Rev Greg Williams Senior Pastor

Education
B.A. – Chemistry, Wake Forest University, 1979
M.Div., Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS), 1986

Congregations Served
1986 – 1990       Shiloh Lutheran, Hickory
1990 – 1995       Holy Trinity Lutheran, Gastonia
1995 – 2005       Bethany Lutheran, Hickory
2005 – Present  Grace Lutheran Church, Hendersonville

                                                    Ministry Beyond the Congregation

• Western North Carolina Via de Cristo – Spiritual Director for weekends & on the Secretariat (several times)

• Hand in Hand Teens Encounter Christ (TEC) – Spiritual Director for weekends & on the TEC Council (numerous times)

• NC Synod Youth Ministry Committee ('88 – '91)

• NC Lutheran Men in Mission – Pastoral Advisor ('90-'91)

• NC Synod Lay Ministry Task Force ('98 – '03) (Chair, '01-'03)

• Wake Forest University Ministerial Council ('00-'02)

• HOSTS (Help One Student To Succeed) mentor at Longview Elementary School ('98 – present)

• Habitat for Humanity – volunteer with the Catawba Valley chapter

• Faith Community Task Force on Poverty – participant since 1999; member of 2003-05 Advisory Committee 

• L.I.G.H.T.S. in Mission (Lutherans In Greater Hickory Together Serving)

               Rev  Ken Langsdorf

A native of Madison, Wisconsin, Langsdorf received his BA in religion from Carthage College, a Lutheran college in Kenosha, WI in 1988, and his Master of Divinity from Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 1992. He was ordained the same year and has served since in North Carolina congregations as Associate Pastor in Winston-Salem and Pastor in Southport and Mount Holly ELCA Lutheran churches. He also served for two years beginning in 1992 as Lutheran Campus Pastor at Wake Forest University.

   Sue Filson
Director of Adult Ministry

    Sue Filson has been involved at Grace as a member and volunteer in Christian Education and Youth Ministry since 1989. She joined the staff in 1995 as Christian Education Director after serving as Christian Education Committee Chair for several years.

    Sue grew up in Washington state attending Washington State University and graduating from The Evergreen  State College. She met her husband Kevin and moved to Kentucky after they got married. Their two daughters, Kindra and Nicolette, were born in the Bluegrass State before moving to North Carolina in 1987.

    Known as “Miss Sue” to scores of Grace children, Sue oversees the educational programs at Grace, including Sunday School, nursery, Small Group Ministry and special Cross+Generational events. She also plans trips, potlucks and activities for Grace's active OWLs (Older Wiser Lutherans) group.

    Sue envisions that Grace's programs will equip its members to grow closer in their relationship to God and to faithfully serve its community and each other as Christ would.

Mary Mujica
Director of Children and Family Ministry

Karen-Eve Photzer

Gifts Ministry Coordintaor

The 'PLACE Lady' at Grace is Karen-Eve Pfotzer (nee Bayne), a Henderson County native with family roots going back over 200 years locally. Going from global  to local again, she returned to the US in 2006 after 25 years away: 10 years in DC/ NYC and 15 years in the UK/Europe in international business. She holds degrees in sociology, psychology, and theology from UNCA, INSEAD (France) and Trinity College (UK).With a background in business, Human Resources, counselling and a passion for encouraging people in personal development, she volunteered to train for the PLACE Program as part of our new Gifts Ministry. Karen-Eve came on board in Oct 2009 part-time to implement PLACE and develop our Gifts Minsitry.   

     Karen-Eve, has a passion for connecting people with what will bring them joy and fulfillment. She believes that people should involve themselves in ministries according to their unique design by God and be inspired by their ministry. She believes there is joyfull place for everyone at Grace.  As a well-known storyteller and performer, Karen-Eve also directs the Do Tell Storyfest in town and sits on several boards locally.  She and her daughter, Allison, have been members since 2007. Allison, an active teenager, can tell a tale or two and loves being part of the Grace family! If you want to do something meaningful at Grace, call the PLACE Lady to help you out!

Karen Harris, Administrative Secretary

    In July 2003, Karen became the Administrative Secretary for Grace. She serves on Hospitality and Christian Education Committees, leads the Squeakers Youth group, (for 1^st & 2^nd graders), is a Girl Scout leader and is the recording secretary for the church council.

    Karen Harris is a native of California but her family's roots are here in Henderson County. Following high school, she attended Los Angeles Valley College and Cal State University at Northridge where she received her Child Development certificates.  She worked for Burbank Unified School District for 8 years and owned her own day care business for seven years.

    The Harris family moved to North Carolina four years ago, joined Grace Lutheran and love living here. Karen has been married to Brad Harris for 19 years and together they own a Heavy Equipment and building supply moving company. They have two daughters, Katelyn, (age 13) and Kassidy, (age 7).

Mary E. Jones, Secretary

Mary was born in Missouri, raised in Illinois and has lived in St. Paul, Minnesota, Nashville, TN, Olive Branch, MS, and South Carolina. She and her husband, Robert, moved from Memphis , TN to Asheville , NC in 1995, eventually settling in Etowah , NC .
She has worked various places such as Holiday Inn Corporation, Holt Adoption Services, Montreat College , and various churches including Biltmore Baptist where she worked for five years using the ACS church system. Mary came on staff June 5, 2006 from Etowah Valley Veterinary Hospital where she was Office Manager.
She is married to Robert and they have two children, Geoff and Suzette. She attends Etowah Baptist and her hobbies are genealogy research, painting and music.

Bill Wothke, Treasurer

    Bill says he was originally from Monroe, Michigan, but actually grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a graduate of Arizona State University with a B.S. in Economics and Business Management. In 1961 Bill began working for Shell Oil Company, a career that spanned 30 years, until his retirement in 1991 in Houston, Texas.

    Following retirement and after reading a few articles about retirement areas, Bill and Sherry visited, and then selected, Hendersonville as their new home. They moved here in 1991 and joined Grace that same year. Married since 1959, they have two children: Rhonda, who lives in Sunnyvale, California, and Randy, back in Houston. They have one granddaughter.

    Bill has been the church treasurer for the past seven years. He serves on the Finance Committee and is responsible for preparing the church financial statements. He loves to sing. He is a member of the Grace choir and also sings in the Carolina Concert Choir.

Lynda Martinez, Sexton/Wedding Planner/Coordinator

    Lynda's Hendersonville connection began early in life, since she spent summers here from the age of eight. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Lynda attended Miami-Dade Community College where she majored in Secretarial Science. She married her husband Joe in 1967 and moved here permanently with her parents in 1969 while Joe was in the service.

    Lynda is the most senior employee at Grace. She has been a church sexton for the past twenty-nine years, starting in 1975 at the old church location downtown. She is also a long-time member of Grace, having joined 35 years ago when she came to Hendersonville.

   Lynda and Joe live in Etowah. They have two sons, Michael and Bryan, and two grandchildren, all of whom live locally. Lynda's hobby is gardening and Joe's is model trains.

Anthony Somers - Custodian

Susan Stanley - Receptionist