West Portal Lutheran Church and School

The Rev.  Curtis Binz, Senior Pastor (pastorcbinz@wplsf.com)

Pastor Curtis Binz was born in Arcadia, California and grew up in San Jose, California.  He graduated from San Jose State University with a degree in Physical Education with a minor in Administration of Justice. Pastor Binz served in the United States Marine Corps after college.  He served in the Air Force Reserves at Travis Air Base after active duty. Pastor Binz graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Mo. with a Master’s of Divinity Degree.

Pastor Binz served Grace Lutheran Church in Cloverdale, California.  In addition to ministry experience Pastor Binz has about seventeen years of experience in law enforcement in Santa Clara and Sonoma Counties.  Pastor Binz has experience in clinical pastoral education from CPMC (Sutter hospitals) here in San Francisco.

As Senior Pastor for West Portal Lutheran Church and School he will be working closely with the Associate Pastor Wayne Kerr, Faculty and Staff to preach, teach, and reach out with the gospel of Jesus Christ in the WPL community and the city of San Francisco.

Pastor Binz is married to Stacey.   They both grew up in San Jose and attended the same high school.  Pastor has two sons, Josiah and Daniel, both live and work in Santa Rosa, California

Pastor J. Wayne Kerr, Associate Pastor (pastorkerr@wplsf.com)

West Portal Lutheran Church and School originally called Pastor J. Wayne Kerr in 2004 to serve as Kantor or Minister of Music. In 2009 Pastor Kerr took on the added responsibilities as Deacon, assisting the pastoral in pastoral care for both church and school. In March 2015 Pastor Kerr entered the Specific Ministry Pastor Program of the LCMS through Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO.

Ordained as Associate Pastor for West Portal Lutheran on August 13, 2017, Pastor Kerr assists in the pastoral care, teaching and preaching and worship leadership of both church and school.

Pastor Kerr continues to serve as Kantor directing and supervising the Music Ministry Staff. As an educator since 1981, Pastor Kerr holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, a Masters Degree in Theory and Composition from the University of Central Arkansas. He is a highly recognized composer and arranger with music for organ, handbells and choir published by Concordia Publishing House, Augsburg-Fortress Press, Morningstar Music and others. Pastor is married to Marilyn (Hodges) Kerr, who is also a dedicated educator and currently teaches 3rd grade at West Portal Lutheran School.