Pastor Jonathan Jacobs
Pastor Jonathan Jacobs has been serving at Ascension since September 1991. Ordained in 1976, Pastor Jacobs previously served Peace Lutheran Church in Charlotte, Michigan and Salem Lutheran Church in Flint, Michigan. Pastor Jacobs has a passion for urban ministry and brings the experience and compassion of a disciple committed to serve in the church of Jesus Christ.
Preaching, teaching and pastoral care are strengths Pastor Jacobs brings to our faith community. Committed to a vision of the church which is welcoming and inclusive, Pastor Jacobs is responsible for the administrative oversight of Ascension Congregation and is the primary teacher and preacher for our English worship and learning experiences.
He and his wife Joan have found Milwaukee to be a wonderful place to live and work. They are active in the life of this richly diverse community. Jon and Joan have recently “downsized” to a smaller home in Wauwatosa. These two urban dwellers find relaxation and peace sailing the beautiful waters of the Great Lakes from the Port of Milwaukee.
Jon and Joan have two adult children. Their daughter Erika is married to Nicholas Petty and both of them are practicing attorneys here in Milwaukee. Nick and Erika have a son, Oden who brings great joy to his grandparents. Son Ben returned to Milwaukee after a career as a stunt man in New York City and Orlando, Florida. Ben is the head coach of the boys gymnastics program at Infinite Gymnastics Academy in Brown Deer, WI.
Pastor Walter Baires
Pastor Walter Baires came to Ascension from El Salvador in 2001. Through a partnership of the Salvadoran Lutheran Synod and the Greater Milwaukee Synod, he serves as a missionary to Ascension.
Certified as a deacon in 1986, Pastor Baires became an ordained minister in 1994. He graduated from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 1993 and served in the Salvadoran Lutheran Church as the Coordinator of the Sister Parish and as Associate Pastor at Resurrection in San Salvador from 1994 to 1997. In 1996 he served as Vice-President of the Salvadoran Lutheran Synod.
In the words of Pastor Baires: “It is a great honor for me to serve in a congregation that is committed to building an inclusive and a multicultural ministry. It takes more than a good will to erase the sin of racism and discrimination. Building a congregation with more than three cultures is not an easy task, but we know that with God’s help everything is possible.”
Vicar Logan Vang
Vicar Logan Vang, longtime Ascension disciple, stepped forward to enter seminary training after the untimely death of Ascension’s Pastor Youa Kao Vang in 2010. In conjunction with that training, he also serves as Vicar, providing leadership for Ascension’s Hmong ministry and serving the entire congregation in partnership with the Ascension pastors. He and his wife Caitlin, parents of six children, have been active in the life of Ascension since joining the congregation. Logan works with our webmaster to maintain this site.
Office Manager Gloria Jimenez
Gloria V. Jimenez was born in Mercedes, Texas, but spent her formative years in Missouri, Wisconsin and California. She has worked for Ohio Casualty Insurance Company, St. Francis Hospital, Holy Trinity, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, St. Patrick’s Church and the Council for the Spanish Speaking, Inc., where she worked for 30 years and advanced to the position of Vice President. Fluent in English and Spanish, Gloria is proficient in translating those languages, having done so for WE Energies, Social Development Commission and many families adopting children from South America. Gloria is the mother of David, Michael, Elisa and Daniel, who range in age from 23 to 34, and grandmother of Mateo, Anthony and Leonardo. Gloria has been at Ascension for 6 years and considers both the job and the Ascension family a blessing and a joy.
Operations Manager Heidi Barrett
Heidi Barrett has been at Ascension for 22 years, working various jobs from receptionist/ secretary to Building Manager. Now semi-retired, Heidi works part-time in charge of the church financial department. Heidi says: “I greatly enjoy working with my fellow co-workers and parishioners.”
Building & Maintenance Supervisor Steven Proefrock
Steve has over 30 years experience with building and equipment maintenance. He volunteers on the custodial staff and Building and Grounds Committee at his home church, Immanuel Lutheran in Cedarburg. Steve is a Microsoft Certified Professional, Certified Desktop Technician and Certified Emergency Medical Technician. He and wife Terry have eight children.
Minister of Music Cindy Bettine
Cindy has a Master of Arts Degree from Mount Mary College and an undergraduate degree from UW-Parkside. She has taught vocal music for 32 years, and for the past 21 was a music teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools, notably at the Elm School for the Creative Arts until June 2010. At the current time she is teaching at Greenfield School K-8 General Music. She is an accomplished pianist and has played the piano for music theater productions at a variety of venues throughout the Milwaukee Area. Cindy is married to Michael Bettine and has two sons, Matt and Aidan.
Organist Mark Schroeter
Mark joined the Ascension staff in July, 2011. He graduated from Concordia University with a BA in Elementary Education and a Masters degree in Church Music. He has served as a church musician for 34 years and is a full-time editor at Plank Road Publishing, Inc. As organist for Ascension, he also accompanies the Senior Choir. He recently became a member of the Handbell Choir, as well.
Handbell Choir Director Roxanne Carloni
Roxanne has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from UWM and has taught in Mukwonago for 32 years, hired by the district to start the string program which now numbers about 280 string students each year involved in the program from grades 4-12. Roxanne also did cello section coaching for the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra between 1994 and 1998. Rox is married to Tim Carloni and has one son, Christopher, and two daughters, Deanne and Brittany.
Choir Director Emeritus Raymond H Dietrich
Ray became Ascension’s Choir Director in 1951, a position he held for 47 years. Although he retired from that post in 1997, he remains a member of Ascension with the title of Choir Director Emeritus. During Ray’s teaching career, he directed the choir and produced annual theatrical productions at Bay View High School in the Milwaukee Public School system.
His outstanding contribution to the music scene in Milwaukee was rewarded in 2009 with the Lifetime Achievement in Music award from Milwaukee Civic Music Association. Ray and wife Ellie have two daughters, Joan and Ann, and a son John.
Outreach Worker Bonny-Anne Xochitl Lopez
Bonnie studied law at the University of Wisconsin Law School and practiced law for a half dozen years, first as a public defender, and later as a federal prosecutor. She left the practice of law over 20 years ago due to a hereditary physical disability. Her only close family lives in Mexico.
As Outreach Worker at Ascension, Bonnie tracks social programs which may be of benefit to people seeking assistance from the church. Regardless of their need when coming to Ascension, Bonnie can recognize which program may be to their benefit, and connect them to it.
