Pastor Stefan Potuznik - Senior Pastor

I have been the Senior Pastor at Christus Victor Lutheran Church since 2006. I am married to Melanie, who is also a pastor. Together, we are raising four young boys. I grew up in Frankfurt, Germany and studied Theology in Oberursel and Heidelberg at Carl-Ruprecht University. In 1994, I did an internship at Faith Lutheran Church in Glen Ellyn, IL. I was planning to go back to Germany after a year, but I fell in love with a beautiful woman, got married, and have served as a pastor in the United States ever since.

Associate Pastor Melanie Potuznik - Visionary Leader, Confirmation Coordinator, and faith leader for young families

As visionary leader in this place called Christus Victor, I have grown into my calling to be used by God for the purpose of putting words to what the Holy One is doing here at this time. I find this work extremely riveting, and with intentionality and continued persistence, it is my goal to guide more and more people to discover deeper faith, which leads to purposeful living. Thank you for entrusting me to serve in this way.

Learn more about Melanie and her role in Christus Victor’s confirmation program here!

ANNETTE HERNANDEZ - DEACON, MINISTER OF WORD & SERVICE & christus victor’s minister of community engagement

I was ordained as a Deacon, Minister of Word & Service by the Evangelical Lutheran Church on April 30, 2023. My current focuses at CVLC are:

• Pastoral Care Ministry (including Eucharistic ministry team and prayer stations)

• Engage new members

• Explore/develop programming to support Elk Grove Village, with a focus on Latinx community and mental health.

• Worship Service Support

• Hospice Outreach

VITO BONDI - COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT

I have been a member of Christus Victor for about four years. I have a wonderful family with my wife, Candace, and our three children. 

I am an Engineer, Auditor, and enjoy woodworking and home improvement around my kids’ schedules.

CVLC is such an important place for me and my family, because it brings the word of God into our lives and our church family helps us raise our kids with the values we were raised with and have come to cherish. 

mark weiland - council secretary

Growing up in Elk Grove Village and living down the street from Christus Victor, I have been a member of this church for most of my life. I have fond memories of attending Sunday School, being confirmed, and participating in numerous service projects. I was fortunate to have Pastor Stefan officiate my wedding and baptize my three beautiful children.  Currently, I am an English Language Arts teacher, and I actively engage in community service. My role involves conveying my passion for literacy to students of diverse levels and abilities.

nino bondi - council treasurer

I have over 15 years of accounting, finance, and tax experience from working at Porte Brown LLC, a local CPA firm. I am passionate about local community service and enjoy being involved in local organizations.  I am also the Treasurer of the Elk Grove Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club of Elk Grove. I was born and raised in Chicago, IL and is a proud first-generation Sicilian. I live with my loving wife Kate and our daughter Ruby. When I’m not perfecting my garden or grilling techniques, I actively participate in the Maria SS. Laurentana of Altavilla Milicia society. This group organizes an annual festival that is over 120 years old, held in celebration of the Blessed Mother.

hansel ramathal - council member

I have recently moved to the Chicago area from Northern Kentucky. I have been part of a church all through my life in various countries and locations in the US. I look at the Church as the living arm of our communities and as an invitation to reach out further and receive each other in grace, always.

After searching for Lutheran congregations in the area, I found CVLC and was drawn by the energy and welcoming nature of the leadership and the members. I especially connected with the presence of a Tanzanian congregation worshiping in our midst, as well as with the Men’s group on Saturdays. Such community-inclusive conversations are what I envision as the mission of the church in the coming ages.

Pastor Joe Chu - Council Member

I am both humbled and grateful to serve on the Council of Christus Victor Lutheran Church. My family has been worshipping at Christus Victor since 2018. We are very grateful to our pastors, members, and the ministries here. My wife Elizabeth Ma and I have two older children - Jaina and Isaiah. My wife is a school principal, and I currently work at the national office of the ELCA in the disaster response ministry. I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve our communities and the church as an ELCA pastor since 1990. I have also worked at different faith-based and secular non-profit organizations over the years. I am interested in religion, political economics, and current issues. I love to listen to and learn from people. My greatest joy is to see people of faith being moved by God's Spirit to work together to share God's love in the world and help develop communities and societies where the most vulnerable and marginalized groups and peoples will not be undermined. 

JANICE FEESE - COUNCIL MEMBER

I have been a member of Christus Victor for a few years now. My first memory of Christus Victor is Bill Fleck (Rest in Peace) welcoming us and giving us crosses from his coat pocket. My husband and I have a long Lutheran tradition. We enjoy the vitality of Christus Victor and look forward to serving.

