The Reverend R. Daniel Carlson was called to serve St. Paul’s in November of 2018.  He served the congregation as vacancy pastor for several months prior to the call.

Pastor Carlson was born and raised in Cloquet, Minnesota, graduating from Proctor Highschool in 1993.  After graduation, he moved to Nashville, Tennessee to pursue music, while working at Sears as a manager in the Home Improvement department all while serving his congregation, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, as music director.  While there he led the praise band, the church choir, the handbell choir, and the Senior Youth Group.  He also served on the church council as head of Stewardship and Budgeting.  During their vacancy, he served as Office Administrator and assisted the vacancy pastor with chanting and other matters of the service.

After 10 years, Pastor Carlson moved to Seward, Nebraska to complete his education at Concordia University, Nebraska, where in three years he earned his Bachelors Degree in Theology with a minor in music performance.  He then moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana to complete his education at Concordia Theological Seminary.  He graduated in 2013 and received his first call, a dual-parish in Birmingham, Alabama.

Pastor Carlson served at Hope Lutheran and St. Paul Lutheran, both in Birmingham, Alabama for about five years.  He left Birmingham and returned to Minnesota in the spring of 2018 and served the vacancy here at St. Paul’s.

Pastor Carlson is a trained baritone vocalist and has performed concerts in Birmingham, Nashville, and throughout Duluth, Minnesota.  He has two albums which were produced during his time in Nashville.  He also plays several other instruments including organ, piano, Euphonium, Trombone, and tinkers around with the trumpet, saxophone, and guitar.  He is an avid computer and IT person with many years’ experience in web design, server management, computer repair and networking.  He enjoys mechanical work such as auto repair, home repair, and any other such work which utilizes his hands and mind.

He is a lover of dogs and currently has a pet Black Mouth Cur (dog) named Ruby Doo.