REV. Jim Pressnell -Vacancy pASTOR
Jim brings a wealth of experience to his role as Zion's Vacancy pastor. After graduating from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis in 1982, Jim first served as a linguist and Bible translator in rural Nigeria. He has also served two parishes in Ohio, then worked as a management consultant for several years in the areas of strategic planning, performance measurement, and continuous improvement. For the past 25 years, Jim has served in executive leadership roles for several faith-based organizations, including as Director of Church Relations for Concordia University Portland. Currently, Jim is the Executive Director of These Numbers Have Faces, an organization working with university students in Rwanda, Africa. Jim is thrilled to be serving Zion part-time as the Vacancy Pastor. What a great opportunity to share God's Word together and encourage one another to live our lives as Christ followers!
kURT & floy berentsen - Music Team
Floy Berentsen started serving as a church organist in Topeka, Kansas at the young age of sixteen. Although her true passion is imparting meaningful music to God’s glory and for His people in worship services, she has also performed organ recitals and produced a double CD set entitled Blow the Trumpet in Zion, a collection of organ music based on the church year, produced as part of Zion’s 125th yearlong anniversary celebration.
Kurt has directed music ministries in various churches since 1975 where he began at Hope Lutheran Church in Daly City, Ca. Immediately prior to his retirement from the music teaching ministry in 2019, he was honored to serve Concordia University in Portland for 21 years as Department Chair of the Performing and Visual Arts and director of the music programs, spacifically leading vocal and choral ensembles. He has conducted hundreds of choral presentations including large choral works with orchestra both internationally and domestically. Kurt is a emeritus commissioned minister in the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod.
Together Kurt and Floy were privileged to conduct and accompany a July 4th patriotic concert in 1991 at Lincoln Center in NYC. This was followed a few days later with a concert conducted by John Rutter in Carnegie Hall. This they did with the 100+ member chorus (GCCC) which they founded in 1988 in Ventura, California.
Kurt and Floy have been blessed to serve churches together since 1983 and as the music minisrty team at Zion Lutheran Church since 2007. They have one adult daughter who sings professionally and resides in NYC with her husband, a professional composer.
Lisa Brizendine - Office Manager
Lisa has been Zion’s Office Manager since July of 2019. Lisa is the center of church communications. If you contact the office via phone, email, or drop by in person, she is the friendly face you will encounter first. Lisa also prepare the bulletin for worship services in coordination with the Pastor and the music team. She also does all kinds of miscellaneous things around Zion to enable our efficient functioning as a church. When she’s not managing our office she will be found spending time with her beloved granddaughter.
Rev. Dr. Norm Metzler - German Ethnic Pastor
Pastor Metzler was born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts. He met his wife Mary in Walther League at Trinity Lutheran in Springfield. Mary trained as a nurse at Deaconess Hospital in Boston. Norm holds a Master’s of Sacred Theology from Yale and a Doctorate in theology at Ludwig Maximilian’s University, Munich.
Norm served Grace Lutheran church, located next to the University of Oregon for 12 years, until he took the call to teach at Concordia Portland where he taught for over 20 years. He has been active throughout his career in the American Academy of Religion, and has published extensively. Pastor Metzler’s career has included leadership positions in the American Academy’s Northwest Region, the Northwest District’s Asian Pacific Outreach Society, the Board of Holden Village (a Lutheran Retreat Center in the Washington Cascades), the German American Society of Portland, and in his neighborhood association.
The Metzlers are members of St Michael’s Lutheran in Portland. They enjoy travel and music. Pastor Metzler has played accordion all his life, plays improvisational jazz piano, and likes to ski and play golf.