Local Scoop

I got interviewed by our local newspaper, The New York Mills Dispatch. Why not?

Name:

Ryan D.G. Stout

Job Title:

I’ve been the pastor at St. Peter’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mills for six and a half years now.

Other Groups:

I’m Vice President of the New York Mills Senior Center, Chaplain for Boy Scout Troop 309, an associate of the Minnesota chapter of the Society of the Holy Trinity, and a member of the local library’s book group. Plus some other stuff.

Do you have any secret talents?

My daughters have taught me more about Disney Princesses and Fairies than any grown man has a right to know. Fathers, back me up on this.

What was the most interesting vacation you have ever been on?
I guess technically it wasn’t a vacation, but in 2013 I was sent on an intensive 10-day pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I took 1500 pictures and 160 pages of notes. To this day, I’m still processing everything I learned on that trip. It was amazing.

Do you exercise? What motivates you?

In high school I was a distance runner and in college I was a power lifter. I loved how it felt to be so strong, all that energy and confidence. Then all of a sudden it was wife, house, kids, job, dogs—boom. Totally floored me. I’m just now trying to get back in shape so that I don’t keel over before I’m 40.

Have you ever had a life-changing experience?

Tons of them. Most recently I was given a gift membership to Ancestry.com and have since learned the most amazing things about my family’s story. When history becomes so personal it really changes how we view our place in the world.

What superpower do you wish you had?

I wish I were indestructible. Oh, that would be fun. I’d probably do a lot of crashing through walls and jumping off tall buildings.

How would your spouse describe you? How about your mom?

My wife and I share three kids and three parishes, so we don’t see terribly much of each other. And my Mom lives in Pennsylvania. You might have to remind them who I am.

If you had unlimited amounts of money, what would be the first three things that you do?

I would pay off all our debts, travel the world, and build a stave church in my backyard. Just like the Hjemkomst Center, only with a lot more incense.

Who is one person you are absolutely positive has a way easier job than you?

Fr. Matt over in Perham is a friend of mine, and in many ways Catholic priests have a tougher job than Lutheran pastors do. But some days, all in good fun, I like to imagine dropping my three kids off at St. Henry’s rectory for a stretch just to see how everybody would do. During Holy Week, perhaps?

What were your plans after graduating from high school and how do those plans compare to what you actually did?

I had no idea what I wanted to do after graduating high school, except that I wanted a family. That part worked out pretty well, though I guarantee that 18-year-old me never expected to end up in Minnesota. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

What are some interesting workplace stories?

I used to be a hospital chaplain at a level-one trauma center. I could tell you stories that would curl your toes, but I’d need some good whiskey and a warm fire first.