Westminster Presbyterian Church: Westminster Staff

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Pastors and Parish Associates		Westminster Town Hall Forum
Music and the Arts Staff
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Facilities Staff		Open Positions

Pastors

THA Timothy D. Hart-Andersen
Pastor and Head of Staff

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Tim began his 12th year at Westminster in fall, 2010. He and his family live in Southwest Minneapolis, from where he regularly bikes to work.
He first sensed a call to serve others while in Ecuador as a 19-year-old. Almost a decade later he surprised his friends when he landed in seminary.
Tim’s ministry in this large, active congregation focuses on three areas:
Preaching From September to June he is in the pulpit four out of five Sundays.
Staff coordination He works with a large, dynamic team.
Strategic leadership He helps Westminster leaders think creatively about the future. Tim finds Westminster to be a community thoroughly engaged in living faithfully in a complex time. He is grateful that the church is willing to learn and change, to grow and take risks – all in an effort to fulfill the gospel mandate to “love God and neighbor.”
Seminaries M. Div., McCormick (Chicago); D. Min., San Francisco
Other degrees B.A., Sociology; M. A., Latin American Studies
Community service Macalester College Board of Trustees; Board Member, Downtown Council of Minneapolis; Founding Board Member, Covenant Network of Presbyterians. His assistant is Kathy Fisher

Meghan K. Gage-Finn
Associate Pastor for Children, Youth & Families
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The Rev. Meghan K. Gage-Finn is Associate Pastor for Children, Youth, and Families. She received her bachelor's degree from Ohio Wesleyan University with majors in psychology and women's studies, and then served as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer in Columbia, Missouri, running a literacy and tutoring program in the public elementary schools. Meghan received her Master of Divinity Degree from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2005. During seminary, Meghan did a yearlong international internship in youth and family ministries with two English-speaking congregations in Lausanne, Switzerland, and during that time served as a delegate to the 2004 General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. Before coming to Westminster in 2007, Meghan served as a Lilly Minister in Residence at the First Presbyterian Church of Ann Arbor, MI. As a Lilly Resident, Meghan served in the areas of children's ministry, evangelism and fellowship, youth ministry and Confirmation, pastoral care, small group ministry, and campus ministry. Her assistant is Barbara Prince

MichaelKathy Katherine S. Michael
Associate Pastor for Adult Education and Leadership Development

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Katherine S. Michael is Associate Pastor at Westminster for Adult Education and Leadership Development. She received the Master of Arts degree in Biblical Studies and the Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary where she initiated the Ecumenical Ministries program. Previously she studied at the Presbyterian School for Christian Education in Richmond, VA. Kathy has developed Called to Discipleship, a training program for Presbyterian Church officers, and designs Education for Faith and Life programs for Westminster. She has taught Bible classes in congregations for over 30 years. Her assistant is Claudia Kapitan.

MitchellDouglas_small Douglas Mitchell
Associate Pastor for Faith in Action

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As Associate Pastor for Faith in Action, Doug Mitchell brings a history of leadership in urban mission agencies dealing directly with issues of discrimination, housing, youth, inclusivity, and other critical social justice concerns. Before coming to Westminster in 2001, Doug served as the President of the City Mission Society of Boston and as the Executive Director of Greater Birmingham Ministries. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and has done extensive additional graduate work in social ethics and urban politics. Doug's service to the larger church includes chairing the General Assembly's Urban Ministry Support Team, 1989-1993, and serving on the Urban Strategy Task Force, 1991-2000. He is on the Executive Committee of the Board of the Presbyterian Health, Education and Welfare Association, the PCUSA’s oldest and largest social justice organization. His assistant is Dan Franklin

Stephen Robertson
Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care

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Steve joined Westminster in July 2011 to serve the ministry of congregational care, leading the church staff and lay leaders in ministries of compassion and care for church members at times of life’s transitions and difficulties. Steve graduated from Butler University with a B.S. degree in Business Administration and spent a decade in commercial banking. Answering the call to pastoral ministry, Steve graduated from Columbia Theological Seminary in 1995 and served as Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Inverness, Florida for 5years. He then accepted a call for 3 years as the solo pastor of Eastminster Presbyterian Church in East Lansing, Michigan. Most recently, Steve served for 7 years as Associate Pastor of the Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC. Along the way, Steve also earned an M.A. in Christian Education from Union Presbyterian Seminary and a Doctor of Ministry from Columbia Theological Seminary. Steve has served the larger church through work in areas of Christian Education, youth ministry, pastoral and church relations, and the business affairs of congregations and the presbytery. Steve and his wife, Susan Peacock, along with their cat, Merlot, are settling into their new community and enjoying time with family in the Twin Cities. His assistant is Claudia Kapitan

