Rev. Joel A. C. Dietrich
Rev. Joel Andrew Christensen Dietrich was born on September 28, 1978, in Evergreen Park, Illinois. He is the sixth child of Rev. and Mrs. Adam A. (Marlene G. Kargaard) Dieterich. He was received into God’s family through Holy Baptism on October 8, 1978, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hodgkins, Illinois, where he was also confirmed in 1992. He attended pre-school and kindergarten at Zion Lutheran School in Summit, Illinois, and grades one through eight at Saint Paul Lutheran School, Oak Lawn, Illinois, graduating in 1992. After four years at Luther High School South in Chicago, he graduated in 1996 and enrolled in the Pre-Seminary program at Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon, Wisconsin. In 2001 he graduated with a B.A. degree in Theology. He would then go on to earn his Master of Divinity from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana in 2005, majoring in Historical Theology. His first call was to be pastor of the dual parish: Christ Lutheran Church, Clinton, and Zion Lutheran Church, Chestnut, Illinois, where he served from July 2005 through March 2014. He then served as Pastor at Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church, Beecher, Illinois from March 30, 2014, through July 7, 2019. He served as Associate Pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church, Lincoln, Nebraska from August 2019 to May 4, 2025. With his installation, he becomes Zion’s 27th pastor.
During his years of service to our Lord’s Church, Joel has served as AAL Chapter Vice President, Thrivent Chapter Vice President and President, Board Member for De Witt County Habitat for Humanity, Secretary of the South Region NID Pastor’s Conference, Secretary of the NID General Pastor’s Conference, Pastoral Delegate of the Lincoln Circuit CID to the 2013 Synodical Convention, Pastoral Delegate of the Beecher Circuit NID to Convention, and volunteered as soccer coach at Zion Lutheran School, Beecher, Illinois.
On July 3, 2006, he married Alicia K. (nee Heisner) Dieterich at Zion Lutheran Church, Grant Park, Illinois. Alicia is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald (Cecilia) Heisner of Manteno, Illinois. She earned her Ph.D. in Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Alicia served as Board of Regent, Concordia University from 2017 to 2019. Joel and Alicia are blessed with two sons, Aaron Michael Dieterich (11) and Luke Nathanael Dieterich (9).
Joel loves to watch sports, is an avid golfer, a life-long Chicago Cubs fan, as well as a Bulls, Blackhawks, and Bears fan.