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Gethsemane Staff
Rev. Cheryl Walenta Gorvie - Pastor
Pastor Cheryl was born and raised in Longview, Texas. Following graduation from the University of Texas in 2002, she spent three years as an English teacher/missionary with the ELCA Global Mission Unit at Hongo Student Center in Tokyo, Japan. She began her seminary training at LSTC in Chicago and then transferred to the Lutheran Seminary Program in the Southwest in Austin, Texas, where she received her Master of Divinity degree in 2010. She has served as pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church in Dallas, Texas for the past ten years. She is married to Alfred Gorvie, who is from Sierra Leone. They have two children, Evan, who just turned 8, and Lily, who is 5 years old. "I’m passionate about social justice causes and want to work with Lutherans, rooted in God’s Word, who live their faith in the public sphere. Right now, the world needs the kind of hope this congregation can give!"
https://www.gethsemanestl.org/pastor-blog
https://www.gethsemanestl.org/pastor-blog
Eve Cooney - Office Manager
On November 1, 2024 after having been a volunteer filling the role of Office Manager, Eve officially joins the Gethsemane staff! She recently retired from a lifelong career at the St. Louis Zoo and is excited to take on a new challenge.
Gretchen Jenson - Connections Coordinator
Gretchern works with Gethsemane's social media presence, volunteers, and new members, helping everyone communicate and get connected! Summer is her favorite season but New Years Day is her favorite holiday. As a breast cancer survivor she concouages everyone who has breasts to get their yearly mammogram and pleads for everyone to vote for leaders and policies that enable everyone to stay on top of their health. SHe and her husband, who are both St. Louis transplants, have two kids in college, one in high school, and two rescue pups (who are not in any sort of school but probably should be!)
Dr. Aria Thome - Music Director
Born in St. Louis, Aria is a native, but spent most of her time in Phoenix, AZ where she completed her Masters and Doctorate in Sacred Music. She wrote the music curriculum for the Diocese of Phoenix and performed as a contralto in the Cathedral Choir after stepping aside from directing to teach, direct community choirs, and serve the community as a voice teacher. Eleven nieces and nephews, however, pulled her from Phoenix back to St. Louis where her family resides. She loves reading the works of mystics, is a trained sound healer, as well as a shamanic practitioner. She's excited to bring Sacred Music to the community at Gethsemane and delve into getting to know this congregation. Please don't hesitate to introduce yourself to her!
Amy Crousore - Organist
Amy is a local performer, accompanist and teacher of piano, organ and voice. She received her degree from Heidelberg college, where she received full scholarship in Organ Performance and Western Illinois University, where she studied the Alexander Technique under Dr. Felix Manning. She has toured as accompanist throughout the Midwest and Eastern US and has played for soloists from around the world. She recently moved from Columbia, MO to St. Louis to be the organist here at Gethsemane.
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