About Us

All are welcome.

We are a vibrant, welcoming and inclusive community shaped by the Lutheran tradition and sent out into the world to live out God’s love in Christ.

About St. Luke

We welcome all who seek a closer relationship with God. While you may come from another faith tradition, or none at all, we hope to join hands with you in ministry inside our four walls and also building relationships with those in need beyond our doors. Since our founding in 1943 special emphasis has been placed on personal spiritual growth and serving our neighbor.

Together with the 10,000+ congregations of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), we

celebrate the gift of who we are – people of varied ethnic, gender, sexual, age, and spiritual backgrounds.

To our LGBTQ sisters and brothers we want you to know this – you are welcome to be a full and integral part of the St. Luke community.

Come and experience the journey as Christ shapes us all!

We are a Reconciling in Christ Community

As a Reconciling in Christ community, we affirm and celebrate the worth and dignity of all persons regardless of their gender identity, race, or sexual orientation. Read our welcome statement:

RiC Welcome Statement

Our staff

Patti Welch
Lead Pastor

Rev. Patti Welch was born and raised in Hinsdale, Illinois, a suburb outside of Chicago. She attended Carnegie-Mellon University graduating with a BFA in Drama. Patti relocated to Manhattan pursuing a career in the theater. While the theater was both rewarding and challenging, she eventually decided to change direction and began working with the New York Association for New Americans resettling Jewish refugees from Russia. During her time with NYANA Patti joined Advent Lutheran Church and became a founding member of Westsiders Together, a community organization that advocated for citizen rights in sanitation, housing, and education. During this time, Patti felt a call to pursue ordained ministry where she could bring the sacraments of ministry and good news to everyone she encountered.

Following her graduation from General Theological Seminary, Patti was called to serve as Assistant Minister of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Manhattan. She was then invited to join the clergy team of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. During her tenure at CSJD Patti has ministered to the Cathedral’s resident congregation, school, and its many visitors.

Rev. Welch is married to Lee Welch, a psychotherapist in private practice. They have two sons, Evan and Brendan. The Welches love playing and composing music, hiking, watching movies, cooking, and telling stories.

Beth Brashear
Associate Pastor

Pr. Beth Brashear grew up in various parts of Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina, but mostly hales from Chapel Hill, NC. She graduated from Appalachian State University (‘01), then Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary (now United Lutheran Seminary) in 2005.

Her call to ministry grew from a love for the Church that had been a place of welcome throughout her life and from a deep sense of a Love that undergirds the universe, a Love that calls us into the fullness of a life dedicated to blessing for Love’s sake.

Since her ordination in 2005, she has served in all 4 corners of the US—Grace Lutheran in Johnstown, PA; Joy of Discovery in Raleigh, NC; Hope Lutheran in Palm Desert, CA; and now with St. Luke here in Portland since 2017. She also spent her internship as a student pastor with the American Church in Berlin (Germany). Her ministry passions involve building and nurturing community, music, and working with young people.

When not at work, Beth enjoys hiking, running, connecting with family & friends, and anything to do with horses. She is beginning to practice mindfulness and is learning to like to cook.

Dr. Dan Hibbett
Minister of Music

Dr. Dan Hibbett has served as the Minister of Music at St. Luke Lutheran Church since the fall of 2000. He has a doctoral degree in choral conducting from the University of Washington. Before coming to St. Luke, Dr. Hibbett directed choirs and taught church music and music history courses at Central Christian College (McPherson, KS), Seattle Pacific University (Seattle, WA), and Northwest Nazarene University (Nampa, ID). During his doctoral studies at the UW, Dan served as the full-time Director of Music Ministries at Edmonds United Methodist Church on Puget Sound north of Seattle. Active in both the American Choral Directors’ Association and Handbell Musicians of America, he has conducted choral and handbell workshops in Oregon and Washington. He directs the Rejoice Choir, St. Luke Ringers, Timbrel Choir, a worship team, and various vocal ensembles throughout the year.

Molly Wheeler
Pianist

Molly has been the pianist at St. Luke since 2016, accompanying the choir and working with the modern worship teams. She has degrees in Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma and Linfield College. Molly has enjoyed performing piano duet music with her partner, Rhonda Rizzo, as a part of the Rizzo/Wheeler Piano Duo since 2003. In addition to accompanying and performing, Molly teaches students of all ages in her home studio in the Maplewood neighborhood.

Molly met her husband Bob, a video producer, through music. Their two daughters, Pavane and Thera, enjoy a front row seat when Bob joins in on bass with the Modern Worship Team.

