Pastors and Staff
Pastor Wynard holds a BA in English and a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. She is a trained Mission Developer in the ELCA whose first call was a mission to start a congregation in Rockton, Illinois. She later served as interim pastor in a rural congregation, and a small, historic congregation in Beloit, Wisconsin.
Prior to ordination, Pastor Wynard gained extensive experience in ministry and administration in a national ministry organization. She led a multinational team establishing Protestant Christian student groups in Belarus, then served as Program Manager for the annual Urbana Student Mission Convention. She also served as Assistant to the Dean of Students of the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.
Pastor Wynard grew up in a military family that moved between Nebraska and England during her formative years. She came to Lutheranism as an adult, and loves the sacramental, liturgical quality of worship and the “big-tent” identity of the ELCA that emphasizes our corporate identity as “church together for the sake of the world.” She was noted in her previous congregation and synod for her excellence in preaching and teaching, pastoral compassion, and leadership in mission and community partnerships.
Pastor Wynard and her husband, Dan, who is also an ordained ELCA pastor, are the parents of two adopted teenagers. She describes herself as a passionate, collaborative leader who thrives in diverse settings – an extrovert who loves a deep theological conversation over Mexican, Indian, or Thai food and family game nights.
Pastor H. Ashley Hall, Ph.D.,
Associate Pastor For Adult Faith Formation
In addition to leading and planning worship services in consultation with the Senior Pastor, his primary focus is to develop and coordinate adult theological educational opportunities for the congregation and for the community. These include Biblical studies, Lutheran Confessions, Lutheran heritage, ecumenical conversations, liturgical studies, social justice concerns, and contemporary theological reflection. The position is part-time, in addition to Hall’s regular full-time duties as an Associate Professor of Historical Theology at Creighton University. The position at Kountze includes his work as Chaplain for Creighton’s Lutheran Campus Ministry at Creighton and serving as Chairman of the Board for the Healing Gift Free Clinic, L.L.C. Hall is a delegate in the official dialogue between the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. A native of Houston, Texas, Hall was raised in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and joined the ELCA in college. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree cum laude in history from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. After college, he worked for three years at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Houston, where he was the communications director and assistant to the director of The Melanchthon Institute, a center for theological education. He received his Master of Arts and Ph.D. from Fordham University in The Bronx, N.Y. (2009). He started his training for seminary at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia and completed it through the TEEM program, receiving his degree from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in 2010.
Deacon Eric Haitz (pronounced “Heights”) joined the ministry staff of Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church in October 2025 and was installed on November 2. He and his wife, Rhonda, have made their home in Council Bluffs since 2009.
Deacon Eric holds an A.A.S. from Western Iowa Tech Community College and a Master of Arts in Diaconal Ministry from Wartburg Theological Seminary. A rostered Minister of Word and Service in the ELCA, he is called to bridge the church’s worship with its service in the world.
Before coming to Kountze, Eric served the Western Iowa Synod ELCA as Director for Evangelical Mission, accompanying congregations in renewal and outreach, and earlier as Communications Director and as Associate Director for Admissions at Wartburg Seminary. His 17 years as a musical instrument repair technician before ministry shaped his hands-on, collaborative leadership style.
A preacher, worship leader, and musician, Eric is passionate about building inclusive, authentic communities of faith and lifting up voices often left unheard. His ministry has included disaster response, youth leadership, disability inclusion, and LGBTQIA+ welcome.
Originally from Sioux City, Eric lives in Council Bluffs with Rhonda, a program manager at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. They are parents to Tucker, a high-school senior, and Ella, a proud graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School who works at CHI Mercy Hospital.
Deacon Eric thrives where faith, humor, and justice meet—and where there’s always room at the table for one more. If there’s not, we build a longer table.
Staff
Toby Rees
Executive Director Kountze Commons Community Outreach Center
Jim Smejkal
Building Superintendent / Director Of Congregational Activities
Kayla Slaight
Janitorial Staff
Congregational Council
Kountze Memorial has a 12-member Congregational Council that works in partnership with our church staff, committees, and task forces in carrying out our mission.
To contact a member of the Congregational Council, please e-mail info@kmlchurch.org or call the Church Office at 402-341-7761.