Senior Pastor Announcement

ARTICLE UPDATE: 

On Sunday, May 28, the Congregation voted to call the Rev. Dr. Jennifer Hope-Tringali to serve as Senior Pastor of Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church. Pastor Hope-Tringali is expected to begin her call on Sept. 1, 2023.

Thanks be to God! – President Terri Koehler

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Dear Faithful People of Christ the King Church,

I am delighted to announce the joyful news that the Congregational Council has unanimously endorsed the recommendation of the Call Committee that our congregation call the Rev. Jennifer Hope-Tringali to serve as the next senior pastor of Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church. The Call Committee and Council are confident that the Holy Spirit led us to Pastor Hope-Tringali; she possesses multiple gifts that precisely match our congregation’s needs and vision as described in our Ministry Site Profile. 

Pastor Hope-Tringali currently serves as Executive Director and Dean of Hope Academy, a bilingual STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) school for girls from impoverished families living in rural Guatemala. She has been a rostered minister with the Lower Susquehanna Synod in Pennsylvania since June of 2016. Pastor Hope-Tringali has been dividing her time between Guatemala and Harrisburg, PA. She expects to receive her Doctor of Ministry degree in Missions/Missiology from United Lutheran Seminar in Gettysburg, PA in 2023 with highest honors. She speaks Spanish fluently.

On Pentecost Sunday, May 28, Pastor Hope-Tringali will be preaching at the 11:00 a.m. worship service on the Rice Village Campus. We will have only one worship service that day. Immediately following the service, a special meeting of the congregation will include a brief Q&A session with Pastor Hope-Tringali followed by a congregational vote on the Call. A special celebratory Pentecost Picnic in the Courtyard will follow the meeting.

Pastor Hope-Tringali will be accompanied on her trip to Houston by her husband, Deacon David Hope-Tringali, three-year-old daughter, Maeve, and mother, Ruth Jeannerat. You will have at least two social opportunities to meet with Pr. Hope-Tringali and her family during their visit. An outdoor gathering, with lots of playtime for children, will be held in the Rice Village Campus courtyard on the morning of Saturday, May 27. Immediately prior to the worship service on Sunday, May 28, there will be a Meet-and-Greet in the courtyard. Watch for more details of these events and more in the coming weeks.

Please join me in thanking our outstanding Call Committee: Anne Clutterbuck (chair), Kathy Collins (secretary), Quentin Adams, Victoria Allen, Jill Baker, Henry Goodrow, Andrea Salas, Nathan Wiker, and Emily Winesett. This hardworking group accomplished their charge with extraordinary effort, prayerful deliberation, and careful listening to God’s voice. We are also indebted to the Rev. Dr. Tracey Breashears- Schultz, the Gulf Coast Synod Bishop’s Associate for Leadership, for her wisdom and guidance during the call process.

The Call Committee will host a special Adult Forum on Sunday, May 21 at 9:30 a.m. on the Rice Village Campus. The Committee will present more information about Pastor Hope-Tringali and answer members’ questions. 

I am so very pleased that the Council and Pastor Hope-Tringali have reached mutual agreement on the terms of her call. She is very excited about joining us. She plans to live in the parsonage so as to be close to the church and part of the community. Pending affirmation by the congregation, Pastor Hope-Tringali will begin her position in the early Fall.

Thanks be to God!

Terri Koehler
Congregational Council President