Pastor Paul Walters
Pastor Walters came to serve as the Senior Pastor of Lutheran Church of the Master in 2010. He is a life-long Lutheran with a faith firmly grounded in the gift of the cross through Jesus. He is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg, VA, and Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, OH. During seminary Pr. Walters served as a seminary intern at LCM. After serving congregation in the Virginia Synod it was a gift to return to Michigan and be closer to his wife’s family. His wife Brandy is a Lactation Consultant and together they try their best to keep up with their three sons. Pr. Walters is a frequent contributor to the Augsburg Fortress website "Sundays and Seasons" and serves as a conference dean. He is an avid cyclist and proudly bears the title Knight of Sufferlandria. Pastor Walters is also a Moth Story Slam winner. In September 2018 he was a featured storyteller at The Secret Society of Twisted Storytellers event held at the Charles Wright Museum of African American History. Click the link to watch his Road Trip Story >
Associate Pastor Dylan Pyeatt
Pastor Dylan grew up in Kingsport, TN. He went to college at Harding University where he received a B.A. in Missions and Youth and Family Ministry. He then received a Masters of Religious Education Degree from Rochester College in Missional Leadership. He was a Youth Minister in Ontario for four years before moving to Michigan in 2013 to work with the Micah 6 Community, an inner-city ministry in Pontiac. He began working at LCM in 2015 as the Youth and Young Adult Director. In October 2022, he was ordained and now serves as our Associate Pastor. Dylan likes playing board games and guitar, going on crazy adventures with our teens and young adults and flailing around at sports. He loves to bother Pastor Paul by rooting loudly for the Dallas Cowboys.
Steve Schlesing
Our Music Director/Organist Steve Schlesing has been creating music with our talented choirs, soloists and instrumentalists at LCM since 1998. He is a graduate of Wayne State University with a degree in Church Music. Steve has been playing the organ in church since his high school years in Phoenix, where he was the winner of the first Liberace Talent Search Contest. In and around Detroit, he was organist for the Detroit Tigers, played for the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes at the Fox Theatre and has given numerous concerts at churches and theatres. Steve is a fanatic for the theatre pipe organ, Science Fiction/Fantasy motion pictures and antique musical machines. Steve volunteers with Boxer Haven Rescue whose goal is “touching lives, one rescued Boxer at a time.”
Linda Dzbanski
Linda Dzbanski joined the staff at LCM in 2007 as our Parish Worker after joining LCM with her family eight years earlier. Linda has found, “The people of LCM are generous, supportive and a joy to serve with. How fortunate it is to be allowed to work with people you have chosen to be your church family first.” A lifelong Lutheran, Linda was raised at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan. At LCM Linda coordinates our Sunday School, Kid’s Church, Christmas Pageant, Easter Egg Hunt, various luncheons, as well as Lenten Events from Soup Suppers to the Seder. Recently, Linda has resumed her studies in Social Work at Eastern Michigan University. Linda and her husband Tony have been married more than thirty years. Tony is a retired police officer and currently works for the U.S. Federal Marshals in Detroit. Their daughter Rachael is a Social Studies teacher. The Dzbanskis love to travel. They have toured forty of the fifty states and plan to see the last ten on future vacations.
Jennifer Sais
Jennifer Sais is LCM’s Office Manager. She cares for our finances, maintains membership records, is responsible for weekly bulletin production and keeps our online communications flowing. She spends most of her time with her family and travels as much as possible. Jennifer is a graduate of Northern Michigan University. Having grown up at LCM, she finds it a privilege to be a part of the continuing ministry of the congregation.
Peg Vandenhemel
Peg Vandenhemel is the Faith Community Nurse for LCM. Peg brings a wide variety of nursing expertise to this role. She enjoys bringing a variety of health related topics and activities with the focus on mind, body and spirit to the congregation and beyond. Peg lives in Troy with her husband, Dan and daughter, Megan. Peg and Dan have three daughters, Sarah, Amanda, and Megan, and a beautiful grandson, Joshua (proud parents are Sarah and Dave Jordan).