Born in Kenosha, Wisconsin Pastor and his five siblings grew up on the south side. Mom kept an eye on the growing household while Dad protected the community as a captain on Kenosha’s Police Department.

The Ungemach family has had a five generation history with Friedens (German for ‘Peace’) Evangelical Lutheran Church and School of Kenosha (now part of New Life of Kenosha). After elementary school at Friedens, Shoreland Lutheran High School in Somers (Kenosha County) was the next stop before his five college years at the former Northwestern College of Watertown, Wisconsin. Pastor completed his training for ministry during his four years at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary of Mequon, Wisconsin.

While at the Seminary in summer 1988 he married Amy Schmidt, daughter of Bob & Louise Schmidt of Salem, Wisconsin. The Schmidt family operated Schmidt Implement (now MidState) of Salem for four generations.

Pastor’s ministry training took the Ungemachs to Brookfield, Spooner, Tomah, and Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Daughter Rebekah was born during their vicar year in Tomah. In May 1991 the Ungemachs headed to Carmel, Indiana where Pastor had been assigned to establish a new mission church just north of Indianapolis. During their years in Carmel Pastor and Amy had the great pleasure of watching both their Bethlehem Lutheran Church family and their own family grow. Charlie and Laura are both ‘Hoosiers’ born during the Indiana years.

The Ungemachs returned to western Wisconsin when Pastor accepted the Call of Mt. Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church of La Crosse. During his 8+ years of service to Mt. Calvary he first served as associate and then head pastor. He was also involved in a number of ministry projects taken on by the large WELS community of the La Crosse area. His favorite ‘project’ became service as a local volunteer chaplain and eventually a board member for the statewide Wisconsin Lutheran Institutional Ministries, Inc.

It was the “resident missionary” call that brought the Ungemachs to Faith of Antioch in late summer of 2005. While changes on the pastoral staff over the years have also meant transitions in Pastor’s daily ministry assignments, outreach and membership classes still play a treasured role in his weekly schedule.

Pastor & Amy are empty-nesters these days. All three kids are alumni of their parents’ alma mater, Shoreland Lutheran High School in Somers. Charlie and Laura were also both graduates of Faith Lutheran School. Rebekah and her husband Lee live in Door County where she works in Occupational Therapy & gives voice lessons. After teaching a number of years at the elementary level in urban schools Charlie is now studying at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in preparation for pastoral ministry. Laura uses her business and HR acumen in the hospitality/catering industry in Milwaukee. That HR interest was sparked by her mother's career as Amy is retired from a career as a Senior Human Resources Generalist.

When asked to list hobbies or interests both Pastor and Amy would first list family. When time allows, they both enjoy reading, music, gardening, spending time at the lake and outdoor activities of all sorts. Both big Packer fans, Pastor hopes his lifelong, diehard allegiance to the Chicago Cubs (and the Blackhawks!) earns him a little slack from the Illinoisans who surround him every day.

Being so close to family and lifelong friends after many years living away has been a very special blessing. Yet ‘family’ is also an excellent way to describe the relationships the Ungemachs have experienced with every congregation they’ve enjoyed. The “Faith family” continues to prove that true every day.