Alumnus John Engelbrecht ‘75 delights in serving the church through education

John Engelbrecht ‘75 has devoted his life to educating others. During his eighth-grade year, his class took a field trip to Concordia University, Nebraska, then Concordia Teachers College. The experience had a significant impact on Engelbrecht and led him to want to become a teacher.  

During his time at Concordia Teachers College, Engelbrecht studied science and physical education. His time at Concordia exposed him to students from varied backgrounds and cultures who were all focused on academic and spiritual growth. His experiences helped prepare him for a life of service to the church through education. 

“Concordia helped me grow as a person and provided me with an excellent education,” he said. “The education program prepared me to be an effective teacher, impacting students’ lives and their development. The Christian training assisted me in being able to reflect Christ in all I did and share His love with young people.” 

Engelbrecht graduated from Concordia with a Bachelor of Science in Education and later a Master of Education. After graduating, he spent nine years teaching elementary schools in Oklahoma and Missouri. Then he spent 34 years in Lutheran high schools as both a teacher and an administrator. He retired and then came out of retirement to serve as the Director of International Studies at Tyler Junior College, Texas, before retiring a second time.  

“Working with young people and assisting them in learning academic knowledge and understanding of the wonderful world God created and how everything points to God and His greatness is incredibly fulfilling. It is an immense joy to see the ‘light bulb’ of knowledge come on in a student when they understand important concepts.”

He and his wife Cheryl moved to Montrose, Colorado, in 2025 and found a church home in Delta, Colorado. They learned that the congregation were in their fourth year of operation of a Lutheran grade school. Both John and Cheryl served at the school this past year, as a middle school science teacher and a middle school language arts teacher, respectively. The school will be expanding to include ninth grade this upcoming year, and both will be teaching classes to accommodate the new grade level. John is also consulting with the leadership on the development of the new high school program because of his past experience in starting two Lutheran high schools.  

“Working with young people and assisting them in learning academic knowledge and understanding of the wonderful world God created and how everything points to God and His greatness is incredibly fulfilling,” said Engelbrecht. “It is an immense joy to see the ‘light bulb’ of knowledge come on in a student when they understand important concepts.” 

Outside of work, Engelbrecht is an avid fly fisherman and also enjoys trail bike riding, reading, woodworking and traveling. He and his wife frequently take part in the Concordia Nebraska alumni cruises and love to visit interesting locations.  

Concordia University, Nebraska’s education program prepares teachers to lead, teach and serve from a foundation of faith that asserts the value of every individual. Education majors will sharpen their God-given gifts as they learn to minister to future students, families, churches and communities.