It is with great joy that we will be welcoming Rev. Jane Esterline to serve as Transitional Pastor and Head of Staff of our congregation starting May 1st.
We perceive the Spirit at work in bringing Jane to us. She left her last call in Pittsburgh and moved to Santa Cruz to take care of her ailing father, and ensure that he is reasonably situated at a care facility.
We also believe that Jane comes to us with the passion and experience to fulfill this role for our church. In 12 years of pastoring, she has served as a mission coworker (with her spouse, the Rev. Dr. David Esterline) in Cameroon and the South Pacific. She received her Master of Divinity from North Park Seminary, Chicago. Her parish ministry experience has largely been in leadership and service to congregations going through transitional times, most recently at Plum Creek Presbyterian in Pittsburgh, PA. She embraces a multigenerational approach to ministry particularly involving children in worship. She brings special gifts in palliative and hospice pastoral care for the patient and family as well as pastoral support for families supporting victims of dementia. She also brings positive experience managing a staff larger than ours.