Pastor Bill Dowling died March 31, 2026. A service of thanksgiving for his life will be held Friday, April 17 at 2:00 p.m. at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, with a reception to follow and a livestream available.
Those wishing to send condolences may contact the synod office for details. Please keep Pastor Dowling’s family and all who mourn in your prayers, trusting in the promise of resurrection in Christ.
Read MorePastor Bill Dowling died March 31, 2026. A service of thanksgiving for his life will be held Friday, April 17 at 2:00 p.m. at Lord of Life Lutheran Church, with a reception to follow and a livestream available.
Those wishing to send condolences may contact the synod office for details. Please keep Pastor Dowling’s family and all who mourn in your prayers, trusting in the promise of resurrection in Christ.
Read MoreRev. Neal Snider died on August 3, 2025, at age 90. A pastor, theologian, and military chaplain who served in all three branches of the armed forces, Rev. Snider faithfully served congregations across the country and led Holy Land tours for decades. We give thanks for his life of steadfast faith and commend him to God’s eternal care. Please keep his wife Judy and the entire Snider family in your prayers.
Read MoreThe Rev. Douglas (Doug) Moffat died on January 12, 2026, in Edmonton, Canada. His last day of service at Faith Lutheran Church in Yuma was March 12, 2025. We give thanks for his faithful ministry and commend him to God’s eternal care.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, February 6th, 2026, at 1:00 pm at St. Albert Evangelical Church, 11 Glenview Cres, St. Albert, Alberta T8N 1B7. Reception to follow. He would be honored if any memorial gift in his name be given to the Alpha organization.
Read MoreWith deep sadness and in Christian hope, the Grand Canyon Synod shares the news of the death of Roger Bailey and his wife, Kristine. Roger was a faithful synod leader who served on Synod Council, the Executive Committee, and numerous teams, while Kristine was deeply devoted to children’s ministry through Sunday school, children’s ministry, and Vacation Bible School.
A service celebrating their lives will be held on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 11:00 am at Community Lutheran Church in Las Vegas. We invite prayers for their family, the congregation, the Las Vegas community, and all who grieve.
Read MoreThe Grand Canyon Synod gives thanks for the life and ministry of Rev. Richard “Dick” Glover, retired pastor and member of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Phoenix, who died on November 17, 2025. A Service of Life and Resurrection will be held Saturday, January 17, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, with visitation at 10:30 a.m. and service at 11:00 a.m., followed by fellowship.
We invite the synod to hold Alice, the Glover family, and the St. Andrew community in prayer, trusting in God’s promises of baptismal grace, resurrection, and eternal peace in Christ.
Read MoreThe Grand Canyon Synod gives thanks for the life and ministry of Rev. Richard “Dick” Glover, retired pastor and member of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Phoenix, who died on November 17, 2025. A Service of Life and Resurrection will be held Saturday, January 17, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, with visitation at 10:30 a.m. and service at 11:00 a.m., followed by fellowship.
We invite the synod to hold Alice, the Glover family, and the St. Andrew community in prayer, trusting in God’s promises of baptismal grace, resurrection, and eternal peace in Christ.
Read MoreThe Grand Canyon Synod joins the Iglesia Luterana Mexicana in mourning the death of Rev. Daniel Trejo, father of ILM Pastor President Rev. Roberto Trejo Haager, who died on December 1. A wake and devotional were held on December 2, and the funeral took place on December 3. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.
Read MoreOn Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 10 a.m., the life of Rev. Frank Nausin will be honored in a memorial service at Tanque Verde Lutheran Church (8625 E. Tanque Verde Rd., Tucson, AZ 85749) where he faithfully served as Lead Pastor from 1982 until 2002, and again as Interim Pastor in 2016.
His son, Rev. Jeremy Nausin, pastor of Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Las Vegas, will share words of comfort and hope. Join via livestream at tvlc.org/livestream. A fellowship luncheon will follow in the Nausin Family Life Center. Pastor Nausin passed away on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
Read MoreRev. Stanley Norris Olson, former ELCA bishop, seminary president, and servant leader, died on September 12, 2025, at the age of 79. His ministry spanned parish, seminary, and national leadership, always marked by grace and a deep trust in God’s promises. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 20 at 1 p.m. at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. Read the full obituary here.
Read MoreOn Saturday, September 27, 2025 at 10 a.m., the life of Rev. Frank Nausin will be honored in a memorial service at Tanque Verde Lutheran Church (8625 E. Tanque Verde Rd., Tucson, AZ 85749) where he faithfully served as Lead Pastor from 1982 until 2002, and again as Interim Pastor in 2016.