CHRIS HILL - COUNCIL MEMBER & sound crew

I have been a member for almost two decades years, along with my wonderful wife, Diane, who is well-known through our children’s ministries, and our two children Matt and Lily who were confirmed here.  I previously served on several committees, including Parish Growth & Life and Vision 2020. I am also very active in our music ministry leading our sound crew for Rizen, the 9am service, or special events.  In addition to family, I play the bass on occasion, am an avid tennis player, and a business leader.  As part of council, I am excited to help Christus Victor continue to grow and succeed in its mission of serving others.

pastor joseph bocko - council member

I was born and raised in northwest Tanzania, in a small town Bukoba, which is on the shores of Lake Victoria and 1 degree south of the Equator. I graduated from the Makumira Lutheran Theological Seminary and was ordained as a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania, North Western Diocese.  I became a pastor of a mid-size congregation (750 members) for a year. In 1981, I married Jessica Kemilembe a public-school teacher. Shortly after, I was awarded a scholarship from the Lutheran Church in America (Minneapolis).  I studied at Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa, where I graduated with my Master’s in Sacred Theology. I then served as a pastor in Metro Chicago Synod of Reformation Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA) in the South side of Chicago. Later, I accepted a call to serve at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America churchwide office as African National Ministries Program Director.  I enjoy what God calls me to do.  My wife and I are blessed with four wonderful grown children. They are thankful to be a part of community of faith in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  Knowing God is what gives them hope for a brighter future.  God never fails.

gail ihnen - council member

Christus Victor has been my husband’s and my church for over two decade. We have two children we have watched grow through the children's programs here. I was one of the leaders for Grapple for several years, helped out with Sunday school, Confirmation, and Vacation Bible School. Our family was active in the Thanksgiving Day feast working in the kitchen, dining room, and parking lot, and we’ve helped with the mission trip fundraiser. I enjoy baking and have also helped with goodies for the church’s bake sales. I love seeing the children activities here. Serving our church community by being on the council means bringing an openness to ideas and concerns, and finding ways for people to feel that Christus Victor is their community. I currently work with Veterans. Outside of work, my time is still centered mainly around our children and when able, I love spending time with friends, reading, enjoying the peacefulness of the golf course, and generally love being outdoors in any season. 

mark schumacher - council member

As a church council member, I am focused on using my skillsets and life experiences to help our church conduct God’s plans for us. My life is a good example of how God is constantly preparing us and pivoting our lives in directions we could never have imagined. I was immersed in the Lutheran Church my entire life, as both of my parents were Lutheran school teachers. My professional career is one of a variety of phases of preparation and pivot, including a bachelor’s degree followed by four years of service as a Lutheran school teacher (first job in Aiea, Hawaii), an accounting degree followed by over 20 years of work in professional services firms, and a master’s in data science while serving in my current role as a finance lead at a university.

MiMi Cheatham - Office Manager

I have been employed in the office at Christus Victor since 2017, taking over as Office Manager in 2018. I have been a member of Christus Victor since 2016 and a resident of Elk Grove Village since 1984. My husband Tom and I have three adult daughters and one cherished granddaughter. I graduated from NIU with a BS and MS in Special Education. I also taught for several years and also worked alongside my siblings in a family business in Elk Grove. I am passionate about animals, Christus Victor, my family and my friends – not necessarily in that order. She loves her work at CVLC and hopes to continue for many years to come. My beloved dog, Mochi, often works at Christus Victor with me.    

rosa caputo-biondo - office assistant & caring place coordinator

I was born and raised on the northwest side of Chicago by Italian immigrant parents. I received my Bachelor's Degree in Gerontology from Dominican University in River Forest, then worked for multiple senior living communities wearing different hats as Activity Director, Assisted Living Director, and Memory Care Unit Director. During that time, I enjoyed traveling to many fun locations until I met Mike Biondo. We married and had our son, Johnny.

While caring for my family, I began working several part-time jobs, until landing the position of Office Assistant at CVLC in 2018. Most recently, I have returned to my passion and calling in caring for seniors and am one of our Coordinators for A Caring Place - Respite Care. My family has been members of Christus Victor for over a decade. In that time, I have served on leadership for MOPS, Parish Growth and Life, on Worship Teams, and enjoyed learning and leading bible studies, as well as participating in special events. I love the support that our community offers and how welcoming it is to all people.