Biography Reverend Wade Michael Harr
Pastor Harr was born on December 11, 1966 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota where he also spent his childhood. His pious parents, Gerald and Lauverne Harr, brought him to the holy waters of Baptism on January 8, 1967 at Faith Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls. His elementary education was administered at Brandon Elementary School before he then enrolled and graduated from Sioux Falls Christian. By his junior year in high school, Pastor Harr was inclined to study for the holy ministry. Pastor O.D. Brack was a huge influence towards this end. His undergraduate studies began at Concordia College—Saint Paul, Minnesota. While studying Latin at this school, his professor and advisor, Professor Jan Pavel, involved him in church work at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Robinsdale, were he read the Scriptures in worship and assisted with the public liturgy. Pastor was awarded his Bachelor of Arts degree in the spring of 1989 with a double minor in history and Biblical languages.
Graduate work for Pastor began in the fall of 1989 on the campus of Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis, Missouri. The following summer he was employed by Beaver Valley Lutheran Camp outside Hay Springs, Nebraska as camp director under the direction of Pastor Bernie Worral. Duties included orientation for four high school age counselors, teaching the youth, and preaching at Hay Springs and Chadron as a vicar. The remote camp experience proved to be a welcome change from the busyness of city life in Saint Louis.
Formal vicarage placement began in August 1991 at Trinity—Great Falls with a worship service of welcome and moving into the old house next door. Vicar Harr preached in every parish of the circuit that year. In November Pastor George Sagissor of Havre/Chinook suffered a hunting accident that left him with a broken leg. Reverend Zagel dispatched the young vicar to conduct worship and Bible study for the next three consecutive Sundays while their pastor recovered. It was the vicar’s first taste of winter in Montana. Most notably among his duties as vicar at Trinity was involvement with the newly formed Wee Disciples Preschool and interaction with the Board of Education. Having concluded his work there, Pastor returned to Saint Louis and completed his fourth year of study at the seminary before graduating in the spring of 1993 with his Masters of Divinity.
Ordination and installation for the young pastor took place on June 26, 1993 at Saint John Lutheran Church in Palmer, Nebraska where he provided pastoral care to 200 baptized members. The gracious members were forgiving of the young, industrious pastor and taught him many valuable life lessons in those formative years. His experience there brought him in touch with members from two neighboring congregations where he assisted with vacancies. Pastor Harr accepted the call to serve as pastor of Saint John—Gregory, South Dakota in April of 1997. He was installed in May of that year. For eight years he was the sole pastor of a congregation numbering about 350 souls. The Lord of the Church saw fit to bring him west again. In October of 2005, Pastor moved back to Great Falls where he worked as a warehouseman at Lumber Yard Supply for nine years. On August 15, 2010 he was installed by President Forke as pastor of First Lutheran Church in Fort Benton where he currently serves as the senior pastor.
Besides his work among the faithful elect, Pastor Harr enjoys hunting and fishing, time watching his son, William, play football, and horseback riding in the backcountry. A flatlander from South Dakota, mountain life has proved to be a fine fit for Pastor. He resides in Great Falls and commutes to Fort Benton.
