WELS South Atlantic District

Matt Westra

Discipleship Coordinator

Pastor Matt Westra has served Living Promise Lutheran Church in Morristown, TN, since 2011. Having assisted with youth discipleship in the district since his assignment, he is grateful to serve as discipleship chairman beginning in 2025.

Nathan Loersch

Evangelism Coordinator

Pastor Nathan Loersch has served Illumine in Rock Hill, SC, since 2019, and has served as the evangelism coordinator since 2025.

Duane Schmeichel

Special Ministries Coordinator

Pastor Schmeichel has served at Lamb of God in Madison, AL since 2017. He is the military contact pastor for the Huntsville area, and has served as special ministries coordinator since 2022.

Michael Schultz

Worship Coordinator

Eric Brown

District Schools Coordinator

Eric Brown has served as principal at Christ the King Lutheran Church and School in Palm Coast, FL since 2018. He earned a MSEd in School Leadership from Northern Arizona University in 2010 and previously served as the District Schools Coordinator in the Dakota-Montana District. Eric considers himself blessed to serve the educational ministries of the South Atlantic District as their District Schools Coordinator.

Shawna Mehlberg

Early Childhood Centers Coordinator

Shawna Mehlberg has served as an early childhood teacher and director at Divine Savior Academy in Doral, FL since 2008. She is also currently serving as the Head of Early Childhood for Divine Savior Ministries. She obtained her Master's degree in Early Childhood Education in 2017.

Ben zahn

District Mission Board Chairman

Pastor Ben Zahn has served as pastor of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church in Myrtle Beach, SC since 2006. He has been on the South Atlantic District Board since 2019 and served as chairman starting in 2020.

MARCUS Spiegelberg

District Representative on the Synodical Council

Marcus Spiegelberg is the President of Douglas Orr Plumbing, Inc., with 23 years of leadership experience in the construction industry, including healthcare, multi-family, commercial, sports facilities, and service sectors. He and his wife, Jet, have four children and reside in Doral, Florida.

The Synodical Council is responsible for managing the activities of the synod that are determined by the synod in convention. These responsibilities include overseeing and evaluating all programs of ministry carried out by the synod and coordinating the execution of decisions made by the synod in convention.