David Benke Biography | David Benke

David Benke is a Lutheran pastor and the former president of the Atlantic District of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. Benke was born on May 5, 1946, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin as the first child of Raymond and Dorothea Benke.

He attended Lutheran schools in Milwaukee and earned an Associate of Arts degree from Concordia College, Milwaukee (now Concordia University Wisconsin) in 1966.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Concordia Senior College in Fort Wayne, Indiana. On August 17, 1968, he married Judith Platt, a teacher who graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Benke earned his Masters of Divinity degree from Concordia Seminary and was ordained a pastor at his boyhood church in Milwaukee on June 15, 1972.

His career as an ordained pastor included time as an assistant pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in St. Louis and a religion teacher at Martin Luther High School in New York City.

He became pastor of St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, and he served as pastor there from 1975–1991 and from 1998–present. While at St. Peter’s, Benke earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from the New York Theological Seminary in May 1983.

Benke was elected president of the Atlantic District of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod in 1991 and has been re-elected seven times, most recently in 2012.

Events following the September 11 attacks

Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, he participated in an interfaith worship service for the victims that took place at Yankee Stadium and included high-profile speakers of many different religious denominations.

His participation in this event was met with opposition by some Missouri Synod Lutherans, who claimed that his participation constituted syncretism and unionism.

One such individual was Dr. Wallace Schulz, who was at that time the host of The Lutheran Hour and Second Vice President of the Synod.

For several months following the Yankee Stadium event, Schulz tried to negotiate with Benke for a public apology. Schulz conducted an investigation into the allegations and found that Benke had violated synodical teachings in several areas.

As Benke offered no apology publicly or privately, on July 6, 2002, Schulz suspended him. However, on April 10, 2003, the President of the Synod, Gerald B. Kieschnick, reinstated Benke.

The charges against Benke were eventually withdrawn because an investigation determined he had received permission to attend the Yankee Stadium event from Kieschnick, his ecclesiastical supervisor.

David Benke Age

David Benke is a Lutheran pastor and the former president of the Atlantic District of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. He was born on May 5, 1946 (age 73 years old as of 2019), Milwaukee, WI

David Benke Wife, Married

Judith (Platt) Benke (m. 1968) Judith Benke retired from The Lutheran Care Network in 2014. Previously known as Wartburg Lutheran Services, the organization has been providing a full range of residential options and health-related services for older area adults and their families in the state of New York for over a century.

In her capacity as Vice President for Church and Community Relations, Mrs. Benke provided outreach to local parishes, senior centers, and civic organizations about health-related options and care.

Judy instituted a program known as “Linking Care in Congregations” which trains church volunteers to visit home-bound members for not only socialization but also to address health-related issues to prevent crisis situations with elderly individuals.

Mrs. Benke began her career as an educator and has completed her MS in Administration and Supervision from Hunter College (NY, NY).

She served as Director of St. Peter’s Pre-school (Brooklyn, NY) for twelve years and has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lutheran Schools Association for beginning many early childhood centers throughout the metropolitan New York City area.

Other organizations which Mrs. Benke has served in a volunteer capacity include being a founding member of the Lutheran Schools Association Board of Directors, and The Lutheran Counseling Center where she served on the Board of Directors for nine years and as Chair of the Board for six years.

The Lutheran Counseling Center bestowed its Silent Samaritan Award for 2008 on Judy for her work on behalf of the Center during the post-9-11 trauma.

David Benke’s Net Worth

David Benke’s net worth has grown significantly in 2019. According to many Online resources, David Benke’s estimated net worth $1 Million – $10 Million (Approx.).