The Rev. Dr. Laura Barbins

BISHOP

[email protected]

If you would like for Bishop Barbins to preach, preside, or visit with your congregation on a Saturday night or Sunday morning, please visit her Google Scheduler.  Please note that this calendar only schedules 9 months out and is usually full for 6 months out.
Laura Barbins was elected bishop on September 11, 2020 and took office December 1, 2020. Prior to her call to the Office of Bishop, she was the pastor of Celebration Lutheran, Chardon, Ohio for 19 years, Interim Pastor at Messiah Lutheran, Fairview Park, Ohio for 1 year, and Associate Pastor for Youth at Holy Trinity, Nashville, Tennessee for 2 years.

Holding a PhD in New Testament and Homiletics, Bishop Barbins has also been Adjunct Professor for Preaching at Trinity Seminary at Capital University since 2018. Bishop Barbins lives in Mentor, Ohio with her husband and four daughters. When able, she enjoys gardening and travel.  Please click here to visit the Bishop's page and to subscribe to her 'Thursday Thoughts' newsletter.

The Rev. Mitch Phillips

ASSISTANT TO THE BISHOP FOR LEADERSHIP

[email protected]

You can also schedule an appointment with Pastor Phillips via his Google Calendar:
Pastor Phillips grew up in Columbus, Ohio – but his family and faith roots are in the territory of the Northeastern Ohio Synod. He studied Chemistry and Computer Science at Purdue University and was active in the Purdue Lutheran campus ministry, which is where he met his future spouse, Charisse, and began to discern the call to ministry. Pastor Mitch received his M.Div. from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in 1990 and has served three congregations of very different sizes and staff configurations: Third, Louisville, KY; St. Mark’s, Evansville, IN; and Resurrection, Indianapolis, IN.

Charisse is retired after teaching high school mathematics for 33 years. They have one child, Hayley, who just graduated from the University of Dayton in Music Therapy. Pastor Mitch’s hobbies include photography, woodworking, and geocaching.

Deacon Jenny Frantz

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATION & FORMATION

[email protected]
Jenny joined the Synod staff in 2023 as Director of Communication and Formation.  While the communication part of her role may be more obvious, the formation part includes youth & young adult ministry, coordination of the candidacy program, and coordination of the Lay Leadership School "Growing in Faith." Prior to joining the synod staff, Jenny served in outdoor ministries for ten years and in congregational youth ministry for an additional eight years. She has a passion for education, leadership formation, and vocational discernment.

Jenny's hobbies include hiking, camping, visiting National Parks, and photography. She's also an avid supporter of The Ohio State Buckeyes and the Cleveland Guardians, a trivia enthusiast, and possesses a deep love for music. Jenny recently moved to Cuyahoga Falls and is excited to get to know the trails of the Summit County Metro Parks.

Rebekah Wissler

RESOURCE SPECIALIST & ARCHIVIST

[email protected]
Rebekah joined the Synod’s staff in 2021 as the Resource Specialist & Archivist. Rebekah curates, catalogs, and manages the various resources of the Synod, including the Resource Center assets. As the Synod’s archivist, she tracks congregational demographics. Rebekah earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Mount Union in 2016 and a Master of Library and Information Science focusing on Museum Studies and Special Collections from Kent State University in 2018. She also obtained a post-graduate certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University in 2019.

Chris Goff

Business manager

[email protected]
Chris brings 25+ years of business managing experience starting during her time in graduate school. Over the years, Chris has done everything from dispatching crews to hiring employees, ordering parts and equipment, paying bills, keeping the fleet and building maintained, keeping the books, shopping contracts, and more! Chris graduated from Wittenberg University with a Bachelors in business and earned an MBA from Case Western Reserve University. 

Outside of work, Chris enjoys photography, travel, golf, dance, and enjoying our amazing park systems. Chris currently resides in North Royalton and is a member of Strongsville United Church of Christ.

Sue Tully

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

[email protected]
Sue joined our staff in 2023 as the Administrative Assistant. She earned her Bachelors Degree in Organization Supervision from The University of Akron, and has worked in customer service her entire career. She lives in Munroe Falls with her husband of 44 years, Mike, and their dog Grady. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her 2 grown children, 4 grandchildren and 2 grand fur babies, going to the gym, ballroom dancing, and being in warm weather close to the ocean.  

The Rev. Jeremy Hollingshead

Grant Writer
Pastor Jeremy grew up in Southeastern Ohio in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains and is currently the pastor of Martin Luther in Youngstown, Ohio. Pastor Jeremy has worked in parishes surrounded by great need his entire career and as such, he has gotten training as a grant proposal writer. He has written successful grant proposals to help fund ministry initiatives throughout his career, funding projects like repairs to a church parking lot after a flood and funding urban gardens that give away hundreds of pounds of fresh produce in food deserts every year. 

Pastor Jeremy enjoys fly fishing, British mysteries, and cooking dinner for his wife, Dr. Heather Duda, in his personal time.

Our Partners