Pastor Ted Laesch, Senior Pastor, was born and raised in suburban Chicago -- a die-hard Cubs fan. He's a "Preacher's Kid" and the youngest of five. He graduated from Concordia University in River Forest, Illinois with a Theological Languages major and a History minor. He met his wife, Mary, in college and they both attended Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, graduating together in 1999 (Mary with a MA, Ted with a MDiv and STM). After two years in Ghana, West Africa for internship and six years in San Jose, California serving Christ the Life Lutheran Church, Pastor Laesch was called to Chapel of the Cross in September of 2005.

Pastor Laesch and Mary have five children, the joy of their lives: Theodore, Nathaniel, Jacob, Ezekiel, and Zoe. He loves spending time with his family, reading, watching the Cubs (win or lose), thick Chicago-style pizza and Starbucks coffee.

He feels blessed to serve at Chapel of the Cross, being able to share God's love and His Word, and to work together with a talented and dedicated group of staff and lay leaders who share the passion of sharing the love of Jesus in North St. Louis County and beyond. 

Pastor Ellory Glenn, Specific Ministry Pastor, was born and raised in North St. Louis, MO. He graduated Lutheran High School North and briefly attended St. Paul’s College Concordia, MO. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1975 and retired in 1995. 

Ellory attended the University of Missouri, St. Louis graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. After working in a number of hospitals as a Housekeeping Supervisor, started a cleaning business.

The Glenn family joined the family of Chapel of the Cross in 1996 and participated in both the music and drama programs. Ellory became an Elder in 2005 and the Chairman of the Board of Elders in 2014. He felt the call to serve during this time, and after mentoring by Pastor Laesch, applied and was accepted into the SMP program in the fall of 2018. Ellory was placed into the Spring 2019 cohort with a specialty in Minority Outreach and Veteran Outreach.

Ellory and his wife Kathleen are the parents of Chenoa, Zebulon, Mirah, Racheal, and Micah. They have 10 grandchildren.

Pastor Clifford Louis Bischoff, Pastoral Assistant – Visitation, was born in Columbus, Wisconsin and raised on a dairy farm in Dodge County, Wisconsin. He is not a sports fan, having given up baseball when the Braves abandoned Milwaukee for Atlanta in 1966. He graduated from Concordia Seminary in 1971 and served at Bethesda, Pine Lawn, MO; Our Savior, Flint, MI; First Trinity, Oakland, CA; Emmaus, Milwaukee, WI; and since 2008, Chapel of the Cross. In Pine Lawn, Flint, and Oakland he also served as a part time hospital chaplain at Normandy Osteopathic, Hurley, and Highland Hospitals respectively. His life motto has been his Confirmation Verse, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.” Psalm 111:10

Pastor Bischoff has been married to Dorothy since 1981. Dorothy worked as a Labor Relations Specialist for the Internal Revenue Service in Oakland and Milwaukee. Their daughter Rhonda is the principal of the Stadium View High School in Minneapolis and along with her husband is an independent contractor.

Pastor Bischoff’s diversions include genealogy and related history, reading the Bible in various versions including German and Spanish, and running his John Deere E110 tractor across the lawn pulling various attachments.

Ryan Meyer, Director of Music Ministry, serves as the principal organist and choir director at Chapel. In addition to working with various musical ensembles, he also assists in worship planning, teaches music lessons, leads fine arts events, and enjoys composing and arranging music.

Ryan grew up in rural Nebraska and has been involved in church music most of his life. In 2004, he graduated from Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska, with a Bachelor of Music in Parish Music and accepted his call to serve at Chapel of the Cross. He and his wife, Anne, have four children and a Boston Terrier.

Ryan enjoys spending time with his family; writing, playing or listening to music; and gardening and spending time outdoors. Psalm 34 has always been both a favorite and a constant reminder to him of his need for God, His blessings and His faithfulness: “Taste and see that the Lord is good…” (Ps. 34:8).

Bill Rusnak, Director of Adult Ministry, was born and raised in Ohio, and attended Lutheran schools his entire life. It is a great joy for him to use his background and experience in Lutheran Ministry in teaching, organization and administration in this position at Chapel.

Bill and his wife, Carolyn, have been at Chapel since 2009. While he's been called many things; Son, Brother, Husband, Father, Church Worker, Director, Grandpa and Uncle Bill, (just to list some of the good ones), he is most thrilled to be called a Child of God. Knowing that he is useful in His Kingdoms of Grace and Power is a trust that he treasures.

Mary Laesch, Children and Family Ministry Coordinator, grew up in beautiful Wisconsin in a family that taught her about the love of Jesus. Mary is passionate about partnering with families to share the love of Christ with one another and with the people around them.

Mary graduated from the deaconess program at Concordia University, Chicago, where she met her husband, Ted (Senior Pastor at Chapel of the Cross.) She earned an MA in Theology from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and an MS in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University, Ann Arbor. Mary formerly led children and family ministry at Christ the Life Lutheran Church in San Jose, CA, where Ted served as pastor for six years. Currently, Mary is an Editor of Curriculum at Concordia Publishing House.

Mary loves spending time with her family, hiking, writing, and taking walks with their dog, Louie.

Samuel Wondemu, Vicar, was born in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. He attended elementary, junior, and high school there. Samuel is married to Mekdes Asay, who was also born in Ethiopia. They met in the United States, and have five-year-old twin daughters born in Nashville, TN. Samuel's parents are traditional Christians, and he has six sisters and five brothers.

Samuel's formative years were spent in the Evangelical Church of Mekane Yesus in Ethiopia, a period that profoundly influenced his spiritual journey. He began this journey by serving as an associate pastor (Evangelist) for eight years in urban Aria, in the western part of the country. He furthered his education at various colleges and seminaries, earning his BA in Pastoral Care and Counseling and a Masters in Psychological Counseling from Ethiopian Mekane Yesus. His work experience in non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) in Ethiopia, further enriched his understanding of service and community. Samuel also held positions at Good Neighbors of Ethiopia, where he served as a campus pastor and project manager. 

Samuel immigrated to the United States 14 years ago and began a new chapter in his life. To kickstart his career, he spent over a year working in various companies: a food company, a care center, a nursing home, and finally, for eight years, at an automobile company. In 2016, Samuel was called by the church to serve as a pastor, but at that time, he was not ready to respond to this call; after some years, he preferred to go to seminary to continue his education and was sent to Concordia seminary.

Samuel is pleased to be with you as vicar, serving his church and God’s people through the strength of his savior, Jesus Christ. Psalm 90:1: “Lord, you have been our dwelling
place in all generations.”