Our Pastor

Pastor Susan Strouse is a native of Pottstown, PA (near Philadelphia) and is a graduate of Antioch University/Philadelphia (B.A. in Human Services) and the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg (Master of Divinity) She has previously served congregations in Buffalo, NY and Novato, CA. She has been at First United since December 2004.

In 2005 she received a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley. Her area of study and interest is interfaith theology, particularly working with congregations and clergy to explore the meaning of being a Christian in our religiously diverse world. She currently serves on the board of directors of the Interfaith Center at the Presidio, as well as the planning group for the annual gathering of the North American Interfaith Network (NAIN) in San Francisco in 2008.

Pastor Susan can be reached at Pastorsusan@fulc.com

To access the September 2008 Compact between First United and Pastor Strouse click here.

Pastor to the Welcome Ministry:  Jay Wilson

By unanimous vote in 2008, First United extended a call to Jay Wilson as Pastor to the Welcome Ministry.  Jay has worked with religious communities and diverse organizations as a presenter, educator, and advocate in cross-movement anti-oppression, sexuality and gender identity, Self-Advocacy movement, and community access.  He was Approved for Call through Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, and serves ELM as chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Ellipse.  For more information about Jay, see his profile on the Welcome Ministry website.   Jay was ordained by First United Lutheran Church and Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries on December 6, 2008.

Our Music Director & Office Administrator

Orion Pitts--

Seek and engage the Mystery.

Cultivate silence.

BA Music Ed Lenoir-Rhyne College

US Navy School of Music

Grad studies in Music/Choral Conducting Westminster Choir College

MFA Acting Rutgers University

and gratitude for the richness and diversity that followed and continues.

e-mail address: orion@fulc.com

Hear some samples of First United's music here.