330 Scenic Dr., Clarkdale, AZ 86324, USA
About Us
Rev. Conrad A. Braaten
Rev. Conrad Braaten is the interim Pastor for Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church in Clarkdale, AZ.
Rev. Braaten retired in 2012 as Senior Pastor of Lutheran Church of the Reformation, an historic ELCA congregation on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, A graduate of St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN, and Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, MN, Pastor Braaten has worked in ordained ministry since 1972. During this time, he has served for over 33 years in parish ministry, 4 years as part of the national executive staff of the ELCA, working in the areas of urban ministry and public church, and 5 years as the
Director of various Lutheran church-based educational organizations in south Florida. He was a member of the church-wide Board of Global Mission of the American Lutheran Church for 6 years and has served on the Board of Directors of numerous faith-based community organizations – locally, nationally and internationally. He has been a consultant in the areas of congregational leadership development and conflict resolution. In retirement, Pastor Braaten has worked with two Interim assignments and has chaired the GCS Retirees Retreat for 7 years. In 2015 he co-founded the Forgotten Luther Project, which has published three congregational study- books on dimensions of Martin Luther’s theology and practice that has been largely overlooked in the past 500 years. A fourth book is in process.
Conrad has been married for over 55 years to Dr. Jennifer L. Braaten, President Emeritus of Ferrum College, Ferrum, VA [United Methodist Church affiliation] and former President of Midland Lutheran College, Fremont NE. They have two married children: Kirsten, a former corporate COO in Delray Beach, FL, and Conrad Donald, a Doctor of Osteopathic
Medicine specializing in Internal Medicine in High Point, NC.
Organist/Choir Director
Nancy Bright
Nancy has been with Spirit of Joy since our first worship service in 1993
Office Administrator
Rosie West
Rosie handles phone calls, power point presentations, and the newsletter and calendar and everything else that needs doing in the church office.