Dan & Laura Pongratz

Dan had graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Oshkosh with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and served two years in the United States Army before he was saved.  After meeting and marrying this special gift from God, the Lord called Dan and Laura into the ministry.  Dan felt it necessary to go back to school to prepare them for what God had called them to do.  He graduated from Southwestern University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pastoral Ministry.

"There are two things close to my heart," Dan says.  "They are Church Planting and Church Revitalization."  During their 27 yearsof ministry, the Lord has given Dan and Laura the opportunity to do both.  "They were going to close the church in Logansport when Laura and I and our two young sons were asked to go there.  There were 6 people from town in our first service, four of the six were us," Dan recalls.  The Pongratzs were there ten and one half years.  Because of the support of district personnel, and the help from other pastors and congregation across the state, there is a strong work continuing in Logansport today.  In 1998 God called the Pongratzs back from Africa to plant a church in Lafayette. This new plant was to be mothered by Lafayette First.  With seventy-three initial seed people and a $150,000.00 commitment, Eastside Assembly of God was birthed.  The first building is setting on 24 acres and God continues to reach out to the Northeast corner of that community today.

Dan and Laura are grateful that the Lord has allowed their family to be living in the same community.  Their oldest son, Jason and his wife, Shannon; and their youngest son, Scott, and his wife, Erin are actively involved in ministry in a local church.  Dan and Laura also have three grandchildren.

Dan and Laura have always worked side by side in the ministry.  This is still true today as Laura is working as Dan's secretary.  Dan says, "Laura and I are so blessed to be able to help our pastors, their wives and families in both Church Planting and Church Revitalization.  We realize we can't do this on our own.  The input and support from the pastors of our existing churches is vital to the success of any efforts to plant or revitalize."