Our leadership

Pastor Brian Diring currently serves St. James. Pastor Diring (deer-ing) was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin and raised in Windsor (near Madison), WI. Raised a Roman Catholic, Pastor Diring attended Holy Name Seminary Catholic High School in Madison, WI, before enlisting in the United States Air Force. After a term of serice, he attended the University of Wisconsin - Madison, earning a BA in Russian Language and Literature. He was employed by the Department of Defense for several years, before coming to faith and deciding, eventually, to resign and study for the ministry.

After earning his Seminary Certification at Martin Luther College in New Ulm, MN, and completing his first year at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS) in Mequon, WI, he accepted an emergency call to serve as an Instructor of Koine (biblical) Greek at St. Sophia Ukrainian Theological Seminary, the seminary of our sister synod, the Ukrainian Lutheran Church. There he met and married his wife, Oksana, who served for 10 years as an employee of St. Sophia seminary.

After receiving his Master of Divinity from WLS, he was assigned as Pastor of Our Shepherd Ev. Lutheran Church in Lancaster, California. He served there more than 11 years before accepting the call to St. James, and his children, Danilo (Bruce) and Yesenia (Nia) were born in Lancaster.

Pastor Diring loves a good ball game (whoever is playing), going for drives, and reading. He also loves hugs, smiles and hearty handshakes.

Currently serving on our Church Council are:

Marc House, church president

Bill Palmer, elder and treasurer

Glen Sanford, property chairman

Rodney Church, secretary

Dave Coppy, financial secretary