Steve Mahnke
I was born on the South Side of Chicago in 1957. I was raised Lutheran, but attended an all boys Catholic High School where corporal punishment was the order of the day. Needless to say, a relationship with God was the furthest thing from my mind back then. The neighborhood I grew up in was a little rough and a number of my friends did not make good life choices. I often get asked how I was able to navigate those years and avoid the path my friends took. I can categorically say it was the relationship I had with my father. No matter how busy he was, if I asked him to play catch or watch a movie, he dropped whatever he was doing to spend time with me.
After high school, I attended the University of Illinois and graduated in 1980 with a BS in Marketing. A promotion opportunity became available with my employer in 1990, and I was transferred to Orange County, California. It was here that I met Misty, my lovely bride to be. I asked her out the first time we met and she said “I’d’ love to, church starts at 9 tomorrow” and that started not only my relationship with her, but also with Jesus. We were married in 1994. We have 2 daughters Kaitlyn, who graduated from Cal Baptist University, and Christine, who is getting her Masters at Grand Canyon University.
Another job transfer brought Misty and I to Midlothian in 2019. We started attending Stonegate and found a home here. Upon retiring in 2023, I have come on staff with the church as Facilities and Operations Director.