About Pastor Eric Burtness

Pastor Eric has served as Senior Pastor at St. Matthew since December, 1997. Previous to that he served First Lutheran in Red Wing, Minnesota (1991-1997), Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Minneapolis (1985-1991) and St. John Lutheran Church in Wausau, Wisconsin (1981-1985). He has served congregations with memberships over 2,200 members since 1985.

He and his wife, Marilyn, together have 5 children; Amy (a graduate of the University of Michigan, working at OHSU and applying to medical school), Matthew (a senior at PLU majoring in Elementary Education), John (a senior at Whitworth, pre-law, and teaching in the fall in New York City in the Teach for America Program), Alex (a freshman at the US Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland) and Laura (a freshman at Sunset High School and the Most Improved on the Varsity Water Polo Team).

Pastor Eric received degrees from Augsburg College (B.A. in 1977), Luther Northwestern Seminary (M.Div. in 1981), and Luther Seminary (M.Th. in 1993).   He is also certified with Ministry Coaching, International, as a Christian Life Coach and coaches the program staff at St. Matthew in the CORE4 areas of a Life Plan, a Vision Plan, a Ministry Plan and an Implementation Plan. 

He has several publications, the most recent one is "Leading On Purpose: Intentionality and Teaming in Congregational Life" which is published in the "Lutheran Voices" series from Augsburg Fortress. The website which supports the book can be viewed at www.leadingonpurpose.org.  He also wrote "A Life Worth Leading" in the same series and the website supporting that book can be viewed at www.alifeworthleading.org.