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.

I am originally from the Chicagoland area, Park Ridge, IL. It’s a first ring suburb between O’Hare airport and downtown if that makes any sense to anyone, or for others, I am just down the road from the ELCA Churchwide office. I grew up as the middle child of four, with an older brother, Andrew, an older sister, Sarah, and a younger sister, Mary, and our dog, Waldo, with my parents, Mariann and Steve. I became very involved in my church’s youth ministry while in high school which helped me discern my call to ministry. The discovery of my call to ministry in high school brought me to Wartburg College in northeast Iowa pursuing a religion major and a leadership minor. After fighting the call to ordained ministry for almost all four of those years I quickly found myself at the steps of Luther Seminary! I am now in my third year at Luther pursuing a MDiv with a CYF concentration.

One thing that will be quickly noticed is that I love outdoor ministry! I spent four summers on staff at Ewalu Bible Camp in Strawberry Point, Iowa, and I even created an independent study in college visiting a number of Lutheran camps around the country, growing a strong passion for connecting the Word of God and the people of God, to the world of God. That passion was brought about through my passion and vocation of youth ministry. My hope for the future is to find a call that allows me to use these passions for ordained ministry, outdoor ministry, and youth ministry together! When I am not out on trails, I enjoy finding different breweries, restaurants, and parks with friends seeing what’s to be discovered. Like above, this photo was taken at the Badlands in South Dakota while on a 2000 mile road trip with a couple of other seminary students! I also love music! I am a drummer at heart but also play a little bit of guitar, mandolin, and ukulele.

I am enthused to meet you all and explore these gifts and discover new ones with you all for the next year! I am especially looking forward to being in an entirely new environment than I am used to, facing all the challenges and joys it will bring.

I am excited for all of the new adventures to come with you all!

Deacon Clare is the Lutheran campus minister to University of Oregon and Lane Community College and a collaborative minister for Emmaus, United, and Central Lutheran churches. Born and raised in Oregon, she studied Religion and Women's & Gender Studies at Pacific Lutheran University and Pastoral Counseling at Seattle University's School of Theology in Washington. Clare has served the church in a range of capacities, from ELCA-churchwide gender justice work to local interfaith networking. Clare is enthusiastic about the depth and breadth Christian faith, and enjoys journeying with others in their questions, hopes and fears, and perpetual discovery.