Pastor Ray S. Wilke is a 1970 graduate of Concordia Seminary, Springfield, Illinois with a Masters in Divinity. His wife, Lois, went to be with the Lord in February, 2015. She was an RN who served as nursing supervisor at Faith Regional Hospital in Norfolk. They have three grown children, Tori Sullivan, Ray II, who live with their spouses and children near Norfolk, and Kamryn Green, who with her husband and children live in Fairbanks, Alaska. Pastor Ray and Lois have nine grandchildren.
After serving for seven years as missionaries in the Philippines, Pastor, Lois and family moved to Norfolk where he served as assistant pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Norfolk. In 1987 he became senior pastor and continues to serve in that capacity. Grace is “a launchpad for God’s Kingdom.”
Pastor Wilke’s background also includes a Bachelor’s Degree in animal science. He presently runs a cow/calf and cattle feeding operation with his son.
In March of 1992, Pastor Wilke and Lois spent several weeks in Russia and Latvia. During that time the idea was conceived for providing Gospel and human care helps to the people of that devastated part of the world. That idea became the present day Orphan Grain Train ministry of which he serves as president. Orphan Grain Train provides Gospel teaching materials, medical supplies, food, and clothing and other human care material to more than 56 foreign countries around the world, as well as serving domestic disaster needs as they arise.
On August 5, 2017 Pastor Wilke married Judy Wolff of Lincoln, Texas. Judy holds a Master of Education Degree from Texas State University. She taught Pre-K and Kindergarten for thirty-one years in the greater Austin, TX area before retirement in 2010. Pastor Ray and Judy presently live on a farm north of Norfolk.
