Russell Sommerfeld

Rev. Russ Sommerfeld was born in Norfolk, Nebraska. His church home was Mount Olive Lutheran Church. He was educated at Norfolk Senior High School; Concordia College (now University) Saint Paul, Minnesota; Concordia Senior College formerly of Fort Wayne; and Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis. He holds Bachelor, Master of Divinity and Doctor of Letters degrees.

Sommerfeld is married to Donna “Nino” Cargnino of Collinsville, Illinois. “Nino” is a retired registered nurse in psychiatric and dementia care. They have three adult children and four granddaughters.

Sommerfeld served Immanuel and Saint John’s Lutheran Churches of Canton and Moundridge, Kansas (1980–1986); Trinity Lutheran Church of Arapahoe, Nebraska (1986–1995); and Holy Cross Lutheran Church and University Lutheran Campus Ministry of Kearney, Nebraska (1995–2003). He also served Nebraska District – LCMS as a Vice President (1994– 2003) and as District President (2003–2015). He currently serves as an assistant professor of theology and interim president at Concordia University, Nebraska in Seward, Nebraska.

Sommerfeld was a member of the Regents and the Foundation Board for Concordia University Nebraska, the Lutheran Ministry Foundation and Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska. He loves focusing on Christian outreach in rural and small-town mission and ministry. During his time at the seminary, he was trained in African-American urban ministry. His internship was in chaplaincy at a psychiatric in-patient hospital while also serving a small-town church. Sommerfeld has been given opportunities to have minor roles in the emerging Lutheran churches in Jamaica and the South Sudan of East Africa.

Sommerfeld has enjoyed the diversity of ministerial associations and served as Chairman of the Kearney, Nebraska, Ministerial Association. He also served as a hospice chaplain, Advisory Board member to the Good Samaritan Health Systems Hospice and Home Health Care of Kearney; and Board member for Buffalo County Community Health Partners. He was a charter member of the Buffalo County Health Ministry Network. Additionally, he served on the national Board of Directors of Wheat Ridge Ministries Now We Raise of Itasca, Illinois. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Ambassadors of Reconciliation for Billings, Montana. He is a member and past president of the Seward Rotary Club.

He enjoys road bicycling and playing the French Horn, but not at the same time.