Pastor Matthew Priem was born and raised in Florida, graduating from the University of Florida where he studied Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. After two years of work as a field biologist, he enrolled at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. His on-campus experience was supplemented by a three-month study at Luther Seminary in Shingal, South Korea, and one year of vicarage at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Yankton, South Dakota. In 2021, he earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Pastor Priem has served at Bethlehem since 2009 and states his greatest joy in ministry is the opportunity to share God’s Word. “There’s nothing in the world as powerful or as beautiful as the Word of God, and to be able to share that with others is such a great privilege. I’ve been blessed in so many ways– to grow up in a faith filled home, to learn more about God from incredible teachers at both our LCMS seminaries, to travel, to be a husband and father, but my greatest blessing is to know the love of God as my Heavenly Father, and I love to share that gift with others.”

When he’s not sharing God’s Word, Pastor Priem also enjoys hiking, biking, gardening, reading, and watching movies.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes” – Romans 1:16