About Us
Pastors:
Tom McKnight
Mary McKnight
Staff:
Cindy Force - Co-Office Manager
Connie Bates - Financial Secretary, Co-Office Manager and Newletter Publisher
Judy Wiltgen - Director of Music
Tom Skyler - Organist
Tina Paradiso - Children’s Choir
Kathy Stromvig - Director of Children and Family Ministries
Jeremy Lisenby - Youth Coordinator
Jocelyn Holloway - Building Supervisor, Kitchen Coordinator
CO-PASTOR
Tom McKnight has been the Co-Pastor at Moreland since April, 2001. He grew up in suburban Cleveland, Ohio, before attending Duke University. Following graduation, Tom lived in Europe and then returned to Washington D.C. where he worked for a news magazine during the Watergate era.
Tom then moved to New York City and completed a seminary degree at the ecumenical Union Theological Seminary. Following graduation in 1976, he taught religious studies at the Northfield Mt. Hermon School in Massachusetts.
Tom was then ordained by the Presbyterian Church USA and has served four pastorates during the last 27 years - in Knoxville, Tennessee; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Berkeley, California, for 16 years, before coming to Portland. While working in Berkeley, Tom began to travel extensively in India and South Asia. At that time, he began to develop a keen interest in comparative religion.
Tom also has been trained as a pastoral counselor and has studied at the Center for Religion and Psychiatry in Chicago.
In addition to an interest in photography, Tom is an avid hiker and backpacker - and has recently completed a month-long trek across the Himalayas.
He is married to Co-Pastor Mary Cartwright McKnight. They have three grown children.
CO-PASTOR
Mary McKnight has been Co-Pastor at Moreland since April 2001. She was raised in Ohio and attended college in Chicago where she earned a BA/MA degree in philosophy. Following graduation, she did a year of volunteer work with grade school children and paraplegic and quadriplegic patients in Alabama.
She attended seminary at Union Theological Seminary in New York City. She taught religious studies at the Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts, and later served as an intern chaplain at Lakeshore Mental Health Institute in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Mary was ordained by the Presbyterian Church (USA) as has served churches in Wisconsin and California before coming to Moreland. During her 13 year pastorate in California, Mary completed the three year program in Spiritual Direction at Mercy Center in Burlingame, CA.
She is married to Co-Pastor Tom McKnight. They have three grown children.
OFFICE MANAGER / SECRETARY
Cindy Force has served as the Office Manager/Secretary at Moreland for 12 years. She is a United Methodist, and member of
Cindy enjoys reading, writing, hiking, and spending time with her extended family and friends.cindy@morelandpresbyterian.com
FINANCIAL SECRETARY, Newsletter Publisher
Connie Bates has served as Financial secretary for 9 years but more recently has taken on the publishing of the newsletter and web page. Connie has been trained as a Stephen Minister and LOGOS leader both skills utilized at Moreland. Connie serves her community through volunteering with Oregon Food Bank, Cleveland High School, Living Water, MOPS and Helping Hand of Oregon. Connie's daughter McKenzee has grown up in the Church, participated in many programs and has become a member on her own. Through all these experiences and the care of a church family McKenzee is a wonderful, caring, giving teenager. Really isn't this what church is all about? A strong foundation one can grow on? connie@morelandpresbyterian.com
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
Judy Wiltgin raised in a singing family that performed gospel music, educated in voice and classical music, Judy brings a passion for choral music to Moreland Presbyterian Church.
As a youngster Judy toured and performed with her family, singing to audiences across the United States and Canada. She studied voice at Simpson College in San Francisco and continued her education with voice and classical music at Marylhurst Univesity in Oregon. Along the way she has directed children and adult choirs in Indiana, Georgia, California and Oregon. She is a member of the Oregon chapter of the American Choir Director's Association.
Judy's hobbies include reading, cooking, playing the piano and, of course singing. Sometimes her partner gets her out on the river in a kayak, where she observes and occasionally joins the birds in song.
ORGANIST
Tom Skyler became organist at Moreland in November 2005 after serving Tabor Heights United Methodist Church for twenty-five years. He was raised on the East Coast and settled in Portland after serving a tour of duty with the US Army here. He and his wife Louise live in the Mount Tabor area with their daughter Melanie. They also have three grown boys and a charming granddaughter.
Tom attended Lafayette College (a Presbyterian related school) in Easton, PA and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Portland State University. He also holds the Service Playing Certificate from the American Guild of Organists. He is employed by Marceau Pipe Organ Builders, Inc. as an organbuilder and technician.
Hobbies include camping, sailing, gathering firewood, and completing his home pipe organ project begun many years ago.
BUILDING SUPERVISOR, KITCHEN COORDINATOR
Jocelyn Holloway was born in 1949 in southern California. She graduated in the 1970's with graduate degrees in Library and Art History. In 1974 she married John and the family grew from two to six. Jocelyn is responsible for our weekly coffee hour, receptions and keeping the staff well supplied with coffee! Jocelyn also completed Stephen Ministry training in 2008 and is now one of our new stephen ministers here at Moreland.
DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY MINISTRIES
Kathy Stromvig accepted the Director of Children and Family Ministries position in January of 2005. She grew up in Portland, Oregon and has been a member of the congregation since the age of 12. Kathy and Jim (her husband of 41 years) live in Lake Oswego - they have three children and six grandchildren.
Kathy has a Bachelor of Science degree in English from Portland State University and a Masters in Counseling from Portland State University and a certificate of completion for one year of training from the Alcohol Treatment and Training Clinic (OHSU). She has received training in the Stephen Ministries program and taught seven years of Bible Study Fellowship.
She has made a lifelong commitment of ‘service to others' in a variety of venues - MADD State Victim's Advocate and as a member of Southeast Rotary and various community service projects. Her hobbies include her dogs Sophie and Ginger, tennis, skiing, rowing, cycling (Cycle Oregon), walking (Portland to Coast), golf, traveling, and spending time with children, grandchildren and friends.
Youth Director
Jeremy Lisenby has been the Director of Youth Ministries at Moreland since November of 2009. He came to Portland from Mobile, Alabama in 1999 where he is originally from. He received his BS degree in Youth Ministry from the University of Mobile in 1996 and has served in a variety of different churches during the past 15 years in youth ministry. He is married to his wife, Elizabeth, and has an eight year old son, Ukiah. They have two chihuahuas named Roli and Arli and love living in the Pacific Northwest. He enjoys fishing, camping, hiking, boating and a variety of sports including football, hockey, and boxing. He loves working with youth and enjoys the challenge of helping young people develop a relationship with Christ. jeremy@morelandpresbyterian.com