New England District - Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod

Rev. Joel Kotila

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Third Vice President


Joel David Kotila was born to Rev. Herman J. and Sylvia E. Kotila on December 6, 1957 in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. He is the fifth of eight children.

  • B. A. (1991) Concordia College, St. Paul, MN.; M. Div. (1995) Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN.
  • Vicarage, Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bay City, MI (1993-94).
  • Congregations:
    • Peace Lutheran Church, Cincinnati, OH (1995-2000)
    • Trinity and Immanuel Lutheran Churches, Holloway, MN (2000-2006)
    • Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Terryville, CT (2006 – present)
    • Serving currently in a sustained vacancy (partnership) at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, Waterbury, CT (May 2018 – present).

Served vacancies:

    • Trinity, Peachgrove, OH, 7/18/98-1/99
    • Grace, Correll, MN 10/2002 – 05/2003

More recent service in the church:

  • Pastoral Advisor - Central Connecticut Chapter Lutherans For Life (2007-present)
  • Pastoral Advisor – Pineshore Bible Camp Committee, Westminster, MA (2011 – 2014)
  • Pastor on Staff – “Camp Chief” Pineshore Bible Camp, Westminster, MA (2007-2014)
  • Pastoral delegate to Synod Convention in 2004, 2010, and 2016
  • Circuit Visitor for Circuit 6 – Region 3 of the New England District (June 2012-2018)
  • District Life Coordinator – New England District LCMS (July 2014 - 2015)
  • Orphan Grain Train – New England Branch Manager (Nov. 2021-present)
  • Third Vice-President New England District—LC-MS (June 2022-present)

Married 35+ years to Kari Lee Kotila; have four grown children (and five grandchildren).