Pr. Robyn Hartwig

lutheran pastor

Pastor Robyn Hartwig (she, her) was born in Iowa and grew up near Chicago. After graduating from Miami University in Ohio, she taught high school economics and government before being called to the ministry. She attended Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary and did her internship at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Portland. After seminary, she directed a nonprofit that provided after school education and support to refugee children and families. She was then called to Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer in Sacramento where she served as solo pastor for over eight years. She returned to Oregon, where she worked for the Oregon Synod, ELCA before being called to St. Andrew Lutheran Church where she served for 12 years while founding and serving as pastor/organizer for EcoFaith Recovery which she continues to serve part-time to this day.

Pr. Robyn joined Spirit of Grace in March 2021. Our call committee was impressed with Pr. Robyn’s intelligence, positive energy, passion for social justice, authenticity, courage, and warmth. As an innovative thinker and creative collaborator, she is passionate about inclusive language and welcoming. She knows how to develop lay leaders and bring diverse people together to achieve a common goal. Pr. Robyn is married to Pr. Janet Parker, a pastor in the United Church of Christ. Pastor Robyn enjoys hiking, drumming, dancing, and spending time with her young niece, nephew, and godchildren.

Dir. Vinci Halbrook-Paterson

Director of Catholic Ministries

Director of Catholic Ministries Vinci Halbrook-Paterson (she/her) began her ministry at Spirit of Grace in March 2021. Dir. Vinci is deeply rooted in her Catholic faith, which was formed and shaped by the fresh air of Vatican II. She shares a vision of a church such as Spirit of Grace that is inclusive, prophetic, and rooted in a gospel call to social justice. She brings to our community an enthusiasm for faith formation, relationship building, and multi-generational group facilitation. Dir. Vinci’s warmth and creativity as a minister is a great fit for our community, and her skills make her a wonderful ministry partner with Pr. Robyn.

Dir. Vinci was born and raised in Eugene, taught by Franciscan sisters in grade school and high school and by Franciscan friars in graduate school. She has an M.Div. from the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, CA, and a B.A. in theology from the University of Portland. She has a deep love for St. Francis and Franciscan spirituality. Dir. Vinci has ministry experience working in Catholic parishes, in long-term care facilities, for the Archdiocese, 15 years in college campus ministry, and most recently at the Grotto. She is also an associate member of the Franciscan sisters who taught her in grade school. She and her husband Dino have been married for 26 years and have a one son, Dylan. Dir. Vinci enjoys the beauty of nature, especially the Oregon coast. In her free time, she works with glass to create mosaic windows and lanterns.

Katie Furgison

Children and Family Ministries Coordinator

Katie has a passion for both children and faith formation. After achieving her Masters of Arts in teaching, Katie taught kindergarten at Pacific University’s demonstration school before deciding to take a sabbatical from teaching to homeschool her own boys. Katie also holds a minor in religious studies from Oregon State University, having studied predominantly under the late Marcus Borg.

In addition to teaching, Katie loves supporting parents as they work to establish their family culture and build connection with their children. Katie believes that intentional parenting is paramount to healthy families, and healthy families are critical for building thriving and peaceful communities.

Raised ELCA Lutheran and having attended Catholic school, Katie was drawn to Spirit of Grace because of the church’s commitment to social justice (particularly LGBTQ issues) and strong Biblical scholarship. A member since 2009, Katie and her family have stayed at Spirit of Grace because of the warm, wise, and inclusive community.

Katie is married to her husband Jason. They have two sons and a very lazy, geriatric boxer. In her spare time, Katie enjoys reading, lifting weights, hiking, and travel. She spends most of her actual time driving her children to sports.

Wendy Boyles

Office Manager

Wendy Boyles (she/her) grew up in Roseburg, Oregon, but has lived in the Portland area since 1994, after a short stint of living in Orange County, California. She has a B.A. in mass communications from Pacific University and has worked in office administration, marketing, and communications for a variety of different fields, but the most interesting one was a cookie company! She was also a stay-at-home mom for 18 years, but continued to be active doing volunteer work and serving in leadership roles for the local Cub Scout troop, as well as the school parent clubs, even serving as PTA president for two years. She and her husband, Brett, have been married for 24 years and have two sons. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, gardening, and do-it-yourself projects around the house.

BISHOP Laurie larson caesar

Bishop of the Oregon Synod

Our long-time pastor, Laurie Larson Caesar, was elected bishop of the Oregon Synod of the ELCA in May 2019.

Educated at Stanford University, Harvard Divinity, and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Pr. Laurie served Spirit of Grace for 23 years. During that time we grew into a vibrant, vital congregation with a passion for social justice, inclusive language, prophetic worship, lively music, education and community engagement, and leadership development. We miss her leadership but are grateful for the seeds she planted in our community, which continue to grow.

On January 6, 2020, Bishop Laurie spoke about her time at Spirit of Grace when she was interviewed on the OPB radio program Think Out Loud. Listen to the audio file below.

Musicians

Jonathan Swanson

We get to hear the musical stylings of award-winning jazz pianist and composer Jonathan Swanson every Sunday. When he’s not bringing old hymns new life, he is running his five-star-rated AirBnB, working as a contractor or studio producer, performing gigs around town, or headlining his own jazz trio.

Jasnam Daya Singh

Born in Brazil, world-renowned Jasnam Daya Singh (formerly Weber Iago) is a gifted composer, pianist, and educator. Jasnam has participated as a pianist and band leader in jazz festivals all over the world. In 2009, he was nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Instrumental Album.

Childcare

Tess urban

We’re extremely fortunate to have a gifted childcare provider who is also a nanny and teaches at Sunny Hills Preschool, which is located at Spirit of Grace. She was raised in Portland and studied K-8 elementary education at Montana State University. She is working on her special education degree.

Lay Leadership

Steering Team

Our community is guided by a diverse, ecumenical lay steering team of members elected to serve three-year terms. Our steering team is currently led by two co-presidents:

Jabke Buesseler

Jabke has been a member of Spirit of Grace since 1999, and she loves this community for its ecumenical identity, high value on relationships, and open-mindedness about the many ways faith can be expressed. She also participates in music ministry and co-chairs the COVID Safety Team. Oregon is her second home after growing up in the Netherlands. A retired nurse practitioner and nurse midwife, Jabke is married and has four grown children. She has five grandchildren and is delighted the youngest two have moved next door with their parents. She loves music, singing, anything to do with horses, clamming at the coast, and traveling. She spends a lot of time in the great outdoors, taking care of chores on her 20-acre property, hiking, and gardening.

Chad Darby

Chad grew up Roman Catholic and has been a member of Spirit of Grace since 1998. He and his wife Marianne were married at Spirit of Grace by Bishop Larie Larson Caesar and Father Matt Tumulty. They raised their two daughters within the community.

Chad is a principal air quality consultant and nonprofit founder. He also enjoys teaching seminars and classes on air quality.

Chad appreciate what Spirit of Grace represents, “the belief that we can and should come together and build community because our similarities in our faith far outweigh our differences in doctrine and ritual. Spirit of Grace represents a vital message in an often divisive world: community is vital. No matter our differences and backgrounds, we are stronger together than the sum of our parts…. This community and what is represents, is needed more than ever and there is much we can do to build and grow with the strong foundation that has been developed here.”