David Fleener

When David is asked where's he's from, he often says, "the Midwest in general." Living the first eleven years of his life in rural Missouri, he moved with his family to northeast Iowa, known for its hills and bluffs. However, from a very early age, he vacationed with his family in Minnesota, visiting family farms near Wadena and Beltrami, Minnesota. He also learned to love fishing, visiting the lakes of Otter Tail County frequently. 

Though he attended a Southern Baptist church in Missouri, David was baptized at Bethany Lutheran Church in Elkader, Iowa. Discovering gifts in music and academics and a burgeoning interest in Biblical studies, David graduated from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa with a B.A. in music—voice and religion. During that time, he served as a counselor at Camp EWALU, where he sensed a call to ministry. He moved to Chicago where he spent a year in the school of hard knocks before enrolling at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in the Hyde Park neighborhood.

After graduation from seminary with an M.Div. with an emphasis in Biblical studies, David furthered his training at Gundersen Medical Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin, serving as a chaplain resident. There he met his wife, Sarah. After his year of chaplaincy, David accepted a call at Zion Lutheran Church in Hartford City, Indiana, where he spent the first nine years of ordained ministry. While there, he and Sarah were married and welcomed a daughter, Abigail.

In 2019, David accepted a call to serve as Shalom's pastor, happy to come home to Minnesota. While here, he has enjoyed growing his skills with the music, youth/education, and stewardship ministries of the congregation, as well as ecumenical ministry. He also enjoys outdoor walks with his family and the theater.