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The Rev. Dr. William Bernard Trexler began his service as Senior Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Norfolk, Virginia January 1, 2001. A native North Carolinian, Pr. Trexler graduated from Duke University and Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. Following his ordination in 1970, he served parishes in Miami, Florida; Greenwood, South Carolina; and Jacksonville, Florida; represented the Lutheran Church in America Division for Parish Services in its southeast region; and in 1995 was elected second Bishop of the Florida-Bahamas Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Pastor Trexler has served his church in local, regional, and churchwide capacities. His gifts include music, worship, visioning, and group development. His 1991 doctoral thesis was, "Church Architecture as Communicator of Incarnational Theology." In 1995 Southern Seminary awarded him the John Benjamin Bedenbaugh Alumni/ae Award for Distinguished Pastoral Leadership. In 1997 Newberry College conferred an L.H.D. on Bishop Trexler, and in 1999 he received an S.T.D. from the South Florida Center for Theological Studies. Pastor and Mrs. (Karla) Trexler live in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and are the parents of three grown children.
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Pastor Jay Gamelin was born in St. Petersburg, FL the son of a College Political Science Professor and Homemaker. When Pastor Jay was 4 years old, both parents went to Gettysburg Seminary and are now both ordained clergy in the ELCA. He attended Lenoir-Rhyne College in North Carolina, graduating with a degree in Theology/Philosophy and Christian Education. While in college he helped create a musical group, "Second Story." Pastor Jay married his friend from High School, Tia in 1997. After a national tour and 3 albums, Pastor Jay decided to follow a call to ordained ministry. He graduated Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, South Carolina in 2001 and is now pleased to serve First Lutheran in Norfolk. Abel A Gamelin was born in May of 2004. Tia is taking time from her position as Occupational Therapist to parent Abel. Jay and Tia love travel, laughing, movies, and being out of doors whenever possible.
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Jane Nicholson serves as our Associate in Ministry for Spiritual Growth of Children and Adults. She works with our Wednesday evening Gathering, educational opportunities for adults and children, retreat ministries, and is engaged in ministry with our Senior Adult members. Jane received her Bachelor of Arts from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and attended Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio to earn her Master of Arts in Lay Ministry Degree. She has served as a Youth Ministry Intern in the North Carolina Synod and the Director of Parish Ministry at St. Michael Lutheran Church in Greenville, SC. For three years, Jane worked throughout the Southeast United States as the congregational sales representative for Augsburg Fortress Publishers, and served as Associate in Ministry in Fairport, New York from 1996 to 2003. Jane and her husband Mark reside in Virginia Beach.
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Bonnie was born and raised in St. Paul, MN. She has lived in WI, TX, NY, and VA. Bonnie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business/Finance from St. Cloud State Univ. She has worked in the banking industry in consumer loan servicing in a supervisory role. Bonnie is an active member of First Lutheran Church. She was a Treasurer of WELCA, a Sunday and Vacation Bible School teacher, and is currently a member of the Learning Committee. She lives in the Hickory section of Chesapeake with her husband Clark, the Director of Area Operations for Wendy's, and their 2 daughters.
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Sue Clark has been working at First Lutheran since 1994. Previously she served in the Office of the Bishop of the Virginia Synod. She has served as a Resource Person for resource materials as well as training teachers in Christian Education. She was born in South Dakota and grew up in Norfolk, attending Granby High School and later Old Dominion, where she trained as an Elementary teacher. She taught elementary school for five years. Sue has lived in several states and several cities around Virginia with her husband, Terry, who serves as pastor at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Virginia Beach. They have three grown children.
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Ann Cole is our Director of Volunteer Ministries here at First Lutheran Church. The mother of five children, Ann has been active in various volunteer organizations, including the PTA and the Officers' Spouses Club at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UNC-Greensboro, North Carolina. A member of First Lutheran since early 1999, Ann has served as a member of the Learning Managing Group, taught Vacation Bible School and served as an officer of WELCA. She lives in Great Bridge with her husband , Dr. Ric Cole and her children.
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I grew up in the Wrigleyville neighborhood of Chicago (GO CUBS!). It was while pursuing a masters degree in Nursing Administrative Services at Loyola University that I became interested in Parish Nursing. Parish nursing had its beginnings in the Chicago area, and so I grew up professionally as Parish Nursing was developing into the nursing specialty it is today. Parish nursing is an extension of the healing ministry of Jesus Christ. We concern ourselves with the physical, spiritual and emotional well-being of our congregation. I am an active member of FLC and have three young sons and a nurse husband that I have recruited to assist in this ministry. (I'm still trying to talk him into the quilting group.)
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Dr. Lee Tepley holds degrees in organ performance, music theory, and literature from Oberlin College Conservatory (BM) and Eastman School of Music (MM, DMA). In addition to serving as FLC's Director of Music, Dr. Tepley teaches courses in music theory and hisory at Old Dominion University, where he also directs the ODU Madrigal Singers and ODU Collegium Musicum. Dr. Tepley is also a free-lance music critic for the Virginian-Pilot, and is the Director of Schola Cantorum. Before serving at FLC, Dr. Tepley worked at Epworth United Methodist Church, First Presbyterian Church, Royster Presbyterian Church, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church and First Presyterian Church (Lewiston, NY).
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Lawrence Carr is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. While still in high school he studied as an honor student at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he completed a Bachelor of Music with a double major in piano and organ performance in the classes of John Quincy Bass and David Mulbury. Carr completed graduate degrees at the Eastman School of Music and the University of Maryland in organ and piano performance. His teachers included David Craighead, Barry Snyder, and Bradford Gowen. In addition to serving as a faculty member at Hamilton College in New York and Virginia Wesleyan College, Carr is often sought after as an accompanist in the Tidewater area, and teaches piano privately.
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Michelle has been employed as Church Sexton (part time) since September 1998. On a Sunday morning one finds Michelle involved in a number of tasks--manning the office, tagging errantly parked vehicles in the lot, comforting a troubled youth, helping to set up Coffee Hour, etc. In this capacity, she also helps with Leisure Time, The Gatherings, and with other groups and church functions. Michelle recalls that she and her mother, Barbara (Protsman) Cordrey, started attending First Lutheran when she was very, very young. Michelle took Catechism class under Pastor Emeritus The Rev. Dr. Marshall Mauney and has fond memories of being raised at First Lutheran, especially during the time that Pastor Bill Singleton worked with the youth. As a member, Michelle voluntarily coordinates and oversees the Lunch Ministry Program. It is rumored that she can prepare a delicious, mouth-watering meal within a limited budget. It is not unusual to find Michelle absorbed in a good book. Typically, she reads two books concurrently, one for pleasure and the other for knowledge. She loves card games, backgammon, cooking, springtime, laughing, and feeling useful. Michelle considers herself a "classic rock and roll" girl. She danced at attended rock concerts during her prior years. There are two Bible verses that are guiding principles in her life: "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." (Luke 6:37); "So in everything do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12) Michelle is a native of Norfolk, and she currently resides with her daughter, Dana Postman, in Portsmouth.
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