Mark Tiefel, Lead Pastor

Pastor Mark Tiefel grew up on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, Wisconsin. He was confirmed in Thiensville, a student at Luther Prep in Watertown, and graduated from Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN. Mark graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and served in Houston, Texas before coming to New London in 2016.

He serves Emanuel in the areas of worship, family ministry, and school. He also serves as the Worship Coordinator of the WELS Northern Wisconsin District.

Pastor Tiefel is very fond of music, writing instruments, and of course, the Green Bay Packers. He’s married to Kate and is the proud dad of three daughters: Hannah, Nora, and Greta.

Marcus Schulz, Outreach Pastor

Pastor Marcus Schulz grew up on the southwest side of Milwaukee. He was confirmed in Milwaukee, a student at Northwestern Prep in Watertown, and graduated from Northwestern College in Watertown, WI. Marcus graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and served in Barre, Vermont before coming to New London in 2008.

Pastor Schulz loves boating in the Northwoods, bowhunting, and cheering for the Green Bay Packers and the Boston Red Sox. He’s married to Lori and is the proud dad of Tristan, Taylor, and Brendan.

Seth Dorn, Discipleship Pastor

Pastor Seth Dorn attended high school at Winnebago Lutheran Academy in Fond du Lac, WI, and then Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN. He continued his pastoral studies at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon, WI. Pastor Dorn served congregations in Fredericksburg, TX, and Beaver Dam, WI before coming to Emanuel in 2023. Here, Seth serves as the Discipleship Pastor and assists Mr. Vande Gutche in the area of Family Ministry.

Pastor Dorn is married to Andrea, who serves as sixth-grade homeroom teacher at Emanuel. God has blessed them with three children: Ruth, Leah, and Micah.

When not at church, Pastor Dorn loves to watch sports, especially football. He cheers for his favorite team, the Minnesota Vikings. Pastor Dorn loves to travel with his family going to various places near and far. He can also be found officiating youth and high school football and basketball.

Pastor Dorn considers it a privilege to serve God's people at Emanuel. He has a deep desire to teach others about their Savior, who died for them. He looks forward to meeting and getting to know you.

Bill Heiges, Senior Ministry Pastor

Pastor Bill Heiges was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio in a non-Christian, non-traditional home. He had 10 siblings, some full, some half, some step. He was led to faith in Jesus by a WELS pastor canvassing for Vacation Bible School. This pastor convinced his parents to send him to Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw, Michigan for high school.

Bill is a graduate of Northwestern College in Watertown, WI, and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Over the years, he's served various congregations, from Canada in Calgary, Alberta, to places like Ashland, OH, Grafton, WI, Louisville, CO, and Watertown, WI. In 2005, he brought his experience and dedication to New London.

He and his wife, Paula have been blessed with five children and 12 grandchildren all living in the Appleton area.

Jack Vande Guchte, Family and Youth Staff Minister

Mr. Vande Guchte earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Hope College in Holland, MI. Jack worked at Rawhide Boys Ranch, a residential treatment center for juvenile delinquent boys for 15 years as a social worker and was their Community Programs Manager. He was enrolled at Lakeland College working on a Master's in Counseling degree when Emanuel called him to serve full-time. Prior to that, he and his wife Erin served as lay youth leaders for Emanuel’s families, teens, and ‘tweens since 2000. Jack officially joined our Emanuel team in 2006. He recently completed his WELS Certification through Martin Luther College.

Jack serves on the WELS Northern Wisconsin District Commission on Discipleship.

He and Erin have been blessed with two children.

Kate Tiefel, Director of Music

Mrs. Tiefel serves Emanuel as Director of Music. She teaches PK-8 music in the school, directs the choirs, and coordinates the church's music ministry.

Kate, from Livonia, MI, attended Michigan State Univ. where she earned a Bachelor’s in PK-12 Music Ed. and a Master’s in Choral Conducting. She completed her WELS Ministry Certification in 2022. For 20 years, Kate taught music to students of all ages in public and parochial schools. Also, she is a worship coordinator in Lutheran parishes and enjoys teaching kids to sing praises to their Savior!

