Taken from Installation Service Order of Worship, dated September 22, 1991

Roger Wayne Leenerts, son of Walter and Hattie Leenerts, was born on October 11, 1937 in Golden, lllinois. Pastor Leenerts attended small one room country schools in Illinois until the sixth grade. After the consolidation of many of these small schools, he completed his elementary education in Augusta, lllinois. At the age of thirteen, he attended St. Paul's Lutheran High School in Concordia, Missouri to study for the ministry. He graduated from high school in 1955 and completed St.Paul's Lutheran Jr. College in Concordia, Missouri in 1957. He graduated with the first class from Concordia Senior College, Ft. Wayne, Indiana in 1959.
On June 28, 1959 Pastor was married to Arlene Bahr in St. Salvator Lutheran Church in Venedy, lllinois. During their first year of marriage, they taught at St. Paul's Lutheran school, Mt. Prospect, Illinois. They went to Concordia Seminary, Springfield, lllinois to complete the academic work for the holy ministry. In June of 1961, they went to St.Paul's Lutheran Church, Ida Grove, Iowa for a year of vicarage. Pastor Leenerts graduated from Concordia Seminary in June of 1963. After advanced training in Clinical Pastoral Education at Anna, lllinois, he was installed as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Persic, Iowa and St. Paul Lutheran Church, Oakland, Iowa. In 1967, he accepted the call to be pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Battle Creek, Iowa. In 1976, he was called to be District of North America Missions for the Board for Missions of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. In addition to these duties, he also served the Synodical Board of Directors as Interim Planning Counselor from 1986 to 1990.
Pastor and Arlene were blessed with four children - Timothy Andrew who lives in St. Louis; Mary Ann who lives in St Louis; Elizabeth Ann Gibbs, mother of their three grandchildren - Jennifer, Jericho and Nagaila; and John who attends college in Springfield, Missouri.