The Rev. David Poling-Goldenne

Pastor David Poling-Goldenne brings to this call a strong background and track record in evangelism and discipleship.

Working with the Holy Spirit, he and his wife helped to birth a new congregation in Saukville, a small town north of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Between 1987 and 1992, Living Hope Lutheran Church grew from nothing to a full-service church with an average worshipping congregation of over 200 people in a community of 3,500 residents.

He has most recently served the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America through its Division for Congregational Ministries as Director for Evangelism and Discipleship (October 1992- May 2002). In this role, he worked to provide the 11,000 congregations of the denomination with resources, training opportunities, and motivation in the areas of evangelism and discipleship. Part of his responsibilities involved serving as project manager for the ELCA-wide Call to Discipleship and most recently as the coordinator of the Toward a Vision for Evangelism strategic planning process. He has authored a book on rural ministry entitled: Discovering Hope: Building Vitality in Rural Congregations and co-authored an evangelism guide for congregations called Making Christ Known.

Pastor Dave graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) in 1982. He completed a double-major in college, graduating from the University of California-Santa Barbara in 1978 with a bachelor of arts degree in Germanic Languages and Literature and a bachelor of arts degree in Religious Studies.

Pastor Dave married his best friend, partner, and the love of his life, the Rev. Dr. Marta Poling-Goldenne, 28 years ago. They have served together on the staff of congregations in Illinois and Wisconsin, and most recently as Directors in the ELCA’s Division for Congregational Ministries. Together, they parent two children: Joshua, a recent electrical engineering graduate of Valparaiso University, Indiana, and Jessica, a high school senior.

The Poling-Goldennes live in Henderson, Nevada, where together they pastor New Song Lutheran Church. In his free time, he reads, exercises, and enjoys the gift of living near the Entertainment Capital of the world, Las Vegas!