Pastor Ken Harste
Pastor Ken Harste has never had a time when he didn’t know Jesus Christ was his Lord and Savior although he will readily admit that there were times of rebelliousness where he didn’t let Jesus be the leader of his life.
Born in western Minnesota as a fourth-generation immigrant on a family farm, Pastor Ken loves the outdoors. He comes from a long line of teachers and story tellers and given half a chance he will regale you with endless tales from his childhood and life experiences. Everyone has a story that God is writing with their lives and Pastor Ken’s story is filled with passion and hope and a desire for people to discover God’s presence in their lives the story he is writing with them.
After graduating from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota, Pastor Ken attended Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He has served congregations in Rogue River, Oregon, Lacey, Washington, and three local congregations; Good Shepherd in Circle Pines, Family of Christ in Andover, and is founding pastor of Samaritans Hill.
Pastor Ken’s wife Joanne is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She works out of Samaritans Hill Church, has an office in Andover, and most recently has begun doing Telehealth for those clients that prefer that. For appointments, she can be reached at 651-353-5453.
Together, they have five children and eight grandchildren with one more on the way. Pastor loves to garden, do woodworking and house projects, and playing with his dog Windsor. You can learn more about Pastor’s hobbies on Facebook at Salida Bottom Farms.
