Grace Lutheran Church
Meet
Our
Pastors
Rev. Michael Buchhorn
Senior Pastor
Pastor Michael Buchhorn was born in Georgetown, Texas, February 6, 1961 and was baptized in infancy at Zion Lutheran Church of Walburg, Texas. He was confirmed at the same congregation Palm Sunday of 1974. Pastor Buchhorn was educated in the Georgetown public school system and graduated from Georgetown High School in 1979. He received his undergraduate degree in Business Management from Concordia University of Austin, Texas in 1985. He went on to attend Concordia Theological Seminary and graduated with a Master of Divinity Degree in 1989. As a part of his seminary preparation he was a vicar at Faith Lutheran Church of Vista, California. Michael was ordained into the holy ministry in July of 1989 at Faith Lutheran Church of Georgetown, Texas. His first call into ministry was to serve the people of Hope Lutheran Church in Batesville, Arkansas. Pastor Buchhorn went on to serve the following congregations: St. John Lutheran of Hamilton, Texas, St. Paul Lutheran of Serbin, Texas, Zion Lutheran of Auburn Michigan and St. Paul Lutheran of Kingsville, Texas. In July of 2018 he accepted the call of Grace Lutheran Church of Wayne, Nebraska to serve as their Senior Pastor.
On November 21, 1987, Michael married Kathryn Fundum at St. Paul Lutheran of Napoleon, Ohio. Kathryn was a native of northwest Ohio and a teacher by training. Their marriage was blessed with two daughters, Rachel and Sarah who live in Texas and Illinois.
Pastor and Kathryn enjoy music. Pastor has served the Lord in a variety of congregational settings. In each setting God has provided opportunities for growth in ministry skills and people of God to love and care for. Pastor feels that each of those experiences have been a preparation for the work of ministry he has been called to here in Wayne. A sinner saved by the grace of God, he remains grateful to God for His mercy which has allowed him to serve as a pastor of His church.
Rev. Paul Hammes
Associate Pastor
Paul Hammes was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado on March 17, 1997. Paul was baptized into the Christian faith a few weeks later. He spent his life until college in Colorado Springs, where he was a member at Holy Cross Lutheran Church.
Being the youngest of three boys, Paul followed in his oldest brother’s footsteps and attended Concordia Nebraska for undergraduate studies. Paul began his studies in the fall of 2016. In the spring of 2019, Paul graduated with a B.S. in Physics and Biology and a B.A. in Mathematics.
Throughout Paul’s college career, he worked at Lutheran Valley Retreat in the summers. There he worked as a counselor and on the kitchen staff for 7 seasons. He discovered his passion for the ministry there and enjoyed being outside in nature. In the fall of 2019, Paul worked at Lutheran Valley Retreat for a gap year after college. This is when he decided to go to Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis to become a pastor. Paul then began his studies at Concordia Seminary in the fall of 2020. While Paul was in Saint Louis, he met his wife Callie Hammes (Firminhac) who also went to Concordia Nebraska. They got married in 2023 in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Paul received the Master of Divinity (M. Div) from Concordia Seminary in May of 2024. God has called Paul to serve as associate pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Wayne Nebraska.