Holy Faith Church, Lutheran and Episcopal, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Pastor Ian grew up in northern California and came to Michigan in 1995 to get a masters degree in fiction writing at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. After completing that work, he stayed on to teach undergraduate creative writing and to act as Assistant Director of the graduate program. That experience made him realize how much he loved teaching--the opportunity to cultivate the gifts and coach the growth of others--and it was that love which began to stir up in him the call to become a minister.

He did not grow up in the church, but came to it on his own in his late twenties. This experience has been important to him in his work to make the church relevant to contemporary life. He did his seminary work at Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, and most recently at Seabury-Western in Evanston, IL. He became the pastor of Holy Faith in January 2007.

Pastor Ian says "My vision for Holy Faith is that it be a place of great service and connection to the community and the world, and also of deep spiritual engagement and welcome for all who enter its doors." As the pastor, he has worked to empower congregation members to do the ministry to which they feel called, both as individuals and as the church together.

Pastor Ian, his wife, and their three children live in Ann Arbor. He enjoys being with his family, riding his scooter, running, reading, soccer, and playing jazz piano.

Deacon Don and his wife Tish live in Ann Arbor where they met in college in 1967.  He was ordained a deacon in 1997 and came to Holy Faith in September 2009.  Previously he had served for four years at St. Clare's Episcopal Church in Ann Arbor and, more recently, for eight years at St. John's Episcopal Church in Howell.  He is a graduate of the Whitaker School of Theology.

He is Director of Services of the Saline Area Social Service, Inc.

Deacon Don is a caring and compassionate listener.  He is available for pastoral care, counseling and visitations.

In his free time, Deacon Don enjoys being with family and is especially delighted to serve at a church where his wife, daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren are members.  He and Tish like road trips around Michigan, visiting lighthouses and bed-and-breakfasts.

As a musician, Charles has trained primarily as an organist, and has degrees in organ performance from Oberlin College and Yale University. He has also studied composition at Yale and choral conducting primarily at Oberlin. He has had a steady string of church jobs - mostly in Protestant denominations - since high school. Locally, he was the music director at Lord of Light Lutheran Church for eight years; after that, Northside Presbyterian for two; and (most recently) served as organist at West Side United Methodist Church. Charles has been the musician at Holy Faith since September of 2008.

After working in music publishing for a few years in the late 80s, he went to library school at the University of Illinois to prepare for a career in music librarianship. He has been at the UM Music Library since 1993 and became its director in January of 2001. He also holds a joint appointment with the department of musicology at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, teaching each fall.

He has interests in jazz piano and generally in improvisation. He describes his musical tastes as eclectic and listens to a wide variety of differing styles, including classical, jazz, some rock & roll and techno. He also has a keen interest in some of the newer, emerging styles of music that blend Western "classical" music with popular styles.

Of his role at Holy Faith, he says, "I am looking forward to building an inclusive program, one that explores and celebrates a variety of musical styles, expressed in a way that deepens and enriches the overall worship experience." He also has an interest in dance as well as other art forms, both visual and performing.

Charles grew up in Stockton, California, not far from where Pastor Ian did in Davis. He is an avid cyclist (mostly mountain biking, but also road) and a gym rat, has a long-standing interest in Buddhism, and loves the North Woods, particularly Lake Superior.

Joan and her husband, Jim, moved to Ann Arbor from St. Paul, Minnesota in 2001. They have two children, Marcus and Kelly, who attend Saline Schools. For the past three years Joan has worked in the front office at Heritage School in Saline. Prior to working at Heritage, Joan was a stay-at-home mom who spent much of her free time volunteering at school and in the community. She has volunteered at Safe House, delivered Meals on Wheels, has been active with the Jr. League of Ann Arbor and with the PTO at Harvest and Heritage schools. She also served as a Sunday School Teacher at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Minnesota. In Joan’s free time she enjoys scrapbooking, geneology, reading, and spending time with her family.