First Lutheran Church and School (Holyoke, MA)
| First Lutheran Church and School (Holyoke, MA) | |
|---|---|
| Principal | Marianne Bischoff |
| Pastor | Randall T Bessette |
| Associations | Missouri Synod |
| Origin | 1867 |
| Members | 97 (as of 2015) |
| Official website | http://www.flsholyoke.org/ |
| http://www.lutheranholyoke.org | |
First Lutheran Church and School (FLCS) is a school located on 1810 Northampton St. in Holyoke, Massachusetts. It is a Christian-based school with around 100 students. First Lutheran Church and School is also a member of the Missouri Synod. FLS Faculty provide challenging curriculum to students from grades Pre-K to 8th Grade.
Pastor
Rev. Randall T Bessette was born on March 27, 1961, in Ware, Massachusetts. He attended local Holyoke schools and graduated from Holyoke High School in 1979. He attended Holyoke Community College to fulfill the requirements to enter Concordia Theological Seminary. In May of 2001 Randy and his wife Bonnie, left for Fort Wayne, IN. In June of 2001 he started his seminary education with summer Greek. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary on May 20, 2005, with a Master of Divinity.
In April of 2005 Randy received his first call to be the Pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Mashpee, MA. He was ordained on June 12, 2005 at First Lutheran Church in Holyoke, MA. Rev. Bessette was then installed at Our Savior on July 10, 2005, where he served faithfully for four years. Pastor Bessette received a Call to be the Pastor of First Lutheran on June 23, 2009 and accepted the Call on July 12, 2009
| Name | Years in Service | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Randall T Bessette | 2009 - present | School & Church Pastor |
Principal
Marianne Bischoff is the current principal of First Lutheran School. She has served callings for help at different churches around the world. She has worked in the Philippines, California, Ohio, and New England. Marianne has been the principal at First Lutheran School for over 7 years.
| Name | Years in Service | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Marianne Bischoff | 2007 - present | School Principal |
School History
First Lutheran Church and School originated in 1867, however the school didn't start for more than a 100 years after that. The School was formerly founded in 1983. The school half of the building was originally added for summer school, but then turned into a full service school. As of 2016, the school has been educating children for 33 years.