On Sunday, February 4th, The Rev. Karl Hollibaugh was installed as the pastor of St. James Lutheran Church in Gonzales, Louisiana. After a little more than one year of Rev. Hollibaugh serving as the vacancy pastor, and with much prayer and many meetings, God has blessed St. James with our new Shepherd.
The Rev. Karl Hollibaugh was born and raised on a cattle ranch south and east of Hay Springs, Nebraska. He graduated from Concordia College, Seward, NE, (B.A.) in 1989 and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO, (M.Div.) in 1993. After his first call to St. John Lutheran Church in Rushmore, MN, he was accepted into Duke University and earned a Th.M. in homiletics in 1997. While at Duke, Rev. Hollibaugh served Our Redeemer Lutheran in Fayetteville, NC. He then served as a vacancy pastor in the Minnesota South, Iowa West, Southern, and Nebraska Districts of the LCMS. He has also taught Old Testament at his alma mater – Concordia College in Seward, NE.
Pastor Karl married Becky (nee Merrill), his high school sweetheart, in 1985. They had and raised four children: Nathaniel, Hannah, Leah, and Josiah. Hannah passed away in July 2016. Pastor Karl and Becky also have two grandchildren: Kamiela and Bryson.
Becky is a family practice physician and was a nurse for 13 years before going to medical school.
