Introducing Pastor Katie:

Vision of Ministry:  Pr. Katie thinks that God's love and the power of Jesus' resurrection are intended for all people, and feels that God comes close to us especially when we are in need.  During all of life’s stages, from childhood to retirement and beyond, she sees the endless capacity of God's grace as a necessary aid.  As a pastor, she helps others discover and deepen faith, see what God is already doing in the world, and connect their life and work to the promises and call of the Gospel. Bio: A cradle-Lutheran, Pr. Katie was born and baptized in Elgin, IL.   Her family moved to the Seattle area where Katie was active her church youth group, hiking to Holden Village and doing mission work in Ecuador and Mexico.  In her junior year of high school Katie was an exchange student in Hamburg, Germany and still can speak some German. Katie attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota where she majored in Classical Languages, graduating cum laude.  While writing her undergraduate thesis on The Acts of Paul and Thekla (a book that didn’t quite make the New Testament) Katie discovered modern theology and was thrilled to learn that there were new things to say about the ancient Bible texts she loved. Katie attended the University of Chicago Divinity School on the Elsa Marty Fellowship and enjoyed the challenge of being the only Lutheran in her Master’s of Divinity class.   While at the University of Chicago, Katie met Jay, a student at the University of Chicago Law School.  Soon after the relationship started, Jay began attending church with Katie and was quickly drawn to the Lutheran message of grace.  Jay was baptized later that year.  Katie likes to say, “The day Jay was baptized Jay didn’t know he would ask, but I knew I was going to marry him!” Jay and Katie moved to the Bay Area where Jay had previously accepted a position as an attorney at a large national law firm.  Katie completed a Lutheran year, started at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC), at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (PLTS).   She then took on a full-time, yearlong internship at Our Savior’s Lutheran (OSLC) in Lafayette California, an affluent suburb of San Francisco.  From OSLC Katie also served two satellite parishes, one in a large retirement community and another in a blue-collar suburb. Shortly after completing her work with OSLC, Katie accepted a call at Shepherd of the Hills in Berkeley, CA and was ordained.  Six months after Katie started at Shepherd of the Hills, Katie and Jay welcomed their son John to the family. During her six years at Shepherd of the Hills, Pr. Katie transformed a struggling congregation into a thriving one.  Through her visionary leadership Katie managed to double church giving and raise worship attendance by 50%.  Katie restarted many groups and committees.  The church Sunday School, which had been held only sporadically, expanded to a multi-classroom format and Katie helped to found a three-church confirmation program.  During her tenure, Shepherd of the Hills sent a mission team to New Orleans, designed an outreach program to the German speaking community in the Bay Area, and completed an ambitious renovation to make the church more accessible.  Near the end of her tenure, Pr. Katie’s fellow pastors elected her Dean of her conference. In 2010 Jay accepted a position at a national law firm in Chicago.  Katie resigned her call and moved with John in late 2010.  During her year awaiting call, Pr. Katie restarted a Sunday School at an Evanston, IL church and was frequently asked to preach and preside as a supply pastor.  In her spare time Katie enjoys cooking, reading, and traveling.  Over the last year Katie started running and will be completing her first 5K race over Thanksgiving weekend.  Jay is a busy litigator, but takes his Lutheran identity seriously.  He has served in the past as a delegate to Churchwide Assembly and as a member of Synod Council.  Jay recently returned from a trip to India as part of his present volunteer work as a board member of Lutheran World Relief (LWR).    John has quickly adapted to midwestern weather, learning to sled and swim.  He is a bright first-grader interested in chess and all manner of televised sports. Katie, Jay and John are especially delighted that they will be welcoming a new baby sometime in May. Pr. Katie is thrilled to be the choice of the Redeemer Church congregation.  She sees Redeemer as a congregation full of energy and life, grounded in the Lutheran tradition and eager to reach out in new ways to a world in need of the Good News.