Pastors & Staff – Gloria Dei St. Paul

PASTORS

My call is to tend the congregation’s mission that has been beautifully articulated by the people of this congregation over the years. Sharing the pastoral work with my colleagues of preaching, welcoming all who come to Christ’s table and the water of baptism, teaching, visiting, and doing justice work, my particular portfolio includes oversight of the liturgy, nurturing staff and walking alongside ministry leaders to keep us connected and moving with the Holy Spirit, who is usually quite a few steps ahead of us in the world. I’m inspired by how God works through all of us, even with our challenges and hurts, including my own many vulnerabilities. I seek to be a joyful, gentle and humble servant of this blessed assembly of saints and sinners.

I grew up in Ohio, attended Ohio University, went to seminary at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio and did graduate work at Emory University in pastoral care and liturgical studies. I’ve served in congregations in Ohio and Georgia, as well as at Canon Chapel at Emory University, Atlanta. With quite a few ups and downs along the way, I’ve learned that the whenever and wherever the body of Christ, which includes you, is full of grace, compassion, love, seeking to do justice, reforming and disrupting both church and world, my heart sings.

I live in south Minneapolis and love the ever-changing view of the Mississippi River as I cross it just about every day. My husband, Darin, also an ELCA pastor, serves as a director of spiritual care at Ebenezer Ridges, Burnsville. He’s the gardener and I’m the cook. We savor all the seasons, even the cold and snow, reading good books, traveling, walking along Minnehaha Creek, and our families.

I serve as the Associate Pastor, helping this church create community and serve our hurting and beautiful world. Most of us spend time in a metaphorical middle school lunch room, looking for somewhere to sit. My great joy is when we foster a sense of belonging for all of God’s wild and holy people to find their seat at a table. Raised by farmers in ND, I love helping things grow.

I started working in the ELCA first in Outdoor Ministry, which led to a decade in fulltime youth ministry in both Idaho and here in the Twin Cities. While attending Luther Seminary, I started a new church called Humble Walk Lutheran Church and served as the pastor/church planter for 15 years.

I am lucky to be married to Nate, a baker and musician, and together we have two incredible offspring. I love reading, live music, being outside and traveling. I am genuinely good at hanging out.

In my call as an associate pastor, I support this congregation as we join God’s presence at work outside the walls of our church building. Through outreach, service, advocacy, and more, we use the gifts that God has given us as individuals and as a whole congregation to courageously love and humbly serve our neighbors, near and far. I love witnessing our faithful action as followers of Christ come into alignment with the loving, just, and peaceful reality of God’s kin-dom in the world.

I grew up in Minnesota, attended St. Olaf College, went to seminary at Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey, and completed my Lutheran coursework at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (now part of United Lutheran Seminary) in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Additionally, I journeyed through a year-long Clinical Pastoral Education Residency at Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park. I’ve served with faith-based social justice nonprofits in Washington, DC, congregations in Washington, DC and Winona, and most recently as a chaplain for senior living communities in the Twin Cities. Wherever I’ve served, I’ve sought to participate in the work that God is doing to heal our spirits, communities, and world.

I live in Minneapolis with my husband Chris, a pastor who serves at Central Presbyterian Church in St. Paul, and our wonderful daughter. Spending time outside, running long distances, hiking, gardening, making music with others, and exploring the Twin Cities by bike and on foot with my family all bring me joy.

I am so excited to be serving as the Deacon of Youth and Family Faith Formation here at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church! I have been serving in youth ministry since 2009 and love bringing youth and families together in their faith, celebrating their church life and finding friendships that can talk about the deep stuff (while also having fun)!

I have bounced between North Dakota and Minnesota most of my life and am excited to be living here in the Twin Cities again. I look forward to enjoying our family cabin in the summer, as well as Twins Games and live concerts. I became ordained as a Deacon in 2021 after receiving my Master’s Degree in Children, Youth and Family Ministries from Luther Seminary here in St. Paul. I love sharing the word of God through preaching, teaching Confirmation, and random hangouts with our teens. I look forward to serving God through our time together here at Gloria Dei!

MINISTRY DIRECTORS

My name is Kyrstin Schwartz and I love getting to hang out with the kids at Gloria Dei from Sunday School to Vacation Bible School and more. I live in Inver Grove Heights with my husband Keith and two children, Gus (11 years) and Lila (7 years). As a family we love spending time in our pool, having movie nights, playing legos and going on adventures!

I have been involved in Children’s Ministry since I was in high school! I began by volunteering in the Nursery at my church where I grew up in Minneapolis and then led a summer church day camp during college. After graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College I taught Preschool before beginning full time ministry in 2005. I served at Faith Lutheran Church in Forest Lake as the Children, Youth and Family Director for 13 years. in 2018, I was thrilled to join the Gloria Dei team as the Children’s Ministry Director. It is such a joy to grow in our faith together at Gloria Dei!

Learn more about Gloria Dei’s Children’s Ministry.

Faith Community Nursing is a specialty practice that involves caring for the whole person: spirit, mind, and body, three indivisible parts of a whole entity that makes up each very individual human being. My goal is to help people to stay healthy in all of these ways. At Gloria Dei, the parish nurse works with pastors and member-led caring ministry teams to address needs within the congregation as well as supporting health promotion efforts for our neighbors in the community such as Circle of Caring blood drives, Project Home, and local food pantries.

I grew up in St Paul and am happy to be a lifelong member of Gloria Dei. I earned a bachelors’ degree in Nursing from The College of St Catherine and a master’s degree in Nursing from the University of Minnesota. I am a Minnesota-licensed RN, and Public Health Nurse with national credentials in Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing and Faith Community Nursing. I have worked with people in hospitals, home health care, public health, and educational settings. Regardless of physical ability, our souls can be amazingly strong, joyful and resilient. This gives me great hope.

I live in St Paul with my husband Scott, who is retired. We have an adult son who lives in Duluth. I enjoy spending time outdoors, reading, and spending time with my family and friends.

As Director of Instrumental Ensembles and Composer-In-Residence, my responsibilities include leading congregational song from the piano, leading orchestral-instrument and jazz ensembles, handbells, the Matins Choir, and providing original music for worship and special events at Gloria Dei. For fall 2025, I will also lead the Schola Cantorum and Chancel Choir as the congregation searches for a new Director of Music. It is a privilege to serve this very musical congregation, sharing the transformative power of music for faith and community formation, and transcendent experience. I will also serve an interim as Director of Orchestral Activities at Luther College for the ’25-’26 academic year.

With BA from Bethel College (KS) and MMus and DMA from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice, I conducted and taught at Valparaiso University as Reddel Professor from 1991 to 2019 when we moved to St. Paul. Since then, I’ve served as Director of Music at St. John’s Lutheran in Lakeville, and conducted in Shanghai, Warsaw, Chicago, New York, and more locally at St. Olaf College and the Ordway. I have original music in Evangelical Lutheran Worship along with accompaniments in This Far by Faith.

Grateful to be deeply engaged with our grandchildren, Michelle and I are living the dream of close family while enjoying great arts, food, recreation and new friends in Minnesota!