duane sweep

The Bible for people with short attention spans

The Rev. Tom Willadsen of Oshkosh, Wis., has become a fixture at the Synod of Lakes and Prairies’ Synod School. The Synod School connection, when one thinks about it, is likely caramel rolls. Willadsen, hands tucked snugly into plastic gloves, personally distributes the sweet treats to breakfast diners on those days the caramel rolls are available in the cafeteria. But he’s also known for his classes, and the classes are known for humor.

‘The starter car was already going around the track’

Synod of Lakes and Prairies is home to 16 presbyteries and nearly 800 churches, all of them in the upper Midwest. One of its presbyteries, Dakota Presbytery, is considered non-geographical but is the oldest presbytery west of the Mississippi River.