. 

Injured in an accident in Baghdad in 2006, Joe was medically retired as a Wounded Warrior in 2010. His favorite assignments were in Tokyo and Baghdad, because his work truly mattered in each.  His roughest assignments were the ones close to Washington, DC where he juggled seminary studies at Gettysburg, a few years of physical therapy, and soul-crushing traffic and bureaucracy.

In ministry he has served elsewhere in Texas, in Alberta, Canada, and most recently in Montana.  He has also preached the Good News in many other places from Oregon to Baghdad.  Pastor Joe tries to keep using his skills as a parent, musician, coach, teacher, bus driver, attorney and librarian for God’s glory.   He enjoys reading, chess, writing, working out, hiking, and a cold drink at a good ball game.   

Joe’s wife Edie grew up in the New York City area, has worked as a parent, reporter, banker, florist, coffee shop manager, and writer and editor of publicity, scripts, novels, poetry and non-fiction.  She also enjoys reading, cooking and volunteering.  They have two adult children, Sarah (a college student) and Jay (a civil engineer and architect), both in College Station.  They also have two dogs and a cat, but they no longer own any snow shovels.

Pastor Joe encourages you to listen to God’s calling for your life, to use your freedom to pursue that calling, and to relax your shoulders.