Pastor Grant Woodley grew up on a century farm southeast of Clarion. He attended Simpson College and earned a B.A. in German and Religion, and also received a certificate in Secondary Education. Pastor Grant went on to attend Duke Divinity School and Luther Seminary. His ministry experiences range from Iowa, to North Carolina, to Mississippi, and Minnesota in churches with weekly attendance ranging from twelve to ten thousand, and areas urban, suburban and rural, in churches that are Church of Christ, Quaker, Methodist and Lutheran. In 2015, it was time to answer God's call to First Lutheran Church in Clarion, and come back to the family farm, which raises corn, soybeans, and hogs. The barn yard at home includes a 4-H cow/calf herd, a handful of cats, and two big white monsters (Great Pyrenees dogs for guarding the livestock). Grant's passion whether at home, on the farm, at church or within the community is to help others realize their God-given gifts and put those gifts to work in the adventure of serving God's Kingdom on earth. Grant also likes to drive stuff: school bus, tractor, semi, motorcycle, anything really.