Wooden Cross’ new Interim Care Pastor, Jim Kruse was born and grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and his family moved to Hawaii when he was fifteen. Pastor Jim graduated from Kailua High School in 1971, and went on to graduate from Valparaiso University in Indiana with B.A. in psychology. He earned a M.Div. degree from Christ Seminary—Seminex and was ordained in 1981.

Pastor Jim was called to congregational ministry at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Indianapolis and St. John’s Lutheran Church in Stone Bank, Wisconsin, near Milwaukee. Pastor Jim also earned a M. Arch. degree from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and took time away from the parish to serve as Director of Community Life at the Grünewald Guild, in Plain, Washington for two years in 1995 and 96.

In 1997 Pastor Jim returned to congregational work as Lead Pastor of Christ Lutheran in Edmonds, WA, and Lead Pastor at Cross of Christ Lutheran in Bellevue, WA, beginning in 2006. Since 2012, he has served numerous transition ministries at the invitation of the Bishop’s Office of the Northwest Washington Synod.

Pastor Jim lives in Woodinville with his wife, Arlys, a retired Building Systems Engineer and hospital Facilities Manager. They share their home with three dogs, Hopi, a 12-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer, and two Golden Retrievers, Eli, age 10, and Tremor, age 5. Tremor and Arlys work as therapy team with two programs. The team visits schools and libraries with Reading With Rover, a remedial reading program. They also respond to “call outs” with the national organization, HOPE Animal Assisted Crisis Response, providing a critically needed calming presence in moments of high anxiety and stress. Arlys has served on the Board of Directors for both organizations.

Pastor Jim will serve as our Care Pastor until a permanent pastor has been called.