The Congregation recently welcomed Teri Iverson to the role of vocation ministry coordinator.
Iverson grew up in Valley City, North Dakota. She was active in her faith as a member of the Lutheran church, serving throughout her school years as a choir member, lector, usher, Vacation Bible School helper, youth group president and more. She was also very involved in SEARCH, a Catholic peer-led retreat program.
“SEARCH was very influential in my faith journey and where I first felt stirrings about joining the Catholic Church. The more I learned, the more I was enamored,” Iverson said. “In fact, I chose my college, Concordia College — a private Lutheran liberal arts college — in hopes it would ‘cure’ me of wanting to become Catholic. It did not!” She completed RCIA and joined the Catholic Church at Easter Vigil in 1989.
Iverson earned a B.A. in psychology and a B.A. in mass communications and went on to serve as a youth minister for the next three decades, at St. John the Evangelist in Grafton, North Dakota; St. Joseph in Moorhead, Minnesota; St. Benedict of Wild Rice in Horace, North Dakota; and St. John the Baptist in Tipp City, Ohio.
“It was a fabulous 30 years, and I enjoyed so much of ministry — especially service opportunities and summer mission trips. I loved watching all the students grow in their faith and realizing how fortunate they are,” Iverson said.
Most recently, she managed a local retail store but said she missed serving in a ministry role. “I missed being surrounded by faith-filled people, and I missed feeling like I was making a difference,” she said. “I prayed for God to make the path clear; I prayed for the Holy Spirit to lead me where I was supposed to go; and I prayed to have the courage to follow. And here I am!”