Rev. Dan Torkelson grew up in Watertown, graduating from Watertown High School in 1988. While in High School, he logged over 3000 volunteer hours at Bethesda Lutheran Home, serving cognitively disabled people, where he later was privileged to work also as an employee for five years into his college and seminary years.

He graduated cum laude from Concordia University Wisconsin in 1992 with a B.A. in Theology/Theological Languages. He received his Master of Divinity from Concordia Seminary St. Louis in 1996. He received a Master of Sacred Theology from the same in 1997 in the area of Luther’s reforms of the Catholic Mass. He is humbled to have studied under Dr. Norman Nagel. He completed coursework toward a Ph.D. in Theology at Marquette in 2005 but discontinued his studies to concentrate on his health.

Pastor Torkelson and his wife, Jennifer have been blessed with eight children 

He has served three parishes before arriving here. St. John’s in Battle Creek, IA from 1997-2001, Zion in Clyman, WI from 2001-2011, and St. John’s in North Prairie from 2011-2023. He also served vacancies in Mapleton, IA, Beaver Dam, WI, and Reeseville, WI.

He was also privileged to serve the South Wisconsin District as a Circuit Visitor from 2003-2009 and as a Regional Vice-President from 2009-2023.