- Born on February 24, 1953 at Oceanside, LI, NY
- Baptized April 1953 at Trinity Lutheran Church, West Hempstead, NY
- Confirmed - June 1968 at Trinity Lutheran Church, West Hempstead, NY
- Education:
- Primary Education: Chestnut Street School, West Hempstead, NY
- Secondary Education: West Hempstead Jr. & Sr. High School, West Hempstead, NY (Class of 1971)
- College:
- Long Island Bible Institute, Oyster Bay, NY (Class of 1975. Diploma.)
- South Eastern College, Lakeland, FL (Class of 1977. Bachelor of Arts.)
- Seminary:
- Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, OH (Class of 1981. Master of Divinity.)
- Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO (Class of 1991 Colloquy)
- Ordained:
- September 1981
- Pastorates:
- Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, Cedarhurst, NY (American Lutheran Church, later Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) from September 1981 through February 1990.
- Ev. Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer, Peekskill, NY (Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod) from March 1990 through the present.
- Theological Perspective: Conservative, Confessional Lutheran.
Favorite Theologians: Dr. Martin Luther, Martin Chemnitz, Johann Gerhard, C.F.W. Walther, Francis Pieper, Herman Sasse, Kurt Marquardt, Robert Preus.
Liturgical Outlook: Historic/traditional. Enjoys and promotes the liturgies in the standard hym- nals used by the LCMS, The Lutheran Hymnal and Lutheran Worship, with a preference for the former. Dislikes “creative worship”, contemporary music/worship, and the church growth move- ment.
Writings: In addition to what appears on this website, Pr. Terjesen has had a number of articles appear in the Christian News, and has done book reviews for the quarterly journal Logia.
TV/Radio: In addition to appearing on Our Redeemer’s weekly TV program Word & Witness,
Pastor Terjesen has been a frequent guest on the KFUO radio show Issues Etc.
Loves: Good books and good music (Bach & Bluegrass).
Hates: Dummied-down religion and crypto-evangelicalism.
Family Info: Pastor and his wife, Mary Ellen have been married for more than 25 years, and have 5 Children: Peder, Timothy, Steven, Katherine, and Juliana. The boys are grown and the girls are still in high school and middle school.