Pastors
Peter Whitelock
Head of Staff
Peter is originally from San Diego, and attended San Diego State University before transferring to the University of Colorado, Boulder. While at university, he felt a calling to ministry, and seminary training took him to Fuller Theological Seminary and Princeton Theological Seminary for three advanced degrees, all told. He states that being a student for life would have been an attractive career path if it were an option! Anne and Peter have three adult children who have wonderful spouses: Colleen (Lupe), Evan (Kate), and Tom (Erin) – and they are also the proud grandparents of Harrison, Cooper, Miles, and Luca. In his spare time, Peter likes to read, travel, and ski. His favorite place to be on vacation is still the beach, and he pursues a love for analog music in restoring vintage audio equipment and listening to vinyl.
Lauren Gully
Pastor, Mission and Outreach
Lauren was drawn to LOPC because of its commitment to service and depth. She says, “LOPC has been a fabulous place to experience the community of faith!” She enjoys the variety of Mission and Spiritual Formation and teasing out the connections between these two ministries to create a deeper understanding of God’s work in the world. In her free time Lauren enjoys adventures with her husband, Eric, in their campervan, being outdoors, gardening, and spending time with her family and friends!
Jaime Polson
Pastor, Care and Executive Leadership
Jaime is proud to minister to and with families at LOPC. She appreciates being part of a church community where she has the gift of supporting parents, grandparents and other adults as they nurture children and youth in their everyday lives, making faith a central part of the journey. Jaime also serves in an executive level capacity providing leadership related to church operations, planning and ministry development, in addition to serving as internal consultant to the Head of Staff. Jaime has served on numerous non-profit boards and enjoys the challenge and joy of running organizations and helping them serve their mission. She is thankful to be able to serve in this way at LOPC as well. In her free time, you will find her hanging out with her husband, children, family and friends. Jaime loves to read, volunteer, hike and spend time at her favorite Pilates studio.
Chris Baldwin
Pastor, Community and Formation
Chris arrived at LOPC in 2014 after graduating from Princeton Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Christian Education & Formation. He was the 2014 recipient of the Arthur Paul Rech Memorial Award in Theology and Pastoral Ministry and the 2013 William Tennent Scholar for Christian Education. In June 2021, Chris was ordained and installed as the Associate Pastor for Community Life where he leads the membership, fellowship, connecting, small groups ministries, and some men’s ministry offerings. For fun, Chris enjoys being active outdoors with his wife, Carly, son, Reed, and daughter, Lyla.
Program and Administrative Staff
Emily Austin
Co-Director of Children’s Ministry
Emily is excited to joyfully serve alongside Susan as the Co-Director for Children’s Ministry at LOPC, combining her skills as a community builder, storyteller, creative thinker, and vibrant educator. She hopes to help LOPC maintain and build its outreach to the greater Lamorinda community by providing a welcoming environment for kids and their families to enhance early childhood spiritual formation. Outside of church, Emily’s family loves to see and participate in theatre, host dinner parties with friends, explore the outdoor beauty of the bay, or travel to new and familiar places.
Elizabeth Ball
Administrative Manager
Elizabeth feels blessed to have found such a caring, supportive and collaborative work environment at LOPC. She manages the administrative functions of staff in the areas of human resources, personnel policies/procedures, staff trainings/development, and her favorite…putting together fun staff connecting opportunities! Elizabeth also supports the Head of Staff with project management, annual planning, and implementing improvements for systems and processes related to Session, staff, and congregational events. She serves as recording secretary to the Session and is the staff support liaison for the Stewardship and Personnel Teams, and CNC. She also manages the workflow of the Communications Team. When she’s not at LOPC, Elizabeth likes to spend time with her husband, two daughters, two cats and her very energetic 2-year-old black lab, Rex. She also enjoys cooking, crafting, and traveling.
Ciara Bird
Receptionist
Ciara has been a part of LOPC for many years, from working at Seedlings, kitchen staff, and running Mount Hermon childcare. She is very excited to be the receptionist for LOPC, and looks forward to being part of a fun and supportive team. For fun, Ciara likes to spend time with her husband, two teenage kids, and pups. She enjoys watching movies, cooking, baking, and Cinderella!
Michelle Browning
Database Manager/Program
Michelle and her family have been a part of LOPC for many years but finally became members in the spring of 2017. She has always believed LOPC is a special place with a wonderful community. Michelle comes from a Human Resources Management background in the tech industry with a B.S. in Psychology from Santa Clara University and loves to continuously discover new things. The opportunity to get to know the LOPC family better was a big part of her desire to join the staff, so please stop by to say hello when you have the chance!
Bryan Dunnewald
Director of Music
Bryan oversees all aspects of music at LOPC, conducts our choirs, plays the organ and piano, and arranges music for our ensembles. He works with the clergy to integrate a wide variety of music into our worship services. In addition to his work at LOPC, Bryan is President and Tonal Director at Schoenstein & Co. Pipe Organ Builders, where he oversees all aspects of the company with a focus in musical direction. Before moving to California, Bryan held musical positions at Saint Mark’s Church, Philadelphia, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Marble Collegiate Church, and the Wanamaker Organ. An active composer, Bryan’s pieces have been performed regularly by renowned musicians across the country. Bryan studied at the Curtis Institute of Music, the Mannes School of Music, and Interlochen Arts Academy, earning degrees in orchestral conducting, organ, and harpsichord. Bryan and his wife Maja, a psychologist and professional singer, enjoy hiking the hills along the Carquinez Strait, relaxing on the Oregon coast, and the unlimited soup, salad, breadsticks special at Olive Garden. You can learn more about Bryan at his website, BryanDunnewald.com.
