
I have served as Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Cottage Grove since September 2015, coming from the First Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where I served for nine years. Before that I served at the First Presbyterian Church in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. Do you see a pattern?
After graduating with an M.Div. from San Francisco Theological Seminary in 2003, I was ordained by the Presbytery of San Gabriel in Southern California. While in Seminary I also studied Spanish and theology in San Jose, Costa Rica. I received my B.A. from Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1989. For many years, I focused on youth ministry and have had the great privilege of working with young people in churches in Minnesota, California, Indiana, New Mexico and now, in Oregon.
Traveling with church people has also been a great joy for me, starting with a youth trip to Thailand in 2000. I have also visited Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, Turkey, and Iona, Scotland, and Dublin, Ireland on a 2018 church pilgrimage.
I relish any chance to practice my Spanish, wishing I was more fluent. In my free time, I love reading, watching movies, growing flowers and spending time with my cat, Frida Clawlo. I love to go home to visit family in Escondido, California. One of my favorite things is being an aunt to four amazing nieces and nephews, and now a great-aunt to three great-nephews and one great-niece.
Since moving to Cottage Grove I have found a lovely community with great natural beauty, filled with kind and generous people.
First Presbyterian is a wonderful place to worship; it is a warm and welcoming, progressive community of faith. The church is very involved in social justice issues at the community level and very interested in caring for the least of these. In preaching, I aim to be relevant and engaged with current events, as we read scripture together and apply it to our lives. It is a joy to listen for God's presence and to strive to follow Jesus' teaching and example in community with this body of Christ.
Please join us. All are welcome. All are invited.
Or call: 541-942-4479