His son, Rev. Jeremy Nausin, pastor of Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Las Vegas, will share words of comfort and hope. Join via livestream at tvlc.org/livestream. A fellowship luncheon will follow in the Nausin Family Life Center. Pastor Nausin passed away on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
Read MoreWe mourn the death of James (Jim) William Krueger Jr., husband of Laura Krueger, president of the Grand Canyon Women of the ELCA. Jim, a lifelong Lutheran and dedicated volunteer, passed away on August 19, 2025, at age 73. His funeral service will be held September 13 in Huntersville, NC, with livestreaming available. Please keep Laura and her family in your prayers. Read his full obituary.
Read MoreWe pray for the family and friends of Reverend Dr. Nicholas K. Mays, beloved husband, brother, father and grandfather, who passed away peacefully on Friday, May 30th, at the age of 84, in Toledo, OH.
A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held Sunday, June 8, 2025, at 1:30 p.m. The service will be held at Faith United Lutheran Church, 4543 Douglas Road, Toledo, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Faith United Lutheran Church or Bittersweet Farms, 12660 Archbold Whitehouse Road, Whitehouse, OH 43571.
Read MoreWe pray for the friends and family of Deacon Ardie Senft passed away on May 3, 2025, at the age of 79. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 17 at 11:00 a.m. at Living Water Lutheran Church in Scottsdale. Ardie served faithfully for over 30 years as a diaconal minister in the ELCA, embodying Christ’s call to serve others through teaching, pastoral care, and community leadership. Memorials may be directed to Arizona Faith Network and Feed My Starving Children.
Read MoreWe offer our heartfelt prayers for the friends and family of Pastor Dan Olson and his beloved wife, Barbara Olson. May God’s comforting presence be with all who mourn their passing and celebrate their faithful lives.
Pastor Dan Olson passed away on Friday, February 21, 2025. His wife, Barbara, preceded him in death just a couple of months earlier, on December 30, 2024. Their lives of faith and service will be honored in a joint memorial service at Spirit of Grace Lutheran Church (15820 W. Clearview Blvd., Surprise, AZ 85374) on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 11 a.m. Pastor Dan’s brother, Paul Olson, a retired ELCA pastor, will join in leading this service of remembrance and thanksgiving.
Read MoreWe pray for the family and friends of Pastor Frank Nausin, who died April 15, 2025.
Tanque Verde Lutheran Church shares: “Pastor Frank faithfully served as Lead Pastor of TVLC from 1982-2002, and again as Interim Pastor in 2016. We will forever be grateful for the leadership, inspiration, and love that Pastor Frank poured into our congregation over the years.
Please keep Linda, Tim, Jeremy, and their whole family in your prayers during this time. We ask that you help them maintain their privacy and peace while they spend this holy time with their family. As Linda is currently transitioning apartments, they ask that all cards be directed to the TVLC office. Details on a memorial service will be forthcoming.”
Read MoreWe pray for the family and friends of Rev. Jack Raymond Neimi, who passed peacefully at home on January 15, 2025. The primary memorial service for Pastor Niemi will be held in California, with a smaller local service at Lord of Life Lutheran in Sun City West on March 20, 2025, at 11 am.
Pastor Niemi was born in Two Harbors MN, and lived in Surprise, Arizona. He was a member of Lord of Life in Sun City West. He served many churches in the Grand Canyon Synod.
Read MoreMartin E. Marty, one of the most influential interpreters of American religion, passed away on Feb. 25 at the age of 97. A scholar, historian, and theologian, Marty coined the term public theology, emphasizing the role of faith in the common good. His work in academia, public discourse, and church life left a lasting impact on American Protestantism and Lutheranism. A memorial service will be held on March 29 at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, with a livestream available. Click here to read more at Living Lutheran.
Read MoreWe pray for the family and friends of Rev. Doris Nolan, who passed away peacefully on January 25, 2025, at her home in Simi Valley, California. She was surrounded by the love of her family and friends.
Memorial gifts in Pastor Doris’s honor may be directed to ELCA World Hunger, Lutheran Disaster Response, Global Refuge, or Lutheran World Relief. We will share details of memorial services as they become available.
Read MoreWe pray for the family and friends of Deacon Lorraine S. Brugh, who died Saturday, January 25, 2025. A memorial service will be held Saturday, 2/22/2025 at 10:30 am at Pinnacle Presbyterian (25150 N Pima Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85255).
Deacon Brugh was the Frederick J. Kruse Endowed Chair in Church Music at Valparaiso University. She helped lead the development of the ELCA’s Evangelical Lutheran Worship and was co-author of The Sunday Assembly, published in 2008 to help church leaders incorporate the hymnal’s materials into worship services. She was involved in the development of Lutheran music and worship practices for many years and is a past-president of the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians. At our 2024 assembly, along with Deacon Kate Adelman, she organized Wild Life: A Hymn Festival.
Read More
