Pastor
Pastor Bentz serves Trinity Lutheran Church in every area of pastoral ministry, with special emphasis on administration and outreach. Besides seeing him in worship and Bible Classes, you will often find him preparing for one of the regular board or committee meetings, making calls on members or visiting people in the community. He and his wife enjoy living in Belle Plaine and see lots of opportunities to share the love of Jesus with the people in the community.
Pastor Bentz grew up on a farm just north of Gibbon, MN. When he was 11 years old, he and his family moved to New Ulm, where he attended St. Paul’s Lutheran School and Martin Luther Academy. After graduating from Martin Luther Prep School in Prairie du Chien, WI, he attended Northwestern College in Watertown, WI. After graduating from college, he continued his training for the pastoral ministry at Wisconsin Lutheran College in Mequon, WI. While serving as a vicar at Faith Lutheran Church in Fond du Lac, WI, Martin met his future wife, Bev, who was teaching at Faith Lutheran School. Martin graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1988, and he and Bev were married in June that same year.
Pastor Bentz began serving as a pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in St. Joseph, MI. After 10 years Martin accepted a call to Christ Lutheran Church in Cambridge, where he served for 14 years. Their children attended Princeton Lutheran School and St. Croix Lutheran High School. In 2013 Martin accepted a call to Trinity Lutheran Church in Crete, IL, where he served for 5 years before coming to Trinity Lutheran in Belle Plaine. His wife, Bev, also accepted a call to teach grades 1+2 at Trinity Lutheran School.
Pastor and Bev have two children, both of whom were born during their years in Michigan: Daniel and Katie. Daniel lives in Austin, TX. Katie and her husband live in Rochester, MN. The Bentzes also have two cats: Peach and Milo. Besides serving the people of Trinity, Martin also enjoys playing tennis, riding bike, running an occasional 5K, and gardening. In her spare time Bev enjoys riding bike, reading, and playing with the cats.
