St. John Lutheran
Burlington, IL
Greetings in the name of Christ crucified.  That's what we
confess, preach, and teach here at St. John Lutheran
Church: Christ crucified.  Jesus was crucified because our
sin needed to be punished.  Instead of punishing us for our
sin, God punished His very own Son and set you free.  As
you look at my photos, you can see that life changes us.  
God also changes us.  I never thought that serving a
congregation as a pastor would ever be part of my life.  But
it has been for more than six years.
I was born Howard Jess Gleason, February 8, 1953 and
baptized on April 5, 1953.  I grew up in Michigan as part of a
step-family.  My church upbringing was strong Baptist with
lots of strong law.  I didn't date much because I couldn't go
anywhere or do anything.  Dancing was a sin.  Going to
movies was a sin.  So was playing cards.
I married my high school sweetheart, Diana, at an early age,
left home, and left the church.  Eight years as a submariner
in the Nuclear Navy took us all over the United States and parts of the Pacific.  During
that time, we were blessed with two children:  Andrea Diana and Howard Jr.  But no
church.  No presence of God in my children's life.  After the Navy, we settled in Two
Rivers, Wisconsin, where I went to work for Wisconsin
Electric Power Company at their Point Beach Nuclear
Plant.  My wife felt that we should get back to church.  I
wasn't so sure.  They did.  I didn't.  But, God sent Pastor
Kenneth Dowdy to my house.
Pastor Dowdy was the pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran
Church there in Two Rivers.  That is where my wife and
two children were going.  In our discussion, I told pastor
Dowdy that I smoked and drank, I played cards, danced,
and went to movies.  "God wouldn't want me.  I'm not
good enough," I said.  Pastor Dowdy replied, "Come to
worship so you can hear how God loves you.  There are
no qualifications."  God brought me back into His church and so my life as a Lutheran
began.  For the next ten years I was involved in all aspects of Good Shepherd Lutheran
Church.
In 1990, my daughter was in college and my son was a junior in high school.  At that time,
I knew in my heart that God was calling me into the ministry. The next year, I enrolled in
the seminary at St. Louis, Missouri.  I served my vicarage at Grace Lutheran Mission in
Cloverdale, Indiana.  They called me back as their first pastor in 1995.   God blessed us
greatly at Grace.  Grace built its first facility in 1998 and continues to do Word and
sacrament ministry.
In July of 2001, God's people at St. John Lutheran in Burlington, Il. called me to serve
them as their pastor. I accepted the call and was installed at a beautiful service on the
afternoon of August 5, 2001. God has brought us together to reach out and share the
Good News of Jesus with the world...that includes you.
If you live in the area and have no church home, come and visit us.  If you live out of
town, and are passing by sometime, stop in and say hello. A map is provided on the
website that shows where we are located.
God bless you and Have a Jesus day
Pastor Gleason