About Rev. Gustav (Gus) Kuether, Pastor for the Befriender Ministry

It has been said that I am rootless. Geographically speaking, that might be true. I grew up in a parsonage family in southern Ohio, western Wisconsin and southeastern Michigan. On behalf of the United Church of Christ and the United Church Board for World Ministries, Sue and I have had the privilege of living in and/or serving in nearly fifty countries. There is, however, no rootlessness in my faith journey. I am the grandson, son and brother of ordained ministers of the Evangelical Synod of North America, the Evangelical and Reformed Church, and the United Church of Christ. Following the "Triple E" path, I graduated from Elmhurst College and Eden Theological Seminary. I am hoping the third E for Eternity is still a long way off. Further studies took me to the National Council of Churches' Missionary Orientation Center and Michigan State University. In 1962 I married Suzanne L. (Sue) Higgins, a member of Emanuel UCC in Manchester, Mi where my father was the pastor. Together we enjoyed ministry as missionaries in Honduras for nearly fifteen years. From 1977 to 1991, Sue cared for our growing family of three while I served as World Service Secretary for the UCC, helping to manage the world-wide ministries of One Great Hour of Sharing. A two and one half-year interim as Association Minister for the Illinois Conference UCC was followed by a short stop in Millstadt before coming to St. Paul on Ash Wednesday, 1995.
Our three grown children, all presently located within the state of Illinois--from Elgin in the north to Carbondale in the south and Glen Carbon in between, are Scott, Lynda and Lori. Five grandchildren; Brittany, Emily, Matthew, William and Amanda; as well as Sue's 95-year-old mother keep us on the road.
In addition to sharing the leadership of the BeFriender Ministry with the BeFriender Leadership Team (BLT), I share, with Sue, a passion for organizing and leading international mission trips (most recently to Ecuador). I also serve the Illinois South Conference UCC as Vice-moderator.