Our Pastor
Gethsemane is being served by Pastor Souk this summer. (June 13- August 1)
Pastor Souksamay (SOOK-sa-may) "Souk" Phetsanghane (PET-sang-hahn) was born in Vientiane, Laos on November 26, 1982 to Khoun & Vien Phetsanghane. (Laos had become a communist country in 1975.) After he was born, his parents fled this communist country. After leaving Laos in 1984, his family lived in refugee camps in Thailand and the Philippines, before moving to the United States in 1986. A WELS congregation (Peace Ev. Lutheran Church in Granger, IN) had sponsored his family to come over and that is how his family first came in contact with the WELS.
God used this congregation to bring his family and him into God's family of believers. He was baptized on March 27, 1988, Palm Sunday. He attended Peace Ev, Lutheran School for grade school, graduating in 1997. For his freshman year of high school, he went to Michigan Lutheran High School (St. Joseph, MI). Following his freshman year, his family moved to St. Petersburg, FL.
He finished high school at Luther Preparatory School (Watertown, WI) in 2001. He graduated from Martin Luther College (New Ulm, MN) in 2005. He graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (Mequon, WI) in 2010. He has served as:
- an associate pastor at Jerusalem Lutheran - Morton Grove, IL (2010-2012)
- an associate pastor - St. Paul's, Mauston, WI (2012-2016)
- professor of Latin and German - Luther Preparatory School (2016-present)
His parents still live in St. Petersburg, FL. He also has a younger brother and a younger sister. Both also live in Florida.
He met his bride, Liesel (née Geppert), in 2017. They were married on December 31, 2018. She currently serves as a 4th grade teacher at St. Mark’s Lutheran School, Watertown, WI.
In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, fishing, hiking, biking, and seeing new places.
Pastor Souk looks forward to getting to know God’s people at Gethsemane and serving you as a vacancy pastor!
Pastor Souksamay (SOOK-sa-may) "Souk" Phetsanghane (PET-sang-hahn) was born in Vientiane, Laos on November 26, 1982 to Khoun & Vien Phetsanghane. (Laos had become a communist country in 1975.) After he was born, his parents fled this communist country. After leaving Laos in 1984, his family lived in refugee camps in Thailand and the Philippines, before moving to the United States in 1986. A WELS congregation (Peace Ev. Lutheran Church in Granger, IN) had sponsored his family to come over and that is how his family first came in contact with the WELS.
God used this congregation to bring his family and him into God's family of believers. He was baptized on March 27, 1988, Palm Sunday. He attended Peace Ev, Lutheran School for grade school, graduating in 1997. For his freshman year of high school, he went to Michigan Lutheran High School (St. Joseph, MI). Following his freshman year, his family moved to St. Petersburg, FL.
He finished high school at Luther Preparatory School (Watertown, WI) in 2001. He graduated from Martin Luther College (New Ulm, MN) in 2005. He graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (Mequon, WI) in 2010. He has served as:
- an associate pastor at Jerusalem Lutheran - Morton Grove, IL (2010-2012)
- an associate pastor - St. Paul's, Mauston, WI (2012-2016)
- professor of Latin and German - Luther Preparatory School (2016-present)
His parents still live in St. Petersburg, FL. He also has a younger brother and a younger sister. Both also live in Florida.
He met his bride, Liesel (née Geppert), in 2017. They were married on December 31, 2018. She currently serves as a 4th grade teacher at St. Mark’s Lutheran School, Watertown, WI.
In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, fishing, hiking, biking, and seeing new places.
Pastor Souk looks forward to getting to know God’s people at Gethsemane and serving you as a vacancy pastor!