Our Ministering Staff

Paul E. Hoffman
Lead Pastor

Paul Hoffman has served as Phinney’s lead pastor since 1996. A native of Pennsylvania, Paul has led congregations in Texas and Nebraska before becoming a Northwesterner.

Paul is convinced that the world can be a more just and welcome home for all as we see ourselves in service to God and one another. He has been instrumental in his leadership at Phinney Ridge Lutheran Church in bringing Tent City to the congregation’s front lawn on two occasions, calling a social worker onto the staff as a full-time minister, and fostering interfaith relationships with Jews and Muslims.

He serves the Northwest Washington Synod as chair of the candidacy committee, is on the Board of Directors of Congregational Leadership Northwest, and, along with Associate Pastor Beverly Piro, has founded and directs FAITH and FONT, a national training event for seminary students and congregational leaders in bringing adults to Christ through preparation for Holy Baptism.

Paul is also a classically trained musician and is the author of countless articles and of two books: Stations of the Cross and Faith Forming Faith. He is an avid photographer and loves to read, garden, run around Green Lake, cook, and travel. Paul is married to Donna, whose primary vocations are as a reading specialist and Children’s Choir Director at Phinney Ridge.

 

 

Darren Hochstedler
Parish Administrator; Gospel Choir Director

Darren believes that a beautiful and well cared for facility and grounds and strong financial health speaks as loudly to the community about our faith as what is spoken from the pulpit or sung from the choir loft. He views our church as a “community center”, a place where all people are invited to gather. “I am happiest when the parking lot is overflowing and the building is full of people. A community organizer in her office working for social justice, a music concert in the sanctuary, a support group of parents and their children meeting in a room next to an AA group, a group of volunteers passing out food to the hungry, this is ‘church’ at its best!”

Equally comfortable managing building projects, sitting behind his computer screen crunching numbers for the budget, standing in the dumpster “compacting” trash or sitting behind the piano leading congregational song, Darren thrives on variety. “If I didn’t have to work for a living, I would volunteer to do most of the things I do at the church. Not the meetings! No, they would still have to pay me to come to the meetings!”

 

Nancy Monelli
Children and Family Minister

Nancy was born and raised in Arizona and moved to Seattle in 2006. She graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in Drama and received her Masters in Theology from Fuller Seminary. For over twenty-five years Nancy has been blessed with work at churches in the areas of Christian education, youth ministry, and pastoral care – including time spent as a missionary in Rwanda. She is thrilled to be at PRLC and is excited by this opportunity to grow in wonder, love, and praise with the families of this congregation.

Nancy lives with her husband Roy Mock and their 22-year-old cat Yoda in lower Queen Anne, where their balcony is a mini wildlife preserve for crows, a variety of small birds, and a very feisty squirrel.

 

Elizabeth Rawlings-Wright
Vicar

Elizabeth Rawlings-Wright grew up outside Cleveland, Ohio where she spent her time unevenly divided between her loves of theatre, music, church and camp (many of these things are related). She graduated from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, NC with a major in Outdoor Leadership and minor in Religion. She has worked in outdoor programs in Ohio, Illinois, Colorado, New Mexico, and Montana (on the Blackfeet and Northern Cheyenne reservations) and was Director of Youth and Family Ministries at Saint Andrew’s Lutheran in Bellevue, WA. Elizabeth also holds a Master in Public Administration from Seattle University and is currently finishing her Master of Divinity at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, CA.

Elizabeth and her husband Donny live in Renton. She loves hiking, playing with her dog Rocky, kayaking, and exploring restaurants in the greater Seattle area. She is passionate about the role the church can play in creating a more just, loving society and works hard to find ways to do church in the 21st century. She blogs about all of these things at http://feetinarmsout.wordpress.com.

 

Tim Sullivan
Child Development Center Director

Christina Bogar
Office Manager

Valerie Shields
Organist; Youth Choir Director

Beth Ann Bonnecroy
Chancel and Handbell Choirs Director

Donna Hoffman
Children’s Choir Director

Shari Anderson
Accompanist

Anthony Nelson
Custodian

Dallas Cooper
Custodian