Kim Weber
Children's Ministry Program Coordinator

The Weber family stepped through the doors of St. Luke a decade ago this 2020. It is that first visit on Christmas Eve that marked their anniversary becoming Lutheran, where they experienced the warm welcome that is St. Luke. Kim Weber recently stepped through a new door, Children’s Ministry Program Coordinator, a beautiful extension of her relationship with St. Luke. Since 2015, Kim has served as Hosannas Children’s Choir Director. She has enjoyed being a volunteer for St. Luke auctions and Wednesday Night Dinners. As a parishioner and Children’s Ministry Coordinator, Kim loves being part of a community of doers: “God’s Work, Our Hands”.

Having her own children grow up in a loving and safe church community, where family bonds have deepened because of traditions lovingly executed—traditions like the Fall Festival and the Advent Festival—is an absolute treasure. Kim wants to pass on these same meaningful experiences to young families and seeks to provide children the opportunity to explore their spirituality and faith together with their grownups.

Kim and her family love cooking, camping, and exploring the Pacific NW. Kim is mom to Zoe and Lucy, wife to Paul and the daily, great provider to two cats Mac and Tigerlily.

Beckah Selnick
Interim High School Youth Coordinator

Beckah Selnick grew up in Northeastern Ohio. She attended John Carroll University in Cleveland, where she studied religion. After college, Beckah served through the Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM) program through the ELCA. She spent her year in Bath, England working with the youth and family ministries at Bath Abbey, serving a homelessness initiative, Genesis Trust, and giving tower tours of the Abbey belltower and roof. Beckah taught Religion and English Literature at an English Foreign Language High School in the Slovak Republic through the ELCA Teach in Central Europe Program.

Beckah studied comedy writing at the Second City Chicago Training Center, the iO Chicago Training center, and the Annoyance Theatre in Chicago. She is the host and creator of the PK/PK Podcast, about her life growing up as the kid of a Lutheran Pastor and an Episcopal Priest. You can find her published writing online at Harness Magazine, Living Lutheran, Designing Stories for the Web, and Café Magazine. Her first children’s book will be released in Fall 2022 through Beaming Books.

Beckah Selnick joined the St. Luke community in June of 2018 after moving to Portland with her husband, Michael. She and Michael welcomed their son, Jonah, that November. In her free time, Beckah enjoys gardening, crocheting, sewing, and baking with her other child, a sourdough starter named Leap Day Williams.

Judy Willis
Service Coordinator

Judy is a lifelong Oregonian and also someone who grew up with church being a central part of her life from birth. She attended Lewis and Clark college where she received a degree in secondary education. After teaching and substituting for several years, Judy felt called to make a career change to the field of social work. In 1997 she received her Master of Social Work degree from Portland State University.

In the spring of 2001, Judy and her husband Scott joined St. Luke. Music minister Dan Hibbett immediately put her to work directing the Timbrel Choir for grades 4-6. In 2006, Judy was hired to oversee the social service volunteer ministry at St. Luke—and in August of that year, added in the High School Coordinator position. She retired from the High School Coordinator position in June of 2021, but continues on in her role as Service Coordinator. Judy believes all her past education and experience have prepared her well for her work at St. Luke. She is thankful to be a part of this church family and to use her gifts to further the mission here.

In her leisure time, Judy enjoys crafting, and traveling, walking, and hiking with her husband Scott. They have four adult children, and also treasure the time spent with their five young grandchildren!

Dawn Juliano
Finance Manager

Dawn sings with the St. Luke Choir and occasionally performs with the choir on the violin or viola. An avid Irish and Scandinavian fiddler, Dawn enjoys ethnic music from all over the world.

She plays viola with the Tillicum Chamber Orchestra and has performed with various orchestras in the Spokane, Seattle and Portland areas. Dawn was a public school and private music teacher for many years.
She later worked at Oregon Health and Science University and the University of Washington as an Accounting Specialist and Budget Analyst, managing state funds and NIH research grants.

She has held many offices in various community and professional groups, such as the Geological Society of the Oregon Country, Amici di Italia, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann, and Mu Phi Epsilon.

Working part-time as the finance manager at St. Luke allows her to enjoy her semi-retirement by walking, playing music, camping and boating in the NW. She lives in Portland to be near her son and his family.

Leslie Singrey
Office Manager

Leslie has been the office manager at St. Luke since 2006. She is a native Oregonian and grew up attending school in Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Leslie is a graduate of the University of Oregon.

She enjoys assisting the parishioners, pastors, and other staff in helping make St. Luke a welcoming home for everyone.

Leslie enjoys being in the outdoors; particularly morning walks, long hikes, and the Oregon Coast.

She and her husband Michael have two grown sons who were raised in the youth programs at St. Luke.