Pastor Braaten grew up in New Lenox, Illinois, a small community southwest of Chicago on I-80. He has a BA in Theological Languages and Philosophy from Concordia University Chicago, an MDiv from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, with part of his instruction taken at Westfield House, Cambridge, England, and is working toward a STM in Historical Theology from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne.Pastor Braaten shepherds Immanuel Lutheran Church, Tuscola, Illinois. He lives in Tuscola with his wife, Lauren, and five children, Oliver, Jonathan, Wilhelmina (Willa), Simon, and Marguerite (Maggie). In his free time, he enjoys woodworking, reading good books, and baseball. When asked why he is excited to teach for WA, he said, “It’s exciting to be part of an opportunity to give Lutherans both Classical and Lutheran education at the high school level via the Internet.”
