Leonard Vernon Sylte

Leonard V. Sylte, 95, of Nashville, Tennessee, died on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, at the NHC Place-Cool Springs, in Franklin, Tennessee. Visitation will be held from 10:00 am to 11:00 am on Wednesday, April 27, 2022, at Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church in Benson, Minnesota, followed by the funeral service at 11:00 am. Burial will be in the Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church Cemetery.

Leonard was born on May 31, 1926, in a farmhouse in Swenoda Township, Swift County, Minnesota. He was the youngest of six sons born to Iver Peter Edward Sylte and Gurianna Maria Rødal Sylte, each of whom had immigrated from Norway.

God brought Leonard into His Kingdom through Holy Baptism on July 18, 1926, at West Bank Lutheran Church, West Bank Township, in rural Swift County Minnesota. Leonard confirmed his faith in Christ as Lord, on May 12, 1940, at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Benson Minnesota.

Leonard began his education at the age of five in 1931, entering grade one at Country School, District 34. In 1932, he moved with his parents to a farm in Tara Township, Swift County, Minnesota and continued his education at Swift Country School, District 81, graduating from elementary school in 1939. Leonard began high school in 1939 but dropped out in late October of that year and begin work on the farm with his father, Iver.

In his mid-teens, due to a farm accident, Leonard suffered a period of total blindness from which he gradually recovered his eyesight. Leonard then began farming in partnership with his brother Ivlin. Leaving that partnership, Leonard accepted the position as salesman at Kratt and Nelson, the John Deere farm implement dealership at Benson.

In January 1950, Leonard was drafted into the United States Army and served during the Korean War. When discharged from the Army, he began working as a salesman at Ben Odland Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth dealership in Benson. Leonard was then asked to join Peterson Motor Company where he sold Lincoln, Mercury and Ford Motor cars and trucks.

Experiencing a need for further education, Leonard applied to the University of Minnesota. After successfully completing a series of written tests, he was accepted and, after three years of study, received a Bachelor of Arts Degree, with dual majors in Psychology and Sociology, with an emphasis on psychological theory and counseling.

By God’s Work of Trust, continuing to acknowledge the direction of God, Leonard yielded to the unequivocal call of God, entering Luther Theological Seminary, St. Paul Minnesota, and began a three-year Master of Arts study program. After successfully completing it, he was ordained as pastor in the American Lutheran Church.

During his time of study at the University of Minnesota, Leonard met Agnes Karoline Hansen of Brooklyn, New York, Lead Nurse at Fairview Hospital Psychiatric Division in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They were married on May 23, 1958, at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church, Benson, Minnesota. Through a oneness, a gift from God alone, God gave them 53 years of marriage together. Through that oneness also, God graciously gave them two children, Ruth Marie Sylte and Mark Iver Sylte.

Having completed his theological studies, and successfully completing coursework in pastoral clinical counseling, Leonard begin service as a Chaplain at Fairview Hospital, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Leonard and Agnes later served congregations in South Dakota, and then accepted the call as Pastor of Youth and Education at the Church of the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Pearl River, New York.

While there, Leonard began graduate studies at Drew Theological School, Madison, New Jersey. Completing coursework toward a Master of Sacred Theology, Leonard began the Doctoral Studies Program at Vanderbilt University Divinity School in Nashville, Tennessee.

Having completed the coursework, at Vanderbilt University Divinity School, Leonard received a Master of Arts in Reformation Theology and History and begin work on his PhD thesis, Leonard then received a Freedom from Call status to serve in a non-religious capacity from Bishop Duane Preibe, District President of the Ohio Tennessee District of The American Lutheran Church. Dr. H. Richard Treadway, then Commissioner of Mental Health for the State of Tennessee, offered Leonard the position of Director of Drug and Alcohol Programs for the State of Tennessee. His task was to establish an organized program, coordinating the activities of all state-affiliated drug and alcohol clinical programs. This position also entailed complete investigative responsibilities regarding each clinic.

At the request of the several medical doctors, Leonard was asked to begin a Biblical Counseling Program for patients needing spiritual Biblical counseling beyond the scope of medical doctors. He then established an independent counseling service to satisfy this need. Receiving referrals from medical doctors, this work continued until he retired in 1991.

From the time Leonard began his graduate work at Vanderbilt University, even into retirement, he continued actively to serve as pastor of congregations in Tennessee and in Kentucky during vacancies, some for over a year, filling in for absent pastors and served as interim pastor under appointment of the Bishop of the Southeastern Synod, ELCA. He also served two terms as Dean of the Middle Tennessee Conference of the ELCA.

During the years prior to his retirement, Leonard served as Chaplin at Southern Hills Medical Center, a position he continued to hold for a total of 18 years, extending well beyond his official retirement.

Leonard was preceded in death, by his wife, Agnes Karoline Hansen Sylte, and by his father, Iver Peter Edvard Sylte, his mother, Gurianna Marie Rødal Sylte, and five brothers: Perry Lawrence Sylte, Ivlin Gilman Sylte, Melbert Brutrum Sylte, Arnold Floyd Sylte, Edwin Manfred Sylte. He is survived by one daughter, Ruth Marie Sylte of St. Paul, Minnesota, and one son, Mark Iver Sylte, his wife, Hsiao-ling Chung, and four grandchildren, Alexandra Kristiana Sylte, Leandra Celeste Sylte, Karstan Bjorne Sylte and Cedrik Thorstein Sylte, of Mexico City, Mexico.

All gratitude and glory be to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, to Whom Alone be all glory and honor and mercy and power.