Pastor Derek Bartelt was born in Hustisford, WI in 1987. A year later, his family moved to Southern California. In 2001, he moved back to Wisconsin where he attended Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School and attended college at MLC. After he graduated MLC, he worked with WELS Kingdom Workers in Torreón, Mexico and León, Mexico before returning to the United States to resume his education at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. Upon returning, he and Emily got married before finishing his senior year at the Seminary and ultimately being assigned to Christ the Vine Lutheran Church in Temecula, CA.
His wife, Emily, was born and raised in Cedarburg, WI. She went to college at Concordia in Mequon, both for undergrad and graduate studies. She graduated with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy.
The Bartelts have three children, Lillian, Noah, and Wyatt.