Rev. David is our synod’s new mobility specialist. Here is a bit more about him:
I was born in Portland, OR, and grew up in West Linn, attending West Linn Lutheran
Church (WLLC) until my mid-thirties. I recall the congregation of WLLC as being a
second home, a place where I always felt loved and cared for. During my last few years
at WLLC, I helped to lead youth ministry, served on both church council and as a
member of a call committee. All three of these roles within the church afforded me the
opportunity to learn more about the larger church, and gave me a greater appreciation of
the depth and breadth of wisdom and passion for the gospel beyond the walls of our own
church building, and it was during that time that I first discerned a call to ordained
ministry. In 1998, my spouse, Rhonda, and I, along with our two children, moved to
Berkeley, CA , where I attended Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. Between 2002
and 2011, we lived in North Dakota, where I served my first two congregations as an
Associate Pastor, first at Trinity Lutheran in Jamestown, and then at Sharon Lutheran in
Grand Forks. In 2011, Rhonda and I moved back to Oregon, where I have served as
solo pastor for the last thirteen years at Community of ChristChurch in Hillsboro.
I am married to Rhonda Eppelsheimer, a social worker, associate professor, and co-
director of the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at Oregon
Health and Science University. We have two daughters – Kirsten, who lives in
Minneapolis with her spouse, Eric, and Jasmine, who lives in Milwaukie with her spouse,
Russ. We also have two dogs – Iris, a Siberian Husky, and Bowie, a Pomsky. I enjoy
playing guitar, bicycling with Iris, watching movies, kayaking and hanging out with family
and friends.One of the most profound ways that the work of the Spirit has revealed herself to me is
through moments and seasons of connection, collaboration, and accompaniment with
folks both inside, outside and adjacent to the church. Having recently walked with my
congregation through a discernment process that culminated in a service of Holy Closure
earlier this month, I have learned firsthand how important it is for congregations in
transition to know that they are not alone. Synod staff members, fellow colleagues,
members of sibling congregations, and community partners, have all been walking with
us on this journey and it has made all the difference. I have experienced the healing and
renewing power of the Spirit, embodied in the lives of these folks who have been part of
the wild web of relationships for me and for the members of ChristChurch. I love it when I
get the opportunity to share those kinds of experiences with others in the ongoing gospel
work of liberation. That is why I am honored to be able to serve on Synod staff as the
Congregational Mobility Specialist, walking with folks throughout Oregon who want to
engage meaningfully with questions around what it means to be the church in a rapidly
changing world. I look forward to this new adventure!
