Pastor Paul C. Stratman was born in 1965 in Hillsboro, Wisconsin, and grew up on a dairy farm near Kendall, Wisconsin, a few miles south of Tomah. He spent his grade school years at St. Paul’s in Wonewoc, Wisconsin.
He attended Martin Luther Preparatory School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, Northwestern College in Watertown, and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in Mequon. He served his vicar year (1990-91) at St. John’s in Pardeeville, and was an visitation vicar, organist and choir director at St. Marcus in Milwaukee his senior year at the Seminary.
After graduating from the Seminary in 1992, Pastor Stratman served St. Jacob in Grass Lake, Michigan from 1992 to 1996, Zion in St. Louis, Michigan from 1996 to 2000, and Trinity in rural Winona, Minnesota from 2000 to 2007. He continued his education in our Seminary’s Summer Quarter program, graduating with a Master of Sacred Theology degree (STM) in May of 2006. In 2006, he served as an instructor in our Seminary’s Pastoral Studies Institute program helping a Hmong student complete his seminary education with courses in Genesis, Matthew, Psalms and Isaiah. Pastor Stratman accepted a call to St. Stephen’s in Beaver Dam, in 2007.
Pastor Stratman is married to Corinne (Schultz) whose hometown is West Bend, Wisconsin. Corinne is a graduate of Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School and Wisconsin Lutheran College. They have three children, Renata, John, and Katrina.
At St. Stephen's Pastor Stratman's responsibility is the ministry of Word and Sacrament, namely the preaching, teaching, and visitation work as part of a pastoral team with Pastor Philip Heyer and Pastor Mark Wendland. Beyond that, Pastor Stratman is the Catechism coordinator, advisor to Parent Teachers Society, Teens and Pioneers. He is also the Lakeside High School delegate.
