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Mission and Vision
for Amazing Grace

Are you connected to Amazing Grace somehow? Tell the council how Amazing Grace can be your church by helping define the mission and vision for Amazing Grace in the next five to ten years.
Learn more!

Who's Who at
Amazing Grace

Staff
Pastor: Interim Pastor Gary Steele

Administrative Assistant &

Music Ministry Coordinator: Chris Barnett

Council
President: Ose Matsutani
President-Elect: Dick Mandsager
Council Secretary: Kathy Richards

Financial Secretary: Sandra Creamer
Treasurer: Jeff Corwith

Members-at-large
Ose Matsutani
Sandy Lockhart
Bill Babylon

Steve Pratt

Healing & Wholeness
Chair: Kate Pratt
Council Rep: Tara Orley

Parish Education
Redesign chair: Cindy Ellis

Trustees
Chair and Council Rep: Allison Griffith

Worship and Music
Chair: Bess Anne Corwith

Family & Youth
Chair and Council Rep: Tammy Hobbs

Other Leaders
Parish Nurses: Sue Wiese, Tara Orley, Carol Bagley, Gail Augdahl, Deni Callahan, Sheryl Dubuisson and Laurie Whitlock
Choir Director and Organist/Pianist: Martha Clinehens
Organist/Pianist:Kathryn Eckmann
Organist/Pianist: Dwayne Trujillo

Organist/Pianist: Lucy Kunkler
Preschool Director: Mary Scott

Meet some of Amazing Grace's leaders

Our Interim Pastor

Our Music Ministry Coordinator, Chris Barnett

Interim Pastor Gary Steele

Administrative Assistant & Music Ministry Coordinator

Chris Barnett

Chris Barnett grew up in the suburbs of Chicago where she attended both Lutheran elementary and high schools. She graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, MN with a degree in music education in 1988. Her first job was in a small school in rural Montana where she met her husband, Ted, and taught music kindergarten through 12th grade. In 1989, Ted and Chris moved to Anchorage where Chris worked for Keyboards West for a number of years, grew her own piano studio of 60 students, and had two children, Matt and Leigh Ann. When Leigh Ann was nearly school-age Chris went back to work part-time as the music teacher at both Anchor Lutheran and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton elementary schools. The following year she went to work for the Anchorage School District and was the music teacher at Huffman Elementary for the next seven years (during which time her youngest, Cody, made his entrance) Chris has always been an organizer, coordinating the school district’s Honor Choir and working with her own choirs and Orff ensembles of 75 students or more. Her last year at Huffman, Chris led the students in a production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I. The performances were met with rave reviews and more than 100 Huffman elementary students were involved.

Chris comes to Amazing Grace with a deep love for children and a desire to share her love of music and theater with our amazing kids. Chris plans to use her organizational skills in the front office creating the worship bulletins and her musical and drama skills will be put to work coordinating the many talented people of all ages who make up Amazing Grace.

Chris can be contacted at aglc@gci.net or (907) 344-4317.

Former Leaders

Pastors Rev. Tom Miller (interim) Rev. Jeff Milstein (interim) Rev. Larry Jorgenson (1999-2007)Rev. Bruce Engebretson (1988-99)
Rev. Glenn Groth (interim)
Rev. Don Parsons (1978-87)
Rev. Al Solmonson (1974-77)

Family & Youth Ministers
Gloria Lannen (200 -2007) Kim Drennan-Kilkenny (1998-2001)
Elaine Stamm (1993-96)
Craig O'Donoghue (1990-92)
Ross Degerstedt (1985)

Intern Pastors
Katie Yahns (2004-05)
Lisa Smith (2003-04)
Rev. Nancy Hanson (2002-03)
Rev. Ashley Masoni (2001-02)
Rev. Steve Blenkush (1986-87)
Rev. Linda Johnson Prestholt (1985-86)
Rev. Greg Johnson (1984-85)
Rev. Mark Woldseth (1983-84)
Rev. Kent Stillson (1982-83)
Rev. Steve Dahl (1981-82)
Rev. Ole Gunderson (1980-81)
Rev. Steve Nerheim (1979-80)
Rev. Paul Daniel (1978-79)