Associate Pastor Candidate
Associate Pastor Candidate - Madeleine "Maddy" Tyler |
Meet and Greet & Congregational Vote Announcement
Letter to the Congregation
Dear Members of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church,
Grace and peace to you!
We’re excited to share an update with you in our search for a new Associate Pastor. After much prayer, thoughtful and faithful work the Call Committee and Church Council are pleased to present Pastor Madeleine “Maddy” Tyler as a candidate for Associate Pastor.
To give everyone a chance to meet Pastor Maddy and learn more about her ministry, we invite you to attend a Meet and Greet reception after service on Sunday, August 23rd 10:00a.m. - Noon here at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church.
We also want to let you know that a congregational vote will be held to call Pastor Maddy Tyler as our next Associate Pastor. The vote will take place on Sunday, August 30th, at 10:00a.m., following worship service.
All confirmed voting members are encouraged to attend and take part in this important moment in the life of our church. Please keep Pastor Maddy, our congregation, and this entire process in your prayers as we seek God’s direction together.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to the church office or a member of the Church Council.
We look forward to gathering together as a church family for both of these important events.
With Faith & Prayer,
The Church Council
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church
EVENTS |
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Meet & Greet with Pastor Maddy Sunday August 23, 2026, 10:00a.m. - Noon Our Savior’s Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall |
Congregational Vote to Call Pastor Jeremy Duprey Sunday August 30, 2026 10:00a.m. Our Savior’s Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall |
Pastor Maddy Tyler Bio
Pastor Madeleine “Maddy” Tyler brings warmth, collaboration, and a deep commitment to sharing God’s love through worship, teaching, pastoral care, and community life. Her ministry is rooted in God’s grace and mercy, and in the conviction that every person belongs in God’s kingdom and is called to participate in God’s justice, love, and grace.
Born and raised in Chicago, Pastor Maddy carries with her a love for city life, storytelling, laughter, music, and the kind of community that forms people across generations. She grew up in a family deeply shaped by folk music and community. Her parents worked at the Old Town School of Folk Music, where she spent much of her childhood taking classes, participating in programs, and later working in operations and serving as a site manager. She often describes music as central to who she is and has said that she was “raised by my parents and by a string band.” For Pastor Maddy, old-time folk music is more than entertainment. It is a way of sharing stories, building community, preserving tradition, and connecting people across generations.
Pastor Maddy’s sense of call developed gradually through relationships, experiences, and faithful discernment. What began as encouragement from family members and others in her life evolved into a deeper awareness that God was calling her to accompany people in their faith journeys. Experiences in congregational leadership, global service, and Christian community helped her recognize a vocation centered on inviting others into God’s story and helping them discover their own gifts for ministry. She often describes her call as emerging through a series of “little moments” that, over time, revealed God’s direction for her life.
She earned her Master of Divinity from Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, in 2023. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Luther College, where she studied history and Nordic studies and completed a minor in museum studies. During her college years, she spent six months living and studying in Norway, an experience that broadened her appreciation for culture, history, and global perspectives. Before seminary, she considered pursuing graduate work in museum exhibit design, but experiences of faith, leadership, service, and encouragement from others gradually clarified her call to pastoral ministry. Her continuing education includes first-call cohort work, theological conferences, boundaries training, and additional study through Wartburg Theological Seminary.
One of the experiences that had a profound impact on Pastor Maddy’s life was her participation in the ELCA’s Young Adults in Global Mission program in Cambodia. Living in a rural village, teaching English, and building relationships with members of the Lutheran Church in Cambodia broadened her understanding of the global church and deepened her appreciation for God’s work across cultures and traditions. In particular, she was inspired by the ways young people were encouraged and empowered to serve as leaders within their congregations. The experience strengthened her commitment to leadership development and continues to influence how she approaches ministry today.
Her global experiences extend beyond Cambodia. During her studies and formation, she spent time in Norway, Malaysia, and Thailand, learning about different cultures, Christian traditions, and the realities of interfaith communities. These experiences deepened her appreciation for listening, learning, and engaging with people whose backgrounds and experiences differ from her own. They also reinforced her belief that God is at work in many places and that the church is enriched through relationships and learning across cultures.
Pastor Maddy recently completed a Pastor-in-Residency at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, Iowa, a large ELCA congregation known for radical hospitality, faith formation, and leadership development. There she preached, led worship, presided at the sacraments, offered pastoral care, taught Bible studies, supported youth and family ministries, worked with young adults, participated in outreach, and mentored emerging leaders. The residency deepened her pastoral identity and gave her broad experience in congregational life.
Before St. Paul, Pastor Maddy served as Transition Pastor at Spirit Alive! Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin, accompanying the congregation through a season of change with listening, worship leadership, relationship-building, and pastoral care. She also completed her pastoral internship at Zion Lutheran Church in Rockford, Illinois, where she gained valuable experience in congregational ministry and leadership.
Across these settings, Pastor Maddy has developed gifts for building community, preaching and worship leadership, pastoral care, teaching, and equipping leaders. She is energized by collaborative ministry, creative faith formation, community outreach, and helping people of all ages explore faith with curiosity, honesty, and hope.
Pastor Maddy is especially drawn to creating environments where people experience belonging. She sees the church as a place where people can ask questions, grow in faith, build relationships, serve others, and receive God’s grace together. She values faith formation as a lifelong journey shaped by the wisdom, questions, and gifts of every generation.
In pastoral care, Pastor Maddy values attentive listening, trust-building, and a steady presence in times of uncertainty, grief, or transition. She seeks to meet people where they are and help them discover hope, healing, and connection within the wider community of faith.
Her preaching and teaching are grounded in the belief that scripture speaks meaningfully into everyday life. Through stories, observations, and lived experience, she invites listeners into God’s story and emphasizes grace, reconciliation, love, and participation in God’s work in the world.
Music remains an important part of Pastor Maddy’s life and ministry. Her lifelong connection to folk music has shaped her understanding of storytelling, hospitality, tradition, and community. She also enjoys researching hymns, exploring their history and theology, and helping craft liturgy, prayers, and blessings that enrich worship.
Those who know Pastor Maddy often describe her as approachable, thoughtful, authentic, and curious. She enjoys hearing people’s stories and learning what matters most to them. Her ministry style combines attentive listening, collaborative leadership, and a hopeful vision for what God may be doing in and through a community.
Pastor Maddy describes her approach to ministry as authentic, curious, collaborative, and grounded in radical hospitality. She values listening well, asking good questions, encouraging new leaders, and remaining open to the movement of the Holy Spirit. She is drawn to communities that honor their history while approaching the future with creativity, service, humor, and openness to trying new things together.
As people get to know Pastor Maddy Tyler, they encounter a pastor who loves the church, cares deeply for people, and helps communities grow in faith, belonging, service, and shared leadership. Her life and ministry reflect joyful confidence in God’s grace, a love for music and story, and a hopeful vision of the church as a place where all are welcomed, formed, encouraged, and sent to love and serve their neighbors.
Additional Information & Links |