Meet Our Staff

Pastor Collette is originally from Wasilla, Alaska (she could never see Russia from her house), but has lived in Mankato since 2010. She has an undergraduate degree is Social Work from Pacific Lutheran University and a Master’s of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. She has been an ordained pastor in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) since 2004 and has served many congregations, including Bethlehem Lutheran in Mankato for ten years. Along with Pastor Erica, Collette founded Connections Ministry in 2016 and has served as its Board President and now as Director of Administration and Development, as well as co-pastor of the Shelter Church worshipping community. In the time she is not working at Connections, Collette parents 5 children and two dogs and writes at www.collettebroadygrund.com. She is the author of The Grief Lectionary, a Scriptural resource for accessing and processing grief.

Pastor Erica is originally from Denver, Colorado but has lived in the Mankato Area for over 25 years.  She has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Concordia, Moorhead, a Master of Arts from Luther Seminary and a Nonprofit Leadership Certificate from Dakota Wesleyan.   She is an ordained Deacon in the United Methodist Church and has a diverse working background that includes working in a variety of maternal child nursing settings,  beginning Mankato's first Birth Doula program, owning a small business and serving at Centenary UMC in Mankato.  Together with Pastor Collette, she founded Connections Ministry in 2016 and served as Board Vice President and was the organizations first full time employee. She also Co-Pastors Shelter Church.  She loves how this work combines all of her skills! Erica is mom to four young adults and runs a small hobby farm full of goats, chickens, cats, and dogs.  She blogs about it all at TheSassyPastor.com.  

Stay tuned for a bio from Michelle P!

Watch for a name and bio for this new position coming soon!

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