Meet the Pastor
Hello! I’m Steve Cauley. Currently serving as Pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa.
A little about me: Ordained to Word and Sacrament ministry in early 2007, I’ve been a pastor serving the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) for 11 years. I’m excited about my family, church leadership, mentoring and coaching pastoral interns (and folks discerning vocational calling ), St. Louis Cardinals baseball – go Redbirds! I am a road biker (commuting to my office on most days), boat owner and water sports enthusiast, and traveling to new places with my family.
In 2017, I began a four-year Doctor of Ministry program at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. My focus is on congregational leadership and mission (evangelism) development. I am inspired by the Holy Spirit moving in our congregation as we reach out to share the love of Christ! I’m curious about what God is up to in Muscatine and how Zion can join with what God is doing.
Things I value in my call as a pastor are:
- the relationships I build with others and God’s care of creation.
- Being open to the call of the Holy Spirit and following where the Spirit of God leads.
- Seek to inspire people through the living Word of God (Jesus Christ) by asking questions of how the gospel engages our culture.
I went to Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas and received an undergraduate degree in Business Administration in 1998. I worked for a multi-national bank in San Antonio, Texas for about four years before landing in seminary in Chicago.
In 2006, I graduated from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) with a Master of Divinity degree and subsequently began my service as Associate Pastor at Advent Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas, a ministry position I held for about four years.
In 2010, I received a call to serve God’s people at Zion Lutheran Church in Muscatine, Iowa. I’ve ministered to God’s people faithfully and find personal affirmation in my vocation as a pastor. It’s been a fun and avid ride, and I’m so blessed to share life with the saints at Zion!
I met my wife, Karen Landahl, while a student in Chicago. We have three girls: Analise (9), Linnea(5), and Norah(2). Life revolves around these three!
Ora et Labor -Pray and work always! It’s the cycle of life!
Pastor Cauley is always available for coffee and conversation! Give him a call on his cell (563) 299-6770.
Pastoral Internship Ministry
Program Overview
At Zion Lutheran Church, we are committed to making disciples and leadership development. We participate with Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) seminary students who are studying to become ordained pastors. Our past three pastoral interns have all been students at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC).
Our internship program provides opportunities for future pastoral leaders to grow in their theological knowledge, develop their gifts for pastoral ministry, and discern their vocational calling to serve Christ’s church.
Pastoral interns will have the opportunity to serve at Zion Lutheran Church and work in strategic areas of focus. The goal is to prepare seminary students for their first call through a variety of ministry and service opportunities in the church.
Our intern student for 2018-19 is Liz Koerner. Vicar Liz will start her ministry with us in July 2018. She hails from New Britain, Connecticut, and her home congregation is Gloria Dei Lutheran in Bristol, Connecticut. Vicar Liz loves to hear people’s stories and walks with them through both trials and triumphs. For fun, she enjoys crafting of many kinds, reading, spending time with friends, and is a lover of all things tie-dyed and rainbow and the combination of the two!
She is excited to be with us at Zion on her journey towards ordained ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Staff
Heather Mills
Office Administrator
Heather graduated from Muscatine Community College with her AOS (Administrative and Office Support) degree and did part of her internship at Zion Lutheran Church while finishing her degree in 2011. She has been at Zion since May 2013.
Heather resides just outside of Muscatine with her husband, Nathaniel, four children, Austin, Gabrielle, Traven, and Elizabeth, and their Golden Retriever, Buddy.
Maggie Tiecke
Director of Music Ministries
Music in Zion’s worship services has strengthened Maggie’s faith journey from early childhood and continues to this day. As the Director of Music, she selects the anthems, rehearses and prepares Zion’s choir for the worship services. Through God’s gift of music, we share our faith with each other and with our Zion Lutheran family.
Tyler Baars
Congregational Life Coordinator
Tyler, a life-long member of Zion, is completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Northern Iowa in May 2018 and will serve a 14-week internship with Zion Lutheran. Tyler writes:
“My time at UNI has come to a close and I am excited to be graduating this coming May with my degree in Leisure, Youth, and Human Services. This area of study has many components that fall under the title: Youth Development, Non-Profit Management, and Recreation Services, just to name a few. I have developed a strong passion about this field, so I would love to talk with you about it more. However, to officially complete my program of study, I need to complete a 14-week internship, Zion has graciously allowed me to fulfill this requirement during the summer with all of you, from May 9th – August 15th. My focus will mostly be with the youth and internal polices and procedures. I will work alongside Stacey to help with summer youth activities as well as plan and vision for the future. My work will mostly be for internal use within the youth group and the church with risk management: polices and procedures. This will include creating a handbook with all this information that will remain in the office for anyone to access. My other fun little project will be planning and organization a community outreach event that will take place early fall, with more details to come when they are available.
Stacey Ramos
Youth Ministry Specialist
Stacey Ramos oversees many of our youth ministries, including confirmation, youth education, youth trips and youth fundraisers. She was born and raised in Clinton, Iowa and grew up at Zion Lutheran Church in Clinton, Iowa. In 1993, Stacey moved to Muscatine and joined our community of faith.
Stacey works with youth in many ways: daycare provider, VBS and Sunday school teacher, youth committee member, and a para-educator for the school system. The youth are our future, and she enjoys working with them and watching them grow!
Stacey lives outside of Muscatine and is married to Rosendo Ramos. She has four beautiful children: Jason, Justin, Jacob and his wife Kelsie, and Katie and recently became a grandmother!
Contact Stacey at staceyjeanramos@gmail.com
Charles Potter
Organist/Bell Choir Director
As one of Zion’s organists, my task is to help lead the congregation’s musical worship in singing hymns and liturgy and by providing prelude and postlude music appropriate for the themes of the day and the season.
As Zion’s Bell Choir director, my task is to do the best I know how to do to help the bell players do the best they can do.
Rob Minder
Sexton/Operations
We are blessed to have Rob serving with us at Zion Lutheran. Rob is a wonderful behind-the-scenes person who keeps our building and grounds beautiful and clean. Rob is a recently retired engineer and also drives a city bus part-time in his retirement. You can also catch up with him in many of Muscatine civic theater events! He is a gifted actor and a blessing for our community.