In late December of 2019, the Shepard of the Valley Lutheran Church welcomed new pastor Jakob D. Berger into their congregation.

The church had been without a permanent pastor for over two years, having only temporary leadership throughout that time.

After having contacted several candidates, and after being turned down several times, the congregation sent word to a pastor who had been working under dual parish for the towns of Douglas and Glenrock in Wyoming for over 4 years.

They contacted him in September of 2019, and after some deliberation, Berger decided to accept the position, and to move with his family to Montana.

Berger, wife Kaelene and two children have since come to call the area home, within the short time that they have lived in Thompson Falls. The move was a welcomed change of pace, moving from the two towns in Wyoming with an added population of nearly 10,000 people, to the town of Thompson Falls, home to only 1,300.

Berger originally hails from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and his wife is from just outside Seattle, Washington. He served in Imperial, Nebraska and has 10 years of education behind him as a pastor. He is also currently working online toward his doctorate.

In high school, Berger was in the Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corps. In his senior year, he acted as a chaplain at his Lutheran high school.

After that he went to college to study business, however transitioned into the path of the church, said “I went back and forth, what do I do what do I do,” explaining that it was not as if there was a moment where he just woke up wanting to be a pastor.

The Thompson Falls congregation is young, having been started as recently as around 2012, compared to some churches of the area having been around since close to the turn of the century.

This is one of the things that called Pastor Berger to the area.

“It’s the lord that grows this church, but I feel privileged to be a part of it,” said Berger.

He also loves teaching bible school, along with enjoying playing music and carpentry.

“I would love for anyone to come by and join us on Sunday mornings,” Berger said.

The Shepard of the Valley Lutheran Church meets Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. and it has bible study at 11.