Let me tell you a bit about me, so we can start getting to know each other. I await the moment to know all about you too! I don’t want to make this a brag-fest, but let you know who I am and a little about what I’ve done.
I was born in Leduc Alberta to a German Immigrant family: my father was the 5th pastor in our family, first outside of Europe! We moved to San Francisco when I was young and I attended Mercy High School a Prep School for Girls in Burlingame and graduated from California Lutheran University with a BA in German, BA in English, and a Degree in Musical Direction. Before I attended Seminary at Pacific Lutheran in Berkley. Graduating with a Masters of Divinity, I worked in a variety of positions of management locally and regionally (for 2 stores) and social services like Women’s Crisis homes, Juvenile Homes, Safe Houses, Counseling Centers, as Associate in a UCC Church, and in a few creative fields such as music, toy design, catering, and National student test creation firm. I met my husband at seminary and have been married over 30 years. He serves at St. James in Toledo as a SAM (synod appointed minister). We came to Toledo 4 years ago when I received a call to MLC.
I served some churches in the Bay Area and then moved to the Sacramento Area and served in Sacramento for almost 30 years. I served as a Parish Pastor in small, mid-size, and large churches and I also worked for the synod council and office as a Trained Intentional Interim Pastor for Systemically unhealthy churches. Throughout the years I continued my education with classes in Bible, Administration, Youth and Children’s Ministry, Community Organizing, Fostering Racial Relations, Church leadership, Stewardship, Grant Writing, Campaign Organization, Iconography, Spiritual Direction and Formation, Spiritual practices, Evangelism, and Missional Projects. I went on Sabbatical in Hawaii for over a month and studied the Island Spirituality as I served as an Episcopal Priest.
I opened and ran two large food pantries, a crisis nursery, a teen center, and worked Ecumenically as the chair of a ministerial organization for years. I served as a chair of an Endowment and Grant Organization (4 years), as chair for the Women’s Concerns for our synod (6 years), Church Women United board member, the Merced County Drug and Alcohol Treatment board member, and served as chair of Young Life, worked with Hispanic refugees, started the Hmong group in Central Ca sponsoring their strawberry growing business, as well as many other mission projects. I’ve directed choirs and had my artwork commissioned by churches and bishops. I have sold handmade quilts, costumes, and paraments/vestments.
My hobbies are quilting, artwork and training my dachshunds (my last was a comfort dog), the current one is a terrorist…but is becoming a great athlete. I have played piano and guitar in the past, but don’t do much playing but I recently taught myself to drum…but have a way to go with that! My favorite things to do are preaching, baptizing, and evangelism!
Come By, join us for Worship and a cup of coffee, a cookie, and conversation! Let me know how I can pray for you, or any needs or questions you may have, and let me introduce you to some folks here. I really would like to get to know you too!
Pastor Mary
