The Board of Directors is ELM’s volunteer governing body.  There are 12 members, four of whom are officers (Co-chairs (2), Secretary, and Treasurer).  Board members serve three-year terms.  The Board of Directors meets by video chat 5-6 times per year and in person twice each year. Board member terms begin and end on March 1. We are always interested in knowing about people who are passionate about ELM and who would like to enrich an organizational culture rooted in faith, grounded in radical love and hospitality, clear with purpose, dependent on collaboration, and transparent in motives. We celebrate difference and delight in the strength of diverse perspectives. If you would like to learn more about serving on the ELM Board of Directors, please contact info@elm.org. 

 

Board of Directors

Margarette Ouji 

Co-Chair – Margarette (she/her/hers) is a proud queer Iranian-American in her final year of seminary and is currently serving as vicar at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Oakland, CA. Before answering the call to ministry, she worked as a pediatric social worker in NY. She lives in the East Bay with her spouse, daughter, and pup. She’s an avid crocheter and loves to read queer graphic novels.

Michael Wilker

Co-Chair – Pastor Mike Wilker  recently accepted a call to serve as Senior Pastor at First Lutheran Church in Decorah, IA. Mike has previously served on the ELM Board of Directors, most recently serving two consecutive terms from 2012 – 2018, as well as ELM’s predecessor bodies LLGM and the Extraordinary Candidacy Project.

Sarah Garret Krey

Pastor Sarah Garrett Krey (she/her/hers) is a native of Tennessee who now resides in Baltimore, MD. A lifelong Lutheran, Sarah graduated from Belmont University in Nasvhille, TN with a major in Christian Leadership in 2013. She received an M.Div. from United Lutheran Seminary (Philadelphia) in 2019 and now serves as the associate pastor of Salem Lutheran Church in Catonsville, MD. Sarah lives with her spouse Micah and their sweet, funny, mischievous dog Henri. If you’re into that kind of thing, Sarah is an Enneagram 6, an ENFJ, and the kind of person who apologizes too much (she’s working on it). Sarah is grateful to serve on ELM’s board as a new member.

Kelsey Brown

Rev. Kelsey Brown describes herself as sometimes funny, very queer, frequently anxious, and completely absurd. A 20-something hailing from Long Island, New York – she comes equipped with the accent & attitude to back it up. In her free time, she is falling back in love with spoken word poetry, breaking it down on the dance floor, and ritual creation. She believes with her full heart that God’s delight in diversity is call for us all to embrace the fullness of humanity. Racial justice and advocacy work fuel her fire, while deep friendships and long naps quench her thirst. She can be seen in her natural habitat – quoting showtunes, doubled over in laughter and challenging others to “do the work.” Her ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has taken many courses including camping ministry in New Jersey, Synod work in Metro New York and Internship in sunny Southern California. She is blessed to serve as the Pastor of Jehu’s Table, a Lutheran Church in Brooklyn – Pastor Kelsey brings to the Church a pulse of integrity and personhood for all people, a love of preaching and deep care for the other.

Lindsey Jorgensen-Skakum

Rev. Lindsey Jorgensen-Skakum (they/them/theirs) began their journey towards ordained ministry in 2007 when they felt God’s call to use their gifts in a new way. After completing a B.A. in Religious Studies, they enrolled at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Saskatoon in 2012 to prepare for rostered ministry within the ELCIC. In 2016, Pastor Lindsey was called to Holy Spirit Lutheran Church in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. When Pastor Lindsey isn’t serving the church they can be found playing board games with their wife Danika, or strapping on a pair of roller skates to play roller derby as their alter ego “Dreamwhip”.

Christopher Vergara

Christopher Vergara, grew up in a charismatic non-denominational Spanish Language church in New York City. Having gone to parochial school his entire life, as having a Christian education was of the utmost importance to his single immigrant mother, he attended Martin Luther High School and then Valparaiso University where he was drawn into the Lutheran tradition. Returning to New York City to attend The Juilliard School, he became an active member of Saint Peter´s Church, where he has served as Parish Secretary, Vice-President and is the current President. At the Metropolitan New York Synod, he has served on the Synod Council, the Executive Committee, is Chair of the AMMPARO/Sanctuary Ministry, and was recently appointed to lead the synod’s Advocacy Taskforce. Most recently, Christopher helped organize the memorial and made the motion at the recent church-wide assembly to have the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America declare itself a sanctuary denomination. Outside of his volunteer work, Christopher is a professional Costume Designer and a proud player of Gotham Knight’s Rugby Football Club.

Clyde Andrew Walter

Clyde (he/him) is an ex-Catholic, a proud graduate of Augustana College – Rock Island and the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago, a husband to Kyle, a parent to cats Ezekiel and Simeon, an avid foodie, a singer of showtunes, and a lover of nature. Clyde and Kyle are members of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chicago, IL. Clyde’s paid work involves organizing resources for social impact, namely in the education and human service sectors. He currently serves as Vice President of Mission Advancement at The Josselyn Center, a rapidly-growing community mental health organization. Clyde lives openly with Bipolar II and works to reduce stigma around mental health. In addition to serving on ELM’s Board of Directors he also serves as Vice Chair of the Board of an early childhood organization called Wesley Child Care Center. Clyde perpetually thinks about “What’s next?”

Suzannah Porter

Suzannah (she/her) is a former Field Director for various congressional campaigns and political action committees and women’s advocacy organizations such as NOW and NARAL. Currently she is a member of the ELCA Delaware-Maryland Synod Council and worships at Dreams & Visions church in Baltimore Maryland. She currently consults on technology, live worship, database management and other technological needs of small faith communities. Suzannah is passionate about engaging laity, pounding pavements, and bringing awareness and understanding to issues surrounding ADHD and PTSD. She currently resides in Baltimore, MD with her beloved chosen family recovering from long-haul COVID. She really wants you to wear your mask.

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Jessica Davis; Philadelphia, PA- Bio Coming Soon! 

C Abel Arroyo Traverso- Bio Coming Soon! 

Treasurer-  Rev. Jan Peterson; Omaha, NE- Bio Coming Soon!