Pastor Bossard grew up on a farm near Radcliffe, Iowa, the second of three children of Edward and Marie Bossard.  He graduated from Radcliffe Community High School and went on to earn a B.A. in chemistry from Central College, Pella, Iowa and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln (UNL).  After a number of years of working in the chemistry field he went back to school and received his seminary training from Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, IN, and served his vicarage at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Blue Bell, PA.

He has served as a parish pastor for congregations in Omaha and Nebraska City, Nebraska as well as at Faith in Madison, Alabama.

​

He is married to Dr. Mary J. Bossard (nee Schewe) of Douds, Iowa, who he met at college. Pastor and Mary were married in their junior year of college. Mary also has her B.A. from Central College and her Ph.D. in Chemistry from UNL.

Rev. and Dr. Bossard have two daughters, Jeanette Marie Augustyn who with husband Steve and their daughters, Catherine and Alexis live in Omaha, Nebraska, and Heather Jeannine Brown and husband Jason live in Lake County, California.

​

Pastor Bossard has a varied background having lived in Iowa, Nebraska, California, Pennsylvania and Alabama. He has made his home on a working farm, raising row crops and livestock, in small and medium sized towns and in major cities.  He has worked in agricultural, industrial and university settings, as well as having served as a parish pastor. His hobbies include gardening, reading about science and technology and participating in sports such as softball and racquetball.  He was also a certified downhill ski instructor before coming to Alabama.

​

Ordained:  8-29-99  Atonement Lutheran Church, Omaha, NE

Installed:  4-13-03  Faith Lutheran Church, Madison, AL

​

Ival was a Vicar for our church in the Specific Ministry Pastor program at Concordia Theological Seminary at Ft. Wayne, Indiana. These are mostly on-line courses with significant weekly homework.  He has been a member of Faith Lutheran Church for 15 years.  He graduated from the two year Lay Minister Training institute in 2005.

​

Dr. Toepke has a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Illinois.  He and his late wife have four children, mostly located in the Akron, Ohio area where seven of his eight grandchildren live.  He is now married f to Elsa, a Lutheran preschool director who graduated from Concordia College, Seward Nebraska.  

​

Ival’s main interest is evangelism.  He has taught and practiced Evangelism Explosion III, Dialog Evangelism, Heart to Heart, and Contagious Christian evangelism programs over the last forty years at various churches.  Ival enjoys teaching Bible Classes and likes to preach when an opportunity occurs, serving as the Pastor of Record for Scottsboro Lutheran Church where he preaches once a month.

Our Secretary:

Lora Whittemore

Head Elder:

Scott McWhirtier