Education

• B.S. Elementary Education, Dr. Martin Luther College, New Ulm, Minnesota, 1980
• M.Div., Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary, Mankato, Minnesota, 1985
• S.T.M., Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, Wisconsin, 2000, Concentration in Old Testament exegesis
• Further study in Norwegian, German, Latin, and Hebrew

Academic Interests

Theology, Music (church music, hymnody), Languages (Norwegian, Danish, Hebrew, Latin, German, Greek), Norwegian culture

Research

• Scandinavian-American hymnody, history, church history, culture
• Old Testament (Hebrew language), Lutheran theology

Professional Memberships

• American Guild of Organists
• NORTANA (Norwegian Teachers Association of North America)
• Sons of Norway
• Evangelical Lutheran Synod Historical Society
• Minnesota Valley Chorale (former singer/soloist)

Service

• Chapel organist
• Choir accompanist
• ELS Committee on Worship
• Organist at Mt Olive Lutheran Church
• Vice-President, Sons of Norway (Mankato)

Presentations/Publications

Books:

• Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary (co-editor)
• Book of Family Prayer (translator)
• Mother of the Reformation: The Amazing Life and Story of Katharine Luther (translator)
• U. V. Koren’s Works (4 volumes)
• Truth unto Godliness (translator)
• Pontoppidan’s catechism explanation (published in an anthology of catechisms)
• Luther’s Works (translations in recent additional volumes)
• My Savior’s Guest: A Festschrift in Honor of Erling Trygve Teigen (co-editor)
• The Venerable and Adorable Eucharist, by Tom G. A. Hardt (translator)
• Every Sunday Organist (2 vols. so far, anthology of original and classic hymn preludes)

Articles:

• 1993 “Exegesis of Joel 2:28-32” in Lutheran Synod Quarterly
• 1995 “O come, let us worship” – essay on liturgy and hymnody for the Convention of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, published in the Synod Report
• 1998 “Sacramental Worship, Sacramental Preaching: Treasures of Our Lutheran Church” in Lutheran Synod Quarterly
• 2000 “The Lutheran Legacy of J. S. Bach, 1685-1750” in Lutheran Synod Quarterly
• 2002 “The Imprecatory Psalms and Christ’s Command to Love Our Enemies” in Lutheran Synod Quarterly
• 2003 “Norwegian Synod Publications 1853-1917” in Lutheran Sentinel
• 2010 “Lamb of God: Isaiah 53 in Light of Eden, Passover, the Day of Atonement, and Good Friday — An Exegetical Study of Isaiah 53 (52:13-53:12)” in Lutheran Synod Quarterly
• 2011 “Resurrection Hymns: Beautiful Music Joined with Words of Beautiful Hope” in Lutheran Sentinel
• 2011 “How Does Musical Harmony Reflect the Trinity?” in Lutheran Sentinel
• 2012 “Revisiting Pontoppidan” — in Logia: A Journal of Lutheran Theology
• 2012 “God Has Gone Up with a Shout” An Exegetical Study of Psalm 47 for the Ascension of our Lord — in Lutheran Synod Quarterly
• 2014 “How God Blessed the Reformation through Katie Luther” — in Lutheran Sentinel
• 2015 translation, an excerpt from U. V. Koren’s Works: Volume 1, sermon on Trinity 13, by Ulrik Vilhelm Koren is reprinted in the Forum Section of Logia: A Journal of Lutheran Theology 24:3 (Holy Trinity 2015)
• 2019 Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns (2 volumes), articles on hymns and hymnwriters.
• 2021 “25th anniversary: Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary: We Sing and Profess the Faith of Our Forebears” in the Lutheran Sentinel, September-October 2021
• 2021 “25th anniversary: Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary: Growing Day by Day at Church, School, and Home” in the Lutheran Sentinel, November-December 2021
• 2022 Eternal Anthems, an excerpt published from Lutheran Service Book: Companion to the Hymns in a separate book.
• 2023 Over Kedron Jesus Treadeth (hymn stanzas, cf. ELH 295), included in an anthology of poems: To Heaven’s Rim: The Kingdom Poets Book of World Christian Poetry in English Translation, Beginnings to 1800, edited by Burl Horniachek. The book is part of the Poiema Poetry Series. (Stanzas 1, 2, 6, 7, 12, 13 were translated by J. Jeffrey, 1880.)
• 2025 Two stanzas from Kingo’s Bryder Frem, I Hule Sucke (Jesus dies and earth is trembling; Jesus, I Thy death am grieving) will be included in Janet Garton’s translation of the novel Sjur Gabriel by Amalie Skram, Norvik Press.

Presentations:

• Hymns as Declaration, Doctrine, and Doxology
• Workshops for amateur church organists in smaller parishes
• U. V. Koren (founder of Luther College)

Additional Campus Responsibilities

Faculty development committee

Biography

The Rev. Mark DeGarmeaux was born in 1958 in LaCrosse, Wisconsin. He attended Luther High School in Onalaska, Wisconsin; Dr. Martin Luther College in New Ulm, Minnesota; and Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary. He also holds the Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.) degree from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. He was ordained on July 14, 1985, at West Paint Creek Lutheran Church in Iowa. He served East and West Paint Creek Lutheran Churches (1985–1994) and Saude and Jerico Lutheran Churches (1988–1995). In 1995, he accepted the call to Bethany Lutheran College, where he continues to serve. He was co-editor of the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary and has translated several devotional, historical, and theological works, including items for the recent volumes of Luther’s Works. He also has a several-volume anthology of original and classical organ music called Every Sunday Organist.

Hobbies/Interests

• Translating
• Composing organ music
• Foods of various cultures
• Baking bread
• Travel
• Reading Norwegian novels, historical fiction