Rev. Dr. Mark Hannemann has served Zion since June 2025 initially as Zion's Vacancy Pastor and now as a called Transitional Interim Pastor. He serves as President, Director of Advancement, and counselor for GracePoint Institute for Relational Health, a non-profit counseling ministry his son, Justin, and he founded in 2012. GracePoint has offices in Lincoln, Omaha, and Columbus, NE. GracePoint also serves students on the campuses of Concordia University, Lincoln Lutheran, and Concordia Schools of Omaha. GracePoint specializes in assessments, consultation, and counseling for church workers across the country. Since 2022, Hannemann has also served as Executive Director of Good Friend Ministries, providing retreats, spiritual direction, counseling, consultation, and coaching for pastors of the Michigan District of the LCMS, and their wives. The retreat facility is located on the Old Mission Peninsula, Traverse City, MI.
Pastor Hannemann is a 1980 graduate of Concordia University NE & Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO in 1984. In 1993 he received a Doctor of Ministry degree in pastoral counseling from Luther Seminary, St. Paul. MN. He has been a Licensed Mental Health Practitioner in Nebraska since 1995 and a Licensed Professional Counselor in Michigan since 2022. He is also a Certified Life Coach.
Pastor Hannemann's ministry experience includes serving as Senior Pastor of Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church, Omaha, NE (2008-2022), Co-host of GracePoint Radio on KCRO, Omaha, NE (2012-2013), Executive Director of Windgate Christian Counseling, Wildwood, MO (2005-2008), Co-host of Life Revised, a weekly radio program for Lutheran Hour Ministries (2005-2006), Guest Speaker on the Lutheran Hour (2007), Senior Pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, Lincoln, NE (1994-2005), Theology Instructor at Lincoln Lutheran High School, Lincoln, NE (1997-2005), Adjunct Faculty at Concordia University Nebraska (2001-2004), Associate Pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Millington, MI (1989-1994), Dean of Chapel and Instructor of Religion at Minneapolis Lutheran High School, Edina, MN (1986-1989), Pastor of St. John Lutheran Church, Gregory, SD (1984-1986), Vicar at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bay City, MI (1982-1983). He has been a resource for Church Planter Assessment Center for the Center for U.S. Missions & Cross-Cultural Ministry Center faculty (at Concordia University Irvine), Pastoral Leadership Institute, a trained Stephen Ministry Leader. He's led short-term mission trips to Belize & Guatemala, plus he's helped with disaster relief and crisis response at various locations.
He is married to his high school sweetheart, Sandy, and they have four children, Justin, Nathan, Aaron, and Kathryn, and fourteen grandchildren. They were married here at Zion on August 4, 1978. They, their four children, and their spouses are all graduates of Concordia University Nebraska. While trained in early childhood education at Concordia, Sandy is retired from a career in the title industry. She enjoys sewing, quilting, and gardening. Mark enjoys sports, outdoor activities, and spoiling the grandchildren. They live in rural Seward County and are members of St. John Lutheran Church in Seward.
