From humble beginnings in Oma’s Restaurant to managing more than $27 million in assets, the St. Lorenz Foundation is a testament to the power of legacy-minded giving.
Founded by visionary members in 1995, the St. Lorenz Foundation was born from a desire to multiply resources and ensure that future generations would benefit from the same spiritual guidance and education.
The Foundation was established by a devoted group of founding board members: Harold Braeutigam, Stephen List, Morrall Claramunt, Jonathan Zehnder, Lynn Zuellig, Arnold Middeldorf and Pastor C.W. Hoesman.
The Foundation exists to receive and steward gifts generously given by God’s people, ensuring these resources are used to advance His Kingdom. Funds are professionally managed and carefully overseen by our Finance Committee and Board of Directors.
Each year, the Foundation distributes a minimum of 5% of its corpus to support grant requests from the congregation. In 2025, this amounted to nearly $1.16 million – a powerful testament to the generosity and faithfulness of our community.
About Us
Pete Bender, CPA, CFP®
A graduate of St. Lorenz Lutheran School and a lifelong member of our congregation, Pete Bender exemplifies God’s hand in preparing people for His service.
Combining his decades-long career in accounting and financial planning and his lifetime of service to St. Lorenz, Pete became executive director of the St. Lorenz Foundation on July 1, 2024.
Whether serving as our congregation president, being a service coordinator or serving on Foundation committees, Pete has long demonstrated an ever-present commitment to our Lord’s work. And when he learned that the Foundation executive director position needed to be filled due to the impending retirement of longtime leader Perry Bresemann, Pete felt called to retire from corporate life and serve His Lord and St. Lorenz in this way.
Today, as executive director of the Foundation, Pete is combining his financial expertise and his commitment to our congregation into a new career, helping members make gifts that will support the mission and ministry of St. Lorenz until Judgment Day – and working with members to establish new ways for the Foundation to support our church and school, such as starting new ministries or enhancing existing ones.
Executive Director
Board of Directors
Guardians of our mission and legacy
Dave Pendleton, President
Board Members
Dave Pendleton, President
Jim Mertz, Vice President
Bonnie Bell, Treasurer
Barb DeSimpelare, Secretary
Andrew Ahlschwede
Dan Bade
Pastor Brad Hubbard, Administrative Pastor
John Krafft, Congregation President
Maria Sutorik
Bob Zeilinger
Finance Committee
Ensuring long-term sustainability through wise investment
Al Nuechterlein, Chairman
Committee Members
Al Nuechterlein, Chairman
Eric Baarck, Secretary
Bonnie Bell, Treasurer
Stephanie Anderson
Dave Bender
Jeremy Frank, Congregation Executive Director
Michael Golden
Planned Giving and Estate Planning Committee
Helping donors align their gifts with their values and vision
Dan Attenberger, Chairman
Committee Members
Dan Attenberger, Chairman
Diane Schiefer, Secretary
Steve Bell
Mike Bender
Katrina Kaschinske
Leah Knoll, St. Lorenz School Principal
Jared List
Jon Zehnder, Congregation Vice President
Learn More: Download and Discover
Learn more about the mission and impact of the St. Lorenz Foundation through our downloadable literature – available to view online or print at home.