Staff & Council

Rev. Christie Manisto

Pastor

Rev. Christie Manisto, Pastor of First Lutheran Church, has served in the ELCA as pastor for the past sixteen years. Prior to arriving in International Falls, she served with ELCA Global mission accompanying the people of St. Andrew's United Church of Cairo as pastor and St. Andrew's Refugee Service as both chaplain and director on the co-leadership team. Just prior to Pastor Christie's service in Cairo she spent one year as an ACPE chaplain resident at Portland Providence Hospital in Portland, Oregon USA. Palliative care, coping mechanisms in trauma and bereavement through an interfaith lens was a special focus of her residency. She has also served congregations in Princeton, MN and Vancouver, WA. Pastor Christie attended seminary at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago where she received her master's in divinity. She also holds a master's degree in education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her thesis was on educational leadership and Second Language Learners. Integral to her call as pastor, Christie spent ten years as an elementary school teacher in urban public schools in Oregon, Chicago and Roseville. During that time, she created educational curriculum and interactive learning seminars for students and staff on special education inclusion, multicultural awareness, white privilege, and in partnership with local tribal leadership, Minnesota history from an Indigenous perspective.

Christie's husband Steve is a Special Education teacher working over at Falls Elementary where he teaches in the Setting Three classroom. They have two lovely daughters, Winter who lives in Minneapolis and Sunday who lives in New York. Both born and raised in Cloquet, Minnesota, Christie and Steve love drinking coffee, fishing, hiking, snowshoeing, canoeing, being near pine trees and playing cribbage.

Ardel Henrickson

Office Administrator

Ardel was raised in International Falls. She was baptized and confirmed at First Lutheran. Ardel worked with handicapped adults for 11 years then taught Special Education for 30 years in Askov and International Falls. She continues to substitute teach. She enjoys reading and spending time outdoors.

Kathi Henrickson

Office Administrator

Kathi was born and raised in International Falls. She was baptized and confirmed at First Lutheran. After living elsewhere for 20 years, Kathi returned to the Falls 16 years ago. Kathi continues to work as a Nurse Practitioner part time, is a woman-owned business partner, and at the church office. She enjoys reading, traveling, and knitting.