Here are the Biographies of this year’s nominees for Camp Lewtana’s board. Please prayerfully consider who would be the right men for the job. Voting will take place at this year’s annual banquet which will be held April 24th at 3:30 at Central Baptist Church.
Lee Lantzer:
I was born and raised in Nebraska. I received Christ as my Savior at the age of six. I grew up in a Christian home. I attended Grace Bible Institute, Grand Rapids School of the School of the Bible and Music, and graduated from Frontier School of the Bible.
I served three years of active duty in the Army (2 years in Vietnam), and 17 years in the Army National Guard.
My wife, Jo Ann and I directed Camp Lewtana for 13 years. I have pastored churches in Nebraska, Michigan and Montana.
I have a great desire to see the mission of Camp Lewtana continue on for many generations, as it has for these past 80 years.
Leonard Francis:
I am a new resident of Lewistown, moving here in 2018, but not new to Lewistown.
I moved to Melstone in in 1972 and came to know the Lord shortly thereafter while attending the Community Bible Church. I became acquainted with Camp Lewtana in the early 1980’s when our daughter attended camp. From then until our family moved in 1991 both my daughter and son attended and were camp counselors. My wife and I also served as counselors. I was active in many work days through those years. I was involved at Kicker Sawmill in the prefab building of some of the bunk beds now in the cabins and was reminded of this springs men’s retreat how small and hard they are. Camp Lewtana has been an encouraging light for many young boys and girls. My daughter for one met a missionary family, Jerry Holms, which set her on a path to serve the Lord as a missionary in Tunisia. There are others who have served and serving now at camp and around the world showing God is working here.
Just a side note I built steel buildings and grain bins (some in this area), was a ranch hand, and spent 38 years working for a major oil company and a pipeline inspection company.
Lynn Rettig
Lynn is pastor of Community Bible Church in Musselshell Montana and has been there for a number of years. He became involved in Lewtana in the mid 70’s. He has been a counselor, teacher, and speaker through these years. He has also previously served on the board. “I’ve been through a lot of changes at the camp that have added to the ministry of the camp but the one thing that hasn’t changed is a commitment to proclaiming and teaching the Word of God.” Lynn and the church have been committed to the ministry of Lewtana.
Daniel Misner
I was born into a Christian home with loving parents. Raised in the church, mostly Baptist. I received Christ in the basement of the old central Baptist Church during VBS at around 7-8 years old. Though I was young, I truly feel that I understood the importance. Our family moved around several times but we always had a church to go to.
My spiritual walk really took off when I was a teenager, I suppose it does for a lot of people. My family moved to Harlowton Montana where there was a church that had a very good youth group and youth pastor. I learned so much at that time and served the Lord in missions to Mexico and Guatemala. I highly recommend a trip of some sort for any believer. It will change your perspective entirely.
As I was graduating high school, the church we were attending fell apart. The head pastor had torn his family and church apart. I went to college and did not regularly attend church, but I did not lose my faith. It was a struggle being on my own and unfortunately a close friend had passed away in a car wreck. It was very hard for me and my friend group. God's timing was perfect though, because at that time I had been starting to date my now wife, Shelby. She is also a Christian and her and her family were a great influence to have close by while living in Bozeman.
Years flew by as I attended flight school and Shelby finished college. We talked about getting married for years and future plans. Finally in August of 2018 we got married. Within a year we had decided to move to Lewistown and begin our lives together in a place that we could raise a family. The Lord provided when we had nowhere to live and no job to go to but we felt drawn to Lewistown and it couldn't have worked out any better. We've been so blessed with worldly things and good family and friends. We owe every bit of it to God.
The biggest thing I have learned about God's plan so far? That His timing will always be right. My family has had many political and medical hardships over the years that seem difficult at the time. Looking back the only way we would have ever gotten through it was at the time that we did. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a faithful family that can pray and worship together.
Shelby and I are expecting our first child right now. We are very excited to plant roots in Lewistown and have a great church and community to be a part of. I own a small aviation business and Shelby is a loan officer at Fergus Federal Credit Union. We are also becoming members of Central Baptist Church soon, and always looking to serve any way we can!