Pastor Jerry Merkouris
Pastor Jerry Merkouris graduated from Luther Northwestern Seminary in 1982 and served congregations in Albert Lea, MN, Sioux Falls, SD and in Valley Springs, SD. He was called to be our interim pastor August 1, 2012 and was installed on April 14, 2013 by Pastor Randy Eisenbeisz, Dean of the South Dakota NALC district.
He grew up near Cambridge, MN. He and his wife, Paula, are very grateful to Spirit of Truth for their encouragement and prayers. They have 4 children and 7 grandchildren. Three live in Sioux Falls and one in Albert Lea, MN. They are very grateful to have them close by. Pastor Jerry will be retiring July 2019. We wish him all the best on his new journey.
Youth Director: Clarissa Lindstad
Clarissa graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Augustana University in Sioux Falls. She is currently pursing a teacher certificate to become a high school biology teacher. Clarissa has been leading youth ministries part-time since graduating from Brandon Valley High School in 2013.
She is married to Lars Lindstad from Hamar, Norway and they have a border collie named Aerial. They are expecting a baby girl in October 2019. Clarissa is the oldest of five children and the only girl to George and Christy Petersen, who are members of our congregation.