LORI SAWDON, Pastor
Rev. Lori Best Sawdon was appointed pastor in 2004. She is a graduate of the University of the Pacific, Stockton, California. She received a Master of Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary. She has served six congregations in Northern California. She has participated in the Academy for Spiritual Formation and Walk to Emmaus, programs of The Upper Room. She is married to Mark and they have one son, Jeff. Their family enjoys musical theater, traveling, and reading. Email Lori Sawdon
LORRI SULLIVAN, Office Administrator
Lorri Sullivan has served as Office Administrator since 1996. She offers gracious hospitality to all who visit our church campus. As a hub of the church, her administrative leadership undergirds all the ministries of the church. She coordinates the facility calendar for all organizations using the campus.
Lorri grew up in the San Diego area where she met and married her husband, Jim, in 1976. Lorri and Jim attended Northwest Christian University/University of Oregon and moved to the Bay Area when Jim was offered a position at Children’s Hospital in Oakland. They have two grown children, Justin who lives near Chicago and Shauna who resides in the LA area with her husband. Lorri likes to travel, read and watch the bay behind her house. Email Lorri Sullivan
COLENE “BUNNY” GRUHN, Director of Music Ministry
Bunny Gruhn earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Montana. She taught music in the public schools and has served as a church choral director for over 25 years. She sings with Contare con Vivo Chorale and the Four Sisters Quartet. She has three grown daughters and six grandchildren. In addition to her love of music, she enjoys reading, knitting, and traveling. She has lived in many different places, including Geneva, Switzerland. Email Bunny Gruhn
KATHLEEN FLEMMING, Organist
Kathleen Flemming obtained both her Bachelor and Master degrees in Piano Performance, and alongside her work with piano students, she continued performing in the bay area. In 1988, soon after a performance of a Rachmaninov work with the Diablo Symphony, Ms Flemming contracted focal dystonia, a hand disorder that immediately ended her performance career, and so she turned more to liturgical music ministry and choir directing in the Catholic Diocese of Oakland. In 1989, Kathleen accompanied the St. Agnes Church Choir of Concord on a pilgrimage to Rome. They were given the privilege of singing in St. Peter’s Basilica at a liturgy where Pope Paul II blessed the sick. During 1993, Kathleen founded Voices of Musica Sacra, an interfaith choral ensemble whose mission centered on the performance of sacred music. Together this group sang on tour in Germany and Austria in 1996, and then continued to Rome to perform in 1999.
Meanwhile, Kathleen’s hand movement is showing signs of improvement, and so in the past year she has returned to some keyboard accompanying for various church service needs in the Bay Area.
BETH WHITE, Director of Youth Ministry
Beth is a longtime member of Lafayette United Methodist Church. In recent years she has served as Teacher of the Senior High Sunday School Class. She joined the church staff in the fall of 2010 to serve as Director of Youth Ministry. She enjoys serving as a role model and mentor to the youth. She also works as a Manager for the California Air Resources Board. Beth and her husband, Scott, have one son, Jacob. Email Beth White.