Reverend Karen Pahl

CTS Pastor

Reverend Karen Pahl is a graduate of Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, SC. She also holds an undergraduate degree in music education and a minor in business administration. After completing her undergraduate work, Karen took additional accounting and finance classes and worked in the hotel and information management industries for 13 years.


Pastor Karen joined the Greater Milwaukee Synod staff as Interim Financial Administrator in October 2022 after serving as elected Synod Treasurer in 2021.  Prior to that she served for 16 years in various pastoral roles.


In her free time, Karen enjoys walks with her family and two dogs, crocheting, reading, and following the Brewers during the baseball season. She and her spouse, Jeff, live in the area with their daughter Victoria, who will be a junior in high school and keeps them both on the move.

 


Jeff Marti

Council President

Jeff, his wife Patti, and their two daughters moved to Waukesha in the summer of 2003.  They happened to visit CTS on Youth  Sunday and knew CTS was the right church home for them. Since then Jeff has served on many CTS committees, including as Council President in 2010 and 2011. 

 

Jeff retired from State Farm Insurance in 2018 where he had worked for 30+ years.  In his spare time he enjoys biking, volunteering at the Waukesha Food Pantry and Katy’s Closet.  In addition, Jeff and Patti like to travel. Their goal is to visit  as many National Parks as they can.

Jessi Braun

Youth Coordinator

Jessi has been a member of CTS since she was born! She was baptized, confirmed, and was married at CTS.  She feels fortunate to have baptized her son at CTS also. Jessi lives in Wauwatosa with her husband, Andy, her son, Derrick, and their wiener dog, Steve. She grew up in New Berlin, graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in Education in 2005, and taught high school social studies for 12 years.

 

Jessi has always felt called to education and service. She taught Sunday school and helped with CTS Youth, eventually becoming certified in Cross-Generational ministry and CTS’s Youth Director.  In her last few years of teaching, she stepped away from Youth ministry and attended the evening part-time program at Marquette University Law School, graduating in 2017 with her JD. She now practices Estate Planning and Elder Law at Schober, Schober & Mitchell, S.C. and is lucky enough to practice alongside and learn from her dad, John Schober.

 

She is looking forward to connecting with the CTS Youth during this interim period. Hoping to foster relationships amongst the Youth and across CTS, empower the Youth to engage in planning activities and service, and help lead discussions and visioning sessions to determine the future of Youth and Cross-Generational Ministry at CTS.

Mary Johnson

Music Director

Mary and her husband, Adam, have been members of CTS since 2008. Both of their children, Erin and A.J., were baptized at CTS and are involved in Youth Group. The Johnson's have always felt welcome in the CTS family, and they often participate in church services. Mary enjoys playing piano for worship, sharing our faith through music.

 

Mary’s other passion at CTS is teaching Sunday School. The Sunday School students’ enthusiasm for learning about their faith is heart-warming. Outside of church, Mary is a 4th grade teacher at Big Bend Elementary in the Mukwonago Area School District. She advises the student council and SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) Club. She also likes crocheting and supporting her kids in their many activities - music, dance, lacrosse, and student council.

Jo Pirlott

Sunday School Coordinator

Jo and her husband, Mike are long time members of CTS.  Their children were baptized, confirmed, and two were married at CTS.  They have four grandchildren, three who live in the area and attend CTS with their parents, and the youngest granddaughter lives in Chicago with her parents.


Worshipping as a CTS community and getting to know and work with CTS members is enjoyable for Jo.  Her all-time favorite CTS activities are interacting with the children while teaching Sunday school.  Jo is a former educator with the Muskego-Norway and the Racine Unified School Districts.  She is a member of Waukesha Service Club and through that organization volunteers and clerks at the Thrift Shop on West Avenue, and at the ProHealth Care Hospital Gift Shop.  In her spare time Jo enjoys gathering with family and friends, tutoring at Prairie Elementary, reading, yard work and exercising.

Diane Schuh

Office Administrator

Diane and her husband, Tom, enjoy  traveling backroads of Wisconsin, treasure hunting at second hand stores, and spending lots of time with family.  


They have 4 grown children, 2 in-laws, and 3 grandchildren.