The Rev. F. Peter Brinkman

MADISON-The Rev. F. Peter Brinkman, age 78, a Lutheran pastor connected with virtually every interreligious movement locally, nationally and internationally, died on Thursday morning, Jan. 16, 2014. Brinkman was the quintessential cheerful advocate of interfaith dialogue and interfaithaction of the religious scene. He had friends all over the world and maintained those friendships for a half-century or longer. He came to Madison in 1963 as associate director of the Bethel Bible Series, an international Bible study program that originated at Bethel Lutheran Church and grew to become the Adult Christian Education Foundation. Brinkman remained with the program and was instrumental in its growth around the world, particularly in South Korea. At the time, Brinkman also was called as special assistant pastor to Immanuel Lutheran Church in Madison. In 1988, he left the foundation to work full-time with Immanuel, a position he held until 1996. At that time, he retired and told those assembled to honor him that, if they didn’t believe he would stop working, “just watch me.” A few months later, Brinkman became associate director of the International Committee for the Peace Council, an organization of religious leaders around the world. This job, again, took him around the world frequently and earned him the friendship and respect of religious luminaries including the Dalai Lama, among many others. He “retired” from the Peace Council in 2006, this time without the pledge to actually stop working and, within a few months, became a national Mission Advocate for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, a job he held until his death. Born in Milwaukee on May 18, 1935, Brinkman is a graduate of Concordia College, Milwaukee, and of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo. He was ordained in 1961 at Faith Lutheran Church, Milwaukee and worked two years in Dallas, Texas as a campus pastor and youth pastor before moving to Madison to join the Bethel Series. In addition to his professional activities, Brinkman was active in the Downtown Kiwanis, Edgewood High School Advisory Board, St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center Advisory Board, the Independent Living board of directors, the Madison Interfaith Dialogue, the Olbrich Botanical Society board of directors, the Wisconsin Golf Club and was a night chaplain at Meriter Hospital. He and the former Patricia Ann Leszkiewicz were married on June 21, 1958 and they were parents of four children, Peter Buckley (Karen), Deborah Ann (David Mackey), Peter Anthony (Laura Nall), and Peter Daniel (Amy). He was grandfather to Benjamin and Molly Mackey and is also survived by a brother, Paul (Barbara), pastor of 1st Lutheran Church in PoySippi, Wis. and a sister, Joanne Pflug, a long time special education teacher in the Wild Rose, Wis. School District. He was preceded in death by his father, Fred; his mother, Florence; and two brothers, James and John. Memorial Services will be held at IMMANUEL LUTHERAN CHURCH, 1021 Spaight Street, Madison, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2014. Remember that we have these five gifts: The Water, The Word, The Bread, The Wine and One Another! Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608)221-5420