Affiliation
As a church we also are affiliated and led by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod as a part of the California/Nevada/Hawaii District
Church Staff
Rev. Dr. Jedidiah Maschke: jmaschke@blcs.org
Pastor Maschke is a dedicated spiritual leader known for his unwavering commitment to discipleship and guiding his congregation with compassion and wisdom. He was born in Illinois and grew up in Wisconsin, earning a Bachelor of Arts from Concordia University Wisconsin. From there he went on to receive a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, giving him a strong foundation in theology. Before moving to Nevada in 2016, Pastor Maschke served as a hospital chaplain, high school theology teacher and coach, and as a pastor for parishes in California in Cypress, Huntington Beach, and Concord. Pastor Maschke’s leadership is characterized by humility and a commitment to confessional, missional Lutheran theology. His sermons are marked by a faithful and intelligent (but not overly intellectual) approach to scriptural interpretation, offering practical insights that resonate with the challenges of modern life. He and his wife Anna enjoy spending time outdoors with their three teenage children, traveling, and reading. Pastor Maschke also serves Bethlehem Lutheran School as school chaplain and as an assistant coach for the Track and Field team.
Lora Spiker – Church Secretary: lspiker@blcs.org
Lora Spiker moved to Carson City, Nevada in 1990 from Pennsylvania with her daughter to be near her parents who lived near Bethlehem Lutheran Church. She joined the church that year and have loved living in Carson City since then. She has been married to her husband since 1995 and her youngest daughter and son-in-law now live in that same house near Bethlehem Lutheran Church with their two daughters. As a family, they enjoy bowling in various leagues. She met her husband at the Carson Lanes bowling alley. Her oldest daughter and son-in-law live in Florida and, of course, they enjoy vacationing there and traveling throughout the United States.
Church Elders
Robert (Bob) Spiker
rlspiker@aol.com
Bob was born in San Jose, California in 1947. He attended grammar school and finished at Leigh High School in San Jose. Bob attended University of California Berkeley as well San Jose State University and earned a degree in Chemical Engineering. He enlisted in the Air Force and served from 1965 thru 1970. Bob moved to Carson City in 1990 then met and married Lora in 1995. They have a total of five children and seven grandchildren living in California, Nevada, and Florida. Lora and Bob enjoy traveling within the U.S. as well as abroad. Bob enjoys all sports especially football, baseball, and basketball.
Bill Scott
williammscott@gmail.com
My parents married here in Carson City at the original Baptist church on the corner of Minnesota and Telegraph. I was born ‘just over the hill’ in Auburn, California and grew up in the small town of Porterville, in the Central Valley.
My mom and her side of the family were Seventh Day Adventist. My dad and his side were Church of Christ. I grew up going to the SDA church and was educated in the SDA school system. In the first month at Pacific Union College, a private SDA college, I met a beautiful girl named Lynne. We married in June of 1980 and this year celebrated 43 years of marriage. We have three children. Sarah is 35, Megan is 33 and Connor is 25.
Many years ago, as a member of the SDA church, I became convinced that there had to be a church that was more faithful to what the Bible taught. I began looking for a church that took what the Bible said and believed it. A church that believed that Scripture was verbally inspired, inerrant and trustworthy. From the Church of Christ, they had taught that they were practicing first century Christianity, including Acapella music only in worship. Often, I heard references to the early church fathers in defense of this idea. That made me curious as to what else the church fathers and church history had to offer. On an online forum, I discovered some interesting folks who were LCMS Lutheran. It seemed that I agreed with most of their beliefs and decided I needed to find an LCMS church to see what this flavor of Christianity was all about. I found Trinity Lutheran in Gardnerville, went through the new believer’s class and was accepted into membership there in 2012. From there, I transferred my membership to Bethlehem a few years later.
I work as a Respiratory Therapist. My hobbies include fishing whenever I can and exploring the mountains and desert around us any way I can.
Jarvis Manning
jarvis.manning@cune.org
Jarvis Manning was born in Crown Point, Indiana. Lutheran schools have played an important role in his life. He grew up attending Preschool through 8th Grade at Trinity Lutheran School in Crown Point and went to Luther East High School in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Jarvis graduated from Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska with a teaching degree in elementary education in 2006. That same year he accepted a Call to serve as Bethlehem Lutheran School’s 3rd Grade teacher. He currently serves as the school’s 5th Grade homeroom teacher and Junior High History teacher. Jarvis and his wife, Amanda, both teach at Bethlehem and have two children named Noah and Cora. Jarvis has always loved to travel and spent a short time teaching at Castillo Fuerte Lutheran School in Guatemala City, Guatemala. He is a big fan of history and loves the Civil War. He and his family enjoy camping, hiking, biking, kayaking and generally anything outdoor related.
James (Jimmy) Poncsak
jamesponcsak@gmail.com
Jimmy was born in Gary, Indiana, and grew up in Merrillville, Indiana. He comes from a large family of five sisters and three brothers. After graduating from high school in 1978, he joined the Air Force and spent the next five years stationed in California. After the Air Force, he spent the next thirty- three years as a civilian firefighter working at Edward’s AFB, retiring in 2016. That same year Jimmy and his wife Sherrie moved to Carson City. They have two sons a daughter in law, and three grandchildren, who still live in California. Jimmy and Sherrie enjoy traveling within the United States, and throughout Europe. He enjoys spending time with family and friends and is a huge Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears fan.
Joshua (Josh) Karges
Josh has been involved with Bethlehem Lutheran and a resident of Northern Nevada since 1990. He attended Bethlehem Lutheran School from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Josh earned a Business Degree from Concordia University. Since graduating, he has worked as a credit analyst, janitor, postal worker, and teacher. Josh has always been active in his faith and is looking forward to serving Bethlehem Lutheran and the community.