ALS_2 Annika Lister Stroope
Associate Pastor for Evangelism & Fellowship

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Annika grew up in a diverse, inner-city Presbyterian church in Des Moines, Iowa. In 1996, she worked in El Salvador with the Roman Catholic partner church of the Des Moines Presbytery as a bilingual mission liaison, and this experience was formative in her decision to become a pastor. Annika was ordained in 2001 to her first call as a chaplain at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN. Since arriving at Westminster in 2002, Annika has thrived in the variety of her ministry. She focuses on church membership and evangelism, and has led nearly 600 people through the process to become members of Westminster. Annika delights in welcoming and working with new members to discern how they can serve God. She loves teaching and helping people learn more about the Bible and Christian faith. Annika is privileged to connect with people in times of joy and challenge during hospital visits, weddings, and funerals. She majored in history and religion in the honors program at Swarthmore College and then went to McCormick Theological Seminary, where she received prizes theology and preaching. Last year she began studies for a doctorate of ministry in preaching through McCormick. She and her husband Jeremy West live in north Minneapolis with their 3-year-old daughter, who loves to sing “Jesus Loves Me” with Westminster’s Cherub Choir!

In 2008, Melanie McCall joined the Westminster staff to begin working with Annika in the areas of women’s ministries, hospitality, and fellowship groups. Annika's assistant is Claudia Kapitan.

Parish Associates

Denise Dunbar-Perkins
Parish Associate
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Dean J. Seal
Parish Associate
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Music and the Arts Staff

OhnstadMelanie Melanie Ohnstad
Minister of Music & the Arts/Organist
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Melanie has served Westminster as organist since November 1995. In addition to her position as organist, she also serves as Minister of Music and the Arts. Melanie received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Minnesota in June 1999. She earned the Master of Music in Organ Performance from Arizona State University and the Bachelor of Music from St. Olaf College. Prior to coming to Westminster, Melanie was the Assistant Organist at St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral, Minneapolis. While there she made three compact discs with the Cathedral Choir. Melanie has also served Trinity Cathedral, Phoenix as Organist-Choirmaster and St. Stephen Lutheran, Wausau, as Director of Music and Youth. Her current area of interest is integrating theology and the arts. Her assistant is Barbara Prince.

LantzJere Jere Lantz
Director of Westminster Choir
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Jere Lantz is the Director of the Westminster Choir. He holds masters and doctorate degrees from Yale in conducting. For twenty years he has been the Music Director of the Rochester Orchestra and Chorale. In addition, he directs the Minnetonka Choral Society and serenades Lake Harriet audiences on weekend evenings each summer directing the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra. He has conducted most of Minnesota’s major choruses, including the Minnesota Chorale, Bach Society, Minnesota Center Chorale, Oratorio Society, Winona Symphonic Choir and Soul Liberation Choir. In 1996, he served four months as Interim Director of Music at St. Mark’s Cathedral. Jere has been active in the community serving as an advisory panelist for the Minnesota State Arts Board, as a board member of the American Composers Forum and on the Citizens’ Advisory Committee of Minnesota Public Radio. His assistant is Barbara Prince

SchwartzRodneyAllen

Rodney Allen Schwartz
Director, The Westminster Gallery and Archive
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Rodney Allen Schwartz is the Director of the Westminster Gallery and Archive. He works with the Fine Arts Committee to curate and install five gallery exhibitions and numerous other exhibitions within Westminster each year, and manage a growing collection of original religious and relevant secular art. He and a group of volunteers are working their way through 150 years of archival artifacts. Rodney earned his Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota’s College of Design and was previously the curator of decorative arts at the Goldstein Museum of Design.

CarterNancy Nancy Carter
Director of Westminster Handbell Choirs
Nancy is responsible for forming and maintaining a Handbell program that enables members of all ages to experience music through handbells and choirchimes. Prior to her work here, she served as director of other handbell programs and children’s music programs, as well as participating in choirs and small ensembles. Nancy has a bachelor’s degree from the College of Saint Catherine. She and husband Jim have been married 35 years and have two children who grew up at Westminster.
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OllmannBrad Brad Ollmann
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Director of Early and Middle Childhood Music

Brad began directing choirs at Westminster in 2006. He currently directs Choristers (Grades 4-6), Seraphim (Grades 1-3), and Cherubs (3 year olds – Kindergarteners). During the day, he teaches general and vocal music at St. Anthony Park Elementary (St. Paul Public Schools). Brad spends his summers in Mexico and Guatemala studying Spanish and collecting folk songs, lullabies, singing games, and instrumental folk music. His two areas of expertise are in-tune singing in children, and Mexican and Guatemalan music. He is a frequent presenter at the state, local, and national levels, and, in 2001, was recognized as one of fifty distinguished music educators by Yale University.
Here at Westminster, Brad’s commitment is to provide an extraordinary choral music experience where children grow in faith as well as musicianship. Wednesday evening rehearsals are a time of joyful music making where children learn quality repertoire they proudly share in worship services.
Degrees: Bachelor of Music Education (University of Minnesota, 1999)
Master of Music Education (University of St. Thomas, 2006)

Wanyama_Shekela3 Shekela Wanyama
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Director of Youth Music