REV. KERRY ASCHER - SENIOR PASTOR

                   Ascher's 2011 Christmas Letter 

    
Pastor Kerry is a native of South Dakota.  He grew up in the Hitchcock/Huron area and moved to Watertown during his High School years.  From there he attended Bartlesville Wesleyan College in Bartlesville, OK for two years and then transferred to Crown College in St. Bonifacious, MN where he graduated with a Missions Degree. 
 
After college, Kerry became the Youth Pastor at Maple Plain Community Church in Maple Plain, MN.  In 1983, Kerry and family moved to DeSmet, South Dakota, where Kerry was the solo pastor for 9 years at the DeSmet Alliance Church.  (Also, known as the church that Pa Ingalls helped build.  "Little House on the Prairie" author Laura Ingalls  spent several years with her family in DeSmet, SD).
 
In 1992, Kerry came to Aberdeen Alliance Church and has been the pastor here for 19+ years.  During his tenure here, he has incorporated an 'adopt a college' student program, small groups, the weekly men's prayer breakfast, the co-ed church softball team, the church basketball team, the pastor's pool night and the annual THANKSGIVING acrostic service that integrated the congregation as the main speakers.  One of the highlights of his ministry has been the formation of the men's gospel quartet  "Fellowship Four & More" that he and Beth were a part of.
 
Pastor Kerry has been on three mission trips since first coming to Aberdeen.  His first trip was to Quito, Ecuador with other pastors and several lay men.  He and his wife, Beth, teamed together with several churches from MN and took a group of young people from Aberdeen to Monteray, Mexico in 1998.  In 2007, Kerry and his family along with  people from two other Alliance churches traveled to Golindrinas, Ecuador, to help build a church.  

Pastor Kerry loves to hunt, ride motorcycles & snowmobiles, watch and play sports.  He loves to remodel and construct homes and enjoys being able to help others when they need a project done.

Kerry married his high school sweetheart, Beth Stein, in 1975.  They have 4 grown children and one grandchild.

As a pastor’s wife, Beth has always felt called just as much into the ministry as her husband, Kerry.  She has been a Sunday school teacher, camp counselor and speaker, leader of women’s groups, youth sponsor and has been involved in the music ministry in every church they have been in. Pastor Kerry and Beth are Certified Video Presenters for Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage Ministries.  http://www.laughyourway.com

Beth enjoys playing softball, volleyball, riding motorcycle, snowmobiling, reading, music, gardening and entertaining.  She loves learning about personality strengths and weaknesses.  Her number one passion is being "grandma."

KAREN COMPAS - SECRETARY /JANITOR

Karen is married to Bryan and has two children, Noah and Olivia.  Karen enjoys scrapbooking and cooking.  Her favorite team is the Miami Dolphins.  Her favorite is quote is "After every storm comes a rainbow."  She grew up in Nebraska and attended Malvern Community Junior-Senior High School.