ELLSWORTH – Sometimes a seemingly ordinary moment can be a turning point in one’s life. That was the case for Pastor Pete Warren of English Lutheran Church.

Warren, who was installed as pastor at English Lutheran on Nov. 16, 2022, said his parents were both very active in church. For 17 years, he saw his mother work with youth in their church. When he was 16, he even thought maybe God was calling him to be a pastor. But he spent the next 16 years running away from that notion. 

Warren, who grew up in Ashland, worked at various Bible camps in northern Wisconsin and cooked at different restaurants after college. One afternoon while working at the Elk’s Lodge in Ashland, he had an epiphany.

“Sometimes it takes up a frying pan upside the head,” Warren said. “I was bartending that afternoon, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving during hunting season. It was 60 degrees and I was sitting in the basement of the lodge just in case someone came out to go golfing. And I thought, ‘I’m just wasting my life here, aren’t I God?’ It was that ordinary moment that was a turning point. I finally gave up and listened to God.”

Warren credits bartending with helping reinforce his call into the ministry.

“I would hear people’s stories and I wanted to help them in a healthier setting,” Warren said.

After graduating from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Warren spent seven years at a church in Bemidji, Minn. But he and his wife wanted to get closer to the Twin Cities area. He credits “amazing connections” for helping everything fall into place, leading them back to the Dairyland. His wife Kimberly works as a teacher’s aide with fourth graders at Ellsworth Elementary School, where son Marcus is in 4YK.

“We love living in Ellsworth. A lot of the small-town stuff,” Warren said. “I volunteered as a chef in the (Cheese Curd Festival) curd tent. I spent a lot of time at our food stand at the county fair. The National Night Out parties that we went to, trunk or treat. We were blown away by the mob of people while trick or treating.”

As he settles into Ellsworth, he’s also actively building relationships at English Lutheran. On the first Wednesday of each month, Warren leads Kingdom Kids youth group, an after school program for 4YK to sixth graders. On Thursday mornings, Warren goes back to his culinary roots and cooks breakfast at 8 a.m. for the church’s men’s group.

“It scratches that cooking itch that I still have,” Warren laughed. “It’s a fun way to get to know the guys and build those relationships.”

Menu items rotate, but biscuits and gravy are his specialty. The breakfast accepts free will donations and is open to any men in the community.

When he’s not connecting with parishioners or volunteering in the community, Warren loves the “typical dad things” like working on house projects and mowing the lawn. You might even find him strumming guitar every once in a while.

English Lutheran Church is located at 229 W. Main St., Ellsworth. To learn more about services and programs, visit englishlutheranchurch.org