Richard Zeile

I'm "Dr. Z" (Richard), a Lutheran pastor retired from St. John's in Taylor, Michigan and the voice behind "Martin Luther's Evening Prayer" on radio and podcast, now on 20 am/fm stations. I also served on Michigan's State Board of Education, 2011-18, and served as Republican Co-President. I wrote "When Lutheran Schools Close," a study of ten Detroit Lutheran schools that shuttered in the 1990s, and chaired NASBE's Rural Education Study Group. I am married 5 decades to Barbara and we have 4 adult children and 5 grandchildren. Ask me about Lutheran theology and worship, education policy in Michigan, rural education challenges, and what it's like running for statewide office. I present a seminar on "The Believer in Politics," a discussion based on King David the traditional archetype of God's man in the messy world of war and politics. I love the history of ideas and have 5 master's or professional degrees to prove it.