The Reformed Herald recently had the opportunity to speak with our new Mission 2025 Director Bill Lapp. Or perhaps we should say “reintroduce,” since many years ago, Bill was the founding pastor of our church in Mitchell, SD. We asked Bill to share with us a little about his life and family.
I was born in Eureka, SD, to Lutheran parents. When I was three, my dad Benny died in a car accident. At age seven, my mom Ada (Wiest) Lapp married her minister, Rev. Alfred Reineking, who was the pastor of the E&R Church in Wishek, ND. Rev. Reineking, who quickly became known to me as “Dad,” had a major influence on my spiritual life and development. Both my mom and dad were loving and committed to raising their five children to know and love the Lord. We had family devotions every night after supper.
My dad catechized me for three years. During that time, I memorized the entire Heidelberg Catechism and many Biblical proof texts. It immensely influenced my understanding of how much God loved me and all his chosen people. The gift of God’s grace in giving His Son to come to the earth as a human being, suffer humiliation during His three-year ministry, and die on the cross was what motivated me to be a preacher. The desire to pursue ministry began at the age of fourteen. I learned what it meant to be a minister to a congregation of God’s people from Dad. There was nothing his congregations wouldn’t do for him. Like Jesus, he was a good shepherd. He knew his sheep and they knew him. When he explained to his congregation in Hamburg, MN, why it was time to leave the United Church of Christ, they voted unanimously to leave. After evaluating several biblically conservative denominations, Dad and the Hamburg congregation voted to join and were accepted by the RCUS.
As good as my dad was as a pastor, he was not an easy preacher to listen to. I wanted to be a minister, but I also wanted to be a preacher that people could follow, understand, and want to hear more. I would describe preachers as “winsome” who held my attention. Becoming a biblically faithful and winsome preacher drove me to Dordt College and Covenant Theological Seminary. Dad and I evaluated these two schools and agreed that they would faithfully teach me about our beloved Reformed Faith. They did not disappoint.
Since getting my Master of Divinity degree from Covenant Theological Seminary, my goal has been to honor and glorify God out of thankfulness for His amazing gift of salvation. Sometimes that meant finding work between pastorates, for which I was thankful, but the Lord always gave me the opportunity to preach.
1. First Pastor for Grace Reformed Church (RCUS) in Mitchell, SD, from 1975
to 1977.
2. Sales for Reynolds Corporation in Lynnwood, WA, (north of Seattle) from 1977-1981.
3. Director of Development (fundraiser) for Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, PA, from 1981-1983.
4. Director of Development for Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis, MO, from 1983-1985.
5. Sales again for Reynolds Corporation in 4-8 Midwest States from St. Louis from 1985 to 1993.
6. Sales for Killion Industries in 16 Midwestern & Southern States from St. Louis from 1993 to 2008.
7. Director of Major Gift Officers (with up to 10 great fundraisers) for the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod for a $100 million campaign for Missions, as well as other projects, from 2008 to 2017.
8. From 2017 to 2025, a Sales Manager for Law Enforcement Services, where funds are raised for Sheriffs’ offices by getting sponsors to place ads on a large yearly poster calendar.
9. For the last two years, I have also taken a position as half time preacher for Gambrill Gardens in Ellisville, MO.
10. Currently, Mission 2025 Director for our beloved Reformed Church in the United States, celebrating its 300th Anniversary this year. As the name implies, the focus is 2025, where the Church hopes to double the size of the RCUS Endowment Fund.
In most of my years of being in different working jobs, I was always ready, willing, and desirous of preaching whenever asked. It is my hope, as well as the hope of the Mission 2025 Committee, that my many years of sales, fundraising, and preaching will be useful in helping the RCUS reach its $3 million goal
in celebration of the 300th Anniversary of the RCUS being faithful in teaching and preaching God’s Word.
One of the best decisions of my life was to marry a beautiful both–inside and out–Christian woman, Donna. We have been married since 1971 and have three children and four grandchildren. Sports have also been a big part of my life. I played football, basketball, and baseball in high school. Then I played four years for Dordt’s baseball team. Eventually, I picked up jogging and ran five marathons from 1992 to 2002. I look forward to meeting you all in the years to come.
In Christ,
Bill Lapp