Scot Kerns
Scot Kerns | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the Montana House of Representatives from the 23rd district | |
| Assumed office January 4, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Bradley Maxon Hamlett |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 26, 1986 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | Concordia University Chicago (BA) Concordia Theological Seminary, (MDiv) University of Montana (MBA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 2005-2006 (Active) 2010-2018 (Reserve) 2018-2020 (Active) |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Awards | Air Force Commendation Medal National Defense Service Medal Global War on Terrorism Service Medal Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal Air Force Good Conduct Medal Full list |
Scot Kerns is an American politician serving as a Republican representative for House District 23 of the Montana State Legislature.[1][2][3] He is a Lutheran pastor, having been ordained in the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod after attending Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.[4][5] He has served as a chaplain in the United States Air Force[6] as well as currently being a chaplain and firefighter with the fire department in Vaughn, Montana.[7] Kerns currently serves as pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Fairfied and Zion Lutheran Church in Power, both in Montana[8]
Early life
Kerns was born on September 26, 1986. His family is from Peoria, Illinois.[9] Active in the Boy Scouts of America, attaining the Arrow of Light award in Cub Scouts and the Eagle Scout award in Boy Scouts.[10] Kerns was also an active cadet in Civil Air Patrol attaining both the General Billy Mitchell and the Amelia Earhart Milestone Awards. He attended and graduated from Randolph-Macon Academy, an Air Force military boarding school in Virginia.[9]
Education
Following a year at the United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School, he attended Concordia University Chicago, where he majored in theology and minored in history thereby earning his bachelor of arts degree. He then attended Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he earned his master of divinity degree.[11] He currently attends the University of Montana where he is pursuing a master of business administration degree.
Career
Following graduation from seminary, Rev. Kerns served as pastor of St Paul's Lutheran Church near Lincoln, Kansas for almost 5 years. Kerns then was assessed onto Active Duty with the United States Air Force stationed at Malmstrom AFB in Montana. He has been a guest pastor five times on KFUO radio.[12] Kerns was previously as the Kansas Wing Chaplain for the Civil Air Patrol, the Official Auxiliary of the US Air Force.[13] He also served as a guest chaplain in the Kansas Senate on March 14, 2017.
Montana State Legislature
During the 2021 legislative session, Kerns served the Taxation Committee, the Education Committee, and the Local Government Committee. Based on Kerns' voting record in the 2021 session, he earned a 100% on the Montana Family Foundation's Scorecard[14] and was also named a "Champion of Business" by the Montana Chamber of Commerce.[15]
Personal life
Kerns resides in Great Falls, Montana.
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Scot Kerns | 2,079 | 51.3 | |
| Democratic | Brad Hamlett | 1,972 | 48.7 | |
| Total votes | 4,051 | 100 | ||
Awards and decorations
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| Badge | Air Force Christian Chaplain Badge | ||||||||
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| 1st Row | Air Force Commendation Medal | ||||||||
| 2nd Row | Air Force Outstanding Unit Award | Air Force Organizational Excellence Award | Air Force Good Conduct Medal | ||||||
| 3rd Row | National Defense Service Medal | Global War on Terrorism Service Medal | Nuclear Deterrence Operations Service Medal | ||||||
| 4th Row | Air Force Longevity Service Award Ribbon and one bronze oak leaf cluster | Non-Commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon | Air Force Training Ribbon and one bronze oak leaf cluster | ||||||
References
- ^ a b "Scot Kerns". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ Kerns, Scot. "Elect Kerns". Elect Kerns. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ "Legislator Details". Montana State Legislature. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ "LCMS Locator". LCMS Locator. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- ^ Kerns, Scot. "Pastor Kerns Blog". Wordpress. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- ^ "Buckley Air Force Base". Buckley Air Force Base. United States Air Force. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- ^ "Firedepartment.net". firedepartment.net. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
- ^ "Zion Lutheran Church". Facebook. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ a b "Copper Book: Lawmakers of Montana, Legislative Session of 2021". Montana State Legislature. Montana Legislative Services Division. p. 48. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- ^ "Public Eagle Scouts - Boy Scout Troop 627 (East Peoria, Illinois)". www.troop310.net.
- ^ Kerns, Scot. "Elect Kerns". Elect Kerns. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
- ^ "Scot Kerns on KFUO Radio". KFUO Radio. KFUO Radio. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ "Civil Air Patrol". Salina Journal. Salina Journal. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ Laszloffy, Jeff (June 17, 2021). "2021 Legislative Scorecard". Montana Family Foundation.
- ^ "Montana Chamber Announces 2021 Voting Review of the 67th Legislative Session - Montana Chamber of Commerce". July 14, 2021.
External links
- Scot Kerns at the Montana Legislature website