Pastors and Staff
The Rev. Ned O'Donnell - Bridge Pastor
925-283-3722 ext. 501
The Rev. Ned O’Donnell
Edward (Ned) O’Donnell received his Master of Divinity degree from The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and was ordained in 1993. He has served as pastor of five congregations: two in New Jersey and three in the SF Bay Area. Rev. O’Donnell also served in healthcaresettings as Sojourn Chaplaincy at San Francisco General Medical Center’s Executive Director, a Clinical Pastoral Education Supervisor-in-Training, a Hospice Chaplain / Bereavement Services Manager, and most recently as the Pastor of the East Bay Lutheran Parish – Lutheran Ministry to Nursing Homes. He is a certified Grief Recovery Method Specialist. Pastor Ned was also the first Dean of the Sierra Pacific Synod’s Bridges Conference.
Pastor Ned has a breadth and depth of experience, serving in ethnically diverse communities and in both suburban and urban settings, as well. He brings his passion to serve as an advocate those in need, his experience in providing spiritual care to those who suffer, and his skills as a preacher, educator and leader to those who are setting a new direction in their ministry. He is excited to bring his gifts and experiences to Our Savior’s Lutheran Church as their Bridge Pastor.
As a theologian, Rev. O’Donnell views himself as a progressive Lutheran who is respectful of others experience of the Divine, while remaining grounded in his knowledge of the God who has called him through ordination to serve in the name of Christ. This enables him to be present as a Christian leader in a variety of ecumenical settings and ministries. Pastor Ned understands that Lutherans have a unique way of understanding God’s grace-filled and merciful work in the world. He has been profoundly touched by Christ’s promise to always be with us – even through the worst of times – and by the privilege of ministering to others during those moments.
On a personal note, Pastor Ned grew up in New York and New Jersey. He was married briefly and, after a divorce when his son, Keith, was 18 months old, he became a single parent. A few years later, he came out as a gay man. Rev. O’Donnell moved to San Francisco in 1995 and in 2021 married the man of his dreams, José Pérez Santos. He loves spending time with family, including his husband, grown son, daughter-in-law, Michelle, and friends. He also is an avid swimmer, enjoys sailing and kayaking, hiking and biking, and frequently finds himself at a movie, play or concert. Pastor Ned appreciates most kinds of music from classical to pop, as well as getting out on the dance floor to “bust a move.”
Meagan Kim - Vicar - Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church, Orinda
Meagan is a student at Wartburg Theological Seminary and serving as Vicar (intern) at Holy Shepherd Lutheran Church in Orinda. Part of her internship duties is to be present once a month at Our Savior's preaching some months and helping lead worship in other months. She will also be assisting the Our Savior's congregation by covering pastoral care needs and emergencies. Meagan is trained as an ICF Associate Level Coach through the ELCA and is deeply inspired by the transformative potential of coaching. She holds a BA in African-American Studies from Indiana University. With a passion for cross-cultural learning and spiritual growth, Meagan is driven by helping others find deeper faith, hope that will not be put to shame, and greater meaning in their lives. Meagan has held various roles throughout her career including paralegal, executive assistant, goldsmith, and small business owner. She now adds mom and wife to this list.
Martin Morley - Director, Worship, Music, and Communications
925-283-3722 ext. 503
Worship, Music, and Communications Director Martin Morley was trained as a music therapist and pianist at the University of Kansas, where he earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in music. He’s worked as a music therapist, touring pianist, conductor, and handbell clinician all over the country, but the heart of his career has been in sacred music. At OSLC he directs the singing and ringing choirs, provides keyboard support for the services, coordinates Sunday morning volunteers, leads book discussion groups, coordinates communications with our media specialist, Grace, and heads the Worship and Music Ministry Team. Around church he can be found doing anything from counting handbell gloves to proofing bulletins to restocking communion wine to….well, you get the idea. Outside of church life, Martin accompanies the Contra Costa Chorale, teaches adult piano students, Zooms with friends who live too darned far away, and ponders whether it’s time to get another cat.
Kari Speltz - Site Use Coordinator / Administrative Manager
Site Use Email: kari@oslc.net Phone: 925-283-3724
Chrissy Willis - Youth & Family Ministry Coordinator
youthandfamilies@oslc.net
Chrissy is a bay area native and a long-time member of OSLC. She earned a bachelor's degree in organizational psychology from Saint Mary's College and a graduate degree in developmental psychology from UC Berkeley. Chrissy served as a Children's Ministry volunteer for several years before transitioning to the role of Children's Ministry Coordinator. She is excited for the opportunity to help create fun, spiritually-meaningful experiences for the children in our community and to help shape the future of Children's Ministry at OSLC. Chrissy also works part-time in higher education. She enjoys exploring our beautiful regional, state and national parks with her husband and two children.
Grace Winakor - Communications and Marketing Specialist
Media@oslc.net
Grace is a recent graduate of Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, in Berkeley, California, and a recently ordained pastor in the United Church of Christ. She currently resides in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. Grace works as Associate Pastor at St. Paul's UCC, in Selinsgrove, PA. In her free time, she loves to hike and bike,read, cook, hang our with her 2 cats and 1 dog, and garden! She recently got married to her best friend, Larry Herrold Jr! (Name change soon to come!)