David Engelbrekston
Campus Operations Manager
Dave gives it all to God for bringing him to LOPC and for developing his skills to best serve Him. Dave oversees campus facilities and maintenance, scheduling and activities. He loves that each day is often blessed with new challenges and unique opportunities to serve this awesome community of faith. Dave’s spare time often finds him in the garden, cooking for friends, or participating in some form of musical expression.
Robin Freeberg
Associate Director of Mission Ministry
Robin feels blessed to do the work she does at LOPC. She says, “Every day offers a new challenge and an opportunity to serve Christ in a tangible and meaningful way.” She loves working with her fellow staff members, people in the congregation and the community. When not at work, she enjoys hanging with family and friends, cooking and Tae Bo. Her favorite quote is from Mother Teresa: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Robin is inspired by these words in her daily work.
Tom Galbraith
Campus Operations Coordinator
Tom is excited to bring his years of operational knowledge to the thriving LOPC community in which he lives. Assisting with campus operations and driving the calendar for all facilities scheduling keeps him happily on his toes. Tom loves communicating with members and groups to continuously streamline the processes for room reservations. If Tom isn’t at LOPC, you will probably find him behind a drum set, performing or teaching, or just making noise.
Kevin Miller
Technical Operations Manager
Kevin comes from the world of storytelling, specifically using AV equipment and all the excitement that comes with editing everything together to create a cohesive and immersive experience. He spent his college years at Academy of Art University in San Francisco studying with working professionals in the Motion Pictures and Television Department, and in 2017 he received a BFA in Directing. On his career path to becoming a filmmaker in Hollywood, with a special appreciation for the superhero genre, Kevin manages the audio and video department at LOPC.
Farah Mohammadzai
Accountant
Farah is excited to be a part of the welcoming community of LOPC. Her professional background in accounting, law and human resources prepared her well for her role as our LOPC Accountant. Farah enjoys working with staff, ministry teams and members. Farah and her husband recently opened a specialty café, Kabul Icy Treats, located in Fremont. She is the mother of a charming, active son. Farah enjoys spending time with friends and hiking in the hills with her family. She is grateful to have the opportunity to collaborate in a supportive environment. Please stop by and introduce yourself when you have time.
Lexi Morrissey
Program Coordinator/Kurth Memorial Garden
Lexi’s family have been a part of LOPC for many years and members since 2007. Originally from New York, she moved to the Bay Area 20 years ago and, in 2010, to Orinda with her family. Her professional background has been primarily focused on event management and fundraising, and she looks forward to using that experience here in the vast number of programs LOPC supports.
Coleen Moulton
Director of Seedlings Preschool
Coleen started at LOPC as an assistant teacher in 1991. In 1995, she became director of the summer program and took over as Seedlings Director in 1999. Colleen loves the opportunities to see and interact with the children and to connect with the parents. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her three daughters, Paige, Jules, and Lexi, her husband Eric, and watching sports and boating.
Julie Peterson
Thursday Fellowship Coordinator
Julie has a long history with LOPC first having attended with her family, and then being confirmed and married here. After living in the Chicago suburbs for many years, she reconnected with LOPC in 2010 when she and her husband, John moved back to the Bay Area. She volunteered in several ministries before she joined the Thursday Fellowship team and became program coordinator in 2016. Julie has a passion for working with seniors. She gets great joy working with her team to create a warm welcoming community where guests and volunteers can enjoy an afternoon filled with craft activities or exercise, lunch, fellowship, and entertainment. Julie is an admitted foodie, loves genealogy, gardening and reading, and spending time at her mountain cabin with her family and grandchildren.
Cathy Scheve
Administrative Assistant
Cathy Scheve enjoys her role as Administrative Assistant to Pastor for Care and Executive Leadership, Jaime Polson. Prior to joining LOPC, Cathy held various church administrative roles, and most recently as Registrar/Instructional Aide at a Christian school In Contra Costa County. Cathy lives with her husband, Curt, in Moraga. She has two sons, Ben, who is an accountant and Matt, who is finishing his senior year at the University of Oregon (also majoring in accounting), and a very large puppy named Izzy. In her off time, she loves to read, hike, watch basketball and football, and hang out with her family. She is an avid Golden State Warrior fan. Cathy is looking forward to serving at LOPC.
Susan Wentworth
Co-Director of Children’s Ministry
Susan first joined LOPC as part of the Sunday childcare team. As the Co-Director of Children’s Ministry, she helps oversee Sunday programs for infants through preschoolers. Since 2015, Susan has been leading Special Needs Ministry at LOPC, creating opportunities for engagement and respite in this community. She strives to ensure that all children and youth feel part of the LOPC community. She is crazy about sports and is always plotting on how HER San Francisco Giants will win their next championship.