Open Hearts. Open Church. The North/West Lower Michigan Synod Task Force on
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression

Who We Are » Members

Below are members of the task force who have chosen to be listed publicly on the website. They offered to be listed to provide names to the people behind the task force, and as a way for you to reach out to someone local to you, should you wish.


Be assured that the task force takes confidentiality seriously and you will never be publicly identified as a member of the task force unless you chose to.

Name/Home Congregation
Contact Information
Rev. Jessica Rivera-Walker
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Holland, MI
revjrw@gmail.com
Personal Pronouns: She, Her, Hers
Diane Madej
First Lutheran Church
Muskegon, MI
diane.madej@frontier.com
Personal Pronouns: She, Her, Hers
Rich Weingartner
Faith Lutheran Church
Okemos, MI
mathwhiz@mathwhiz.org
Personal Pronouns: He, Him, His
Rev. Bruce Thorsen
Faith Lutheran Church
Okemos, MI
revbjthor@verizon.net
Personal Pronouns: He, Him, His
Rev. Karsten Voskuil
Bethlehem Lutheran Church
Grand Rapids, MI
kvoskuil@bethlehemchurchgr.org
Personal Pronouns: He, Him, His
Rev. Michael Wernick
Two Churches
Kentwood, MI
rectorpastor@comcast.net
Personal Pronouns: He, Him, His