Staff and Lay Leadership

Eric has been at United Lutheran since August of 2020.  His wife Katie is a Veterinarian at Four Corners Veterinary Clinic in Eugene.   They have a blended family of five children.  Eric has been an ordained pastor for 25 years and still loves being a pastor. His passion for ministry involves helping people discover their various callings and journeying with people through life's transitions. He is a passionate Gonzaga Basketball fan who also enjoys the Ducks, the outdoors, fishing, golf, coaching soccer, and visiting wineries.

Crystal has been with United since 2009 beginning as our Youth Director and expanding her role and responsibilities to our present day Program Director position.  This means she gets to work with and support people and programs in our congregation from all our generations.  She has a Master’s in Conflict and Dispute Resolution from the University of Oregon and believes in helping our communities find ways to come together and celebrate our individualities.  Crystal has worked in youth programming and education since she was a teen, it is her greatest joy to help children and youth explore faith, identity, and community. In addition to working with United and its sister congregations, Crystal also loves spending time in the beauty on God’s creation with her two children and husband.  Some of her favorite pass times include gardening, paddle boarding, and rafting.

Joel Timmons is the intern at both United and Central Lutheran Churches, and is studying at Luther Seminary. Joel and his fiancé, and soon to be wife, Megan (Meg) Koeneman, come to us from Austin, TX. Joel has lived there for the last 7 years serving as a Youth Minister and where he earned a Masters of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He recently completed his Lutheran Year at Luther Seminary. Joel grew up in the Portland-metro area and is a diehard Duck fan! He attended Grand View University, a small Lutheran university in Des Moines, IA on a wrestling scholarship. It was there where he encountered the radical Lutheran theology of grace, which changed his life forever, where he was baptized, and sent off to seminary. Joel and Meg met in seminary, where she earned a dual masters degree in Divinity and Social Work (Univ. of Texas). They recently got engaged on May 2nd and plan to get married on the Oregon Coast before Joel begins internship on September 2. Outside of church work, Joel loves riding his bike, spending time outdoors with family, and enjoying tasty food with Meg. Joel is incredibly grateful that the Spirit has led him to Eugene and is excited for the opportunity to serve and learn alongside United and Central Churches!

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