In addition to her work at Emanuel, Kate enjoys connecting with and supporting WELS teachers and church musicians. In 2020, she co-founded the Lutheran Institute for Music Education (LIME) and she presents regularly at conferences on the topics of Lutheran worship, choral conducting, and music education.

She is married to Pastor Mark Tiefel and they are blessed with three daughters. They enjoy hiking and camping, trying new restaurants and recipes, or staying in for a family movie night or game night.

Bill Scharf, Technology Director

Mr. Scharf, originally from Oakfield, WI, was raised on a 300-acre dairy farm. He's a graduate of Winnebago Lutheran Academy in Fond du Lac and Dr. Martin Luther College. Bill furthered his education with a Masters degree in education from UW-La Crosse.

Before joining Emanuel in 2021, Bill served in WELS schools and congregations in Marshfield, La Crosse, and Greenfield, WI, as well as in Crete, IL, St. Paul, and Stillwater, MN. Additionally, he gained valuable experience in Anchorage, Alaska, where he provided tech support and worked on software applications for a prominent credit union.

Bill began with Apple IIe computers at the DMLC Media Center. During the 1980s, he taught computer fundamentals to middle school students and has been creating websites for more than two decades. Bill has a fondness for Chromebooks and Google Workspace, using technology to further God's kingdom and assisting others in doing the same.

He and his wife, Nikki, moved to Wisconsin to be near their three children and families, including their two granddaughters. While in Alaska, Bill shot over 40,000 digital photos of nature and wildlife and loves to share his growing collection.

Scarlett Koehler, Office Manager

Scarlett, the heartbeat of our office! With a knack for organization and a smile that can brighten the gloomiest day, Scarlett is the glue that keeps our daily operations running smoothly. Hailing from New London, she brings a perfect blend of efficiency and warmth to our team.

Scarlett is not just an office manager; she's a problem-solving wizard who ensures everything from schedules to supplies is in top-notch order. When she's not mastering the art of multitasking, you might find her sipping on a cup of latte, always ready for a friendly chat.

With a passion for making things seamless and a heart for serving others, Scarlett is the unsung hero behind the scenes. Her dedication to keeping the gears turning allows us to focus on our mission of spreading God's word without missing a beat. She's not just a colleague; she's family, and we're grateful to have her as the backbone of our office!

Michelle Schaetz, Office Receptionist

Michelle Schaetz was born and raised right here in New London. After graduation, Michelle went on to work full-time at the job where she eventually met her husband. Together they grew their family of 3 adventurous boys, and have remained in the area to be near family. She joined the Emanuel family in the spring of 2019.

During her free time, Michelle enjoys attending concerts, going for motorcycle rides with her husband, family game nights, and spending time outdoors. Whether it is boating, campfires, spending hot summer days in their pool, or sledding and building snowmen in the wintertime, you will often find them outside.

Nikki Scharf, Church Administrative Assistant

Mrs. Scharf was born and raised in northern California until her father's job on the pipeline moved the family to Alaska. After a full-time career with the federal government, Nikki retired and relocated to Wisconsin. She joined our Emanuel team in 2021.

Nikki has been blessed with a wonderful husband, three awesome children, and two super terrific granddaughters. Time spent with the family is a special treasure after living so far away.

In her spare time, Nikki enjoys camping and hiking through God's beautiful creation and feeding the hummingbirds.

Dennis Glocke, Head of Maintenance

Dennis was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul Church and School. He graduated from Little Wolf High School and continued his education at Fox Valley Technical College.

Dennis gained diverse life experiences during his life. He dedicated many years to dairy farming, and public service, starting as a firefighter and eventually becoming the Chief. Additionally, he served as a township constable and chairman and was a member of the Ambulance Department. He also worked in foundry maintenance and as a milk truck driver, realtor, and sugar maker. Dennis joined our Emanuel team in 2016.

Dennis married his high school sweetheart and they have raised two wonderful daughters.

In 1980, Dennis received a maple syrup-making set. He continues making sugar with his family, and they have made progress by building a new sugar shack and receiving new equipment. In 2022, Dennis became director of the Wisconsin Maple Syrup Producers Association. In his free time, he hunts deer, elk, and turkeys, and fixes things in his workshop. To relax, he escapes to their haven in Door County, enjoying the pond, bay, freighters, ducks, geese, and sunsets.