Pastor Carter and his eight younger siblings grew up in
several towns in Wisconsin and Michigan where his father served as a pastor. He graduated from Michigan Lutheran Seminary in 1978, from Northwestern College in 1982, and from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1986. He served his vicar (intern) year at Christ Lutheran Church in North St. Paul, Minnesota.
He served Trinity Lutheran Church in Coleman for ten years
before accepting the call to serve St. Paul, Brownsville in 1996. He has also served as the pastor of St. Peter, Kekoskee (near Mayville) since 2022. He has been leading chapel services, teaching upper grade ChristLight, and helping with Meet Math at St. Luke’s since St. Paul’s closed their school in 2018.
He and his wife Claudine have been married since 1985 and
have five grown children (now in five different states) and eight grandchildren.
He has served the church at large in several ways, including
as a circuit pastor (2000-2008), and as the secretary of the Southeastern Wisconsin District since 2006.