The Rev’d Canon Natalie Van Kirk
Rector
Mother Natalie lives out of a deep conviction that the Christian life is one of adventure and wonder. All of us are invited to join the quest for God. As individuals and as a community we all need and seek a deeper relationship with Christ Jesus. The fruits of that relationship are found in mercy, justice, faith, and, above all, love for one another and all of creation. One of her most frequent sermon messages is, “You were made for glory and God wants you to live into that promise.”
Mother Natalie was called to be Good Shepherd’s second rector in October 2019. She came from the Diocese of Chicago where she served as Rector of St. Barnabas, Glen Ellyn. Before moving to Chicago she lived in Dallas, where she served a variety of parishes and the Diocese of Dallas. She has also taught seminarians at Perkins School of Theology at SMU in Dallas, and at the Institute of Pastoral Studies at Loyola, Chicago. She and her husband, Fr. Fred Schmidt, are loving life and Tennessee.
The Rev’d Canon Dr. Frederick Schmidt, Jr.
Vice Rector
Father Fred has a D. Phil. from Oxford University in New Testament studies, and has authored two commentaries and edited a series for the Anglican Association of Biblical Scholars. He has also served seminaries in Dallas and Chicago as an instructor and administrator in Christian Spirituality and Spiritual Direction. His work in this field has focused on the spiritual implications of suffering, death, and dying.
His two most recent books in this field are What God Wants for Your Life, and The Dave Test: A Raw Look at Real Faith in Hard Times. He is also a nationally known spiritual director and retreat leader. He is a regular blogger on Patheos and has published over 600 columns in the last several years. He is currently working on two books on Christian spirituality.
In addition to pastoral care and counseling, teaching, and preaching, Father Fred has expanded our men’s ministries, spiritual direction, and formation programming.
Berit Goetz
Music Ministry Director
Berit Goetz is passionate about integrating pastoral care and the arts. She earned her M.A.R. in Music and Religion at Yale Divinity School and the Institute of Sacred Music, and her B.A. in Music at Brown University. Previously, she was Artist-in-Residence at Messiah Episcopal Church in St. Paul, MN.
In addition to her work at Good Shepherd, Berit teaches voice and piano privately and records and performs with her songwriting project, Mystery and Manners.
Jamie Dougherty
Youth Ministry Director
Jamie Dougherty brings a commitment to making sure that there is room for everyone at Good Shepherd, a plan to involve youth in study that helps connect their faith to their lives, and a desire to bring music and the arts into the activities the youth are part of.
His resume includes being the Artist in Residence at Messiah Episcopal Church in St. Paul, MN, and summers as the Mentor and Worship Specialist in Gordon College’s Compass program. Jamie planned and led the week-long wilderness experience, and organized and taught bible studies in the program.
Chrissie Coombs
Children’s Ministry Director
Chrissie Coombs leads our Children’s Formation and has been a member of Good Shepherd since 2008. She has always worked with children and loves their ability to be in the moment and create joy and chaos, often simultaneously. When she was 8 years old, she started the worthy goal to read every Dennis the Menace comic book ever printed, and in later years reapplied the same fervor to Calvin & Hobbes. Children just make her laugh, and she seeks to return to them the happiness of knowing God loves them unconditionally.
Ashley Mowers
Communications Director
Ashley Mowers covers all internal and external communications: creating content, designing graphics, writing press releases, building campaigns and web pages, and working with our Welcome and Tech Teams. She also serves as Acolyte Master.
Prior to arriving to Good Shepherd, Ashley earned her B.A. in Worship Arts from Judson University, M.A. from Northern Seminary, and an MLitt in Theology and the Arts from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. She was the 2019 Artist in Residence for the Institute for Theology, Imagination, and the Arts in St. Andrews. In her free time, she co-hosts The Min/Max Podcast and The Sandman: Unlocked. Additional work can be found at www.ashleyemowers.com.
Angela Premoe
Parish Administrator & Bookkeeper
Angela Premoe keeps the office in order in more ways than one. She makes sure the checks are signed, orders are placed, and the books are balanced.
Angela was raised in a loving Christian family and received Christ as her savior around 6 or 7 years of age. In her teens, she moved to the northwest. After college, marriage, and raising her son, she and her husband moved to the south, where she lives and serves today.