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Our Staff

Pastor Sam Zumwalt, 55, has been Senior Pastor of St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church , Wilmington, since July 2004.  Most of Pr. Zumwalt’s life and all of his previous years of service as an ordained pastor were spent in Texas. 

Pastor Sam holds a BA in English and German from East Texas State University , a Master of Divinity from Christ Seminary, and the Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago .  Ordained in 1981 in the former AELC, Pr. Zumwalt served the first year after ordination as a chaplain resident at Parkland Hospital in Dallas TX and as a pastoral assistant at Good Shepherd, Irving.  He served Lord of Life, Lancaster, a mission of the LCA the next six years and then St. Matthew, Waco , a mid-sized former LCA congregation for the next seven years.  After that, Pastor Sam served as Senior Pastor of St. Martin’s in downtown Austin , a large former ALC congregation, for the next nine years.

 

Pastor Zumwalt is married since September 2002 to Laura, an attorney, from Brenham TX.  Presently Laura is working at home as mother to their daughter Clare.  Prior to their marriage, Pr. Sam was a single-parent for five years.  He has three adult married children from a previous marriage: Stephen, Layla, and Joshua. Josh and his wife are both serving in the US Navy. Pastor Sam’s grandchildren are Chloe, Karley, Frank, and Peyton. 

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Pastor Dale Kemppainen

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Nancy Magruder and her family have been members here for over 8 years. She has a adult daughter, Catherine,  and a son, Patrick, who is in middle school. Nancy is married to Randy Magruder..  Nancy has served as co-chair and chair of the Youth Ministry Team. Nancy 's previous work experience includes working as an assistant teacher for third grade in the New Hanover School System, and as a part-time assistant in our Youth Ministry. We are excited about the talents Nancy has brought to this position and the passion she has for working with our young people. 

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Bonnie Weaver is serving as Music Director at St. Matthew's.  She helps the all our Choirs to lead the worship service in jubilant song.

Bonnie teaches music in the New Hanover County School system.

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Bill Glisson is St. Matthew's organist.  He joined us in March 2004 and is a native of Wilmington. Bill graduated from New Hanover High School and from Southeastern Community College where he earned degrees in electronics and in music.  His first experience as a church organist came when he was 11 years of age.  He served as organist at Whiteville First Presbyterian Church and then for many years at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Wilmington.  He is in the music business in another way as regional manager of R.A. Daffer Church Organs.  He is a former member of the American Guild of Organists and the Organ Historical Society.

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Teresa Hall moved to Wilmington from upstate NY in the summer of 1988.  She and her family joined St. Matthew's in the fall of 1988.  Teresa started directing the Little Luther Choir in 1990 and she now directs the Luther Choir, which is now merging of the Little Luther and Luther choirs. She also serves in the Adult Choir and the Handbell Choir.  During the week she works at Hanover Regional Animal Hospital as a licensed Veterinary Technician and has been there for over 20 years. 

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Amy Tucker-Morgan has been a member of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church since 1995. During that time, she has been active on the Worship and Music team, on church council, and as a service musician. Amy loves working with children of all ages, having taught music at Hoggard High School, Noble Middle School, Parley Elementary, and presently in the private studio as a harp and voice teacher. Amy lives in Wilmington with her husband, Steve Morgan, a band teacher at Myrtle Grove Middle School and their son, Samuel, a three-year old beginning musician.

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Ellen Bethune is St. Matthew's Nursery Supervisor.

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