STAFF
Interim Pastor
Brian Dillahunt
bdillahu@columbus.rr.com
I am a native of the Buckeye state, born and reared in Springfield, Ohio. I am a “cradle” Lutheran having been baptized, confirmed and ordained in the same congregation. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, having attended on the 10-year plan and graduating 4 years early. Subsequently, I graduated from Trinity Lutheran Seminary, on the 4-year plan that was standard at the time. I have served congregations in the Southern Ohio Synod throughout my ministry, assisting and leading them into new configurations of ministry for most of those 36 years. I have been under call to serve the people of God at First English Lutheran Church since 2010.
I met my wife, Bishop Suzanne Darcy Dillahunt, on the first day of summer Greek while at seminary in 1982, and we were married in 1986. We have a married son who lives in German Village, while his wife attends Notre Dame Law School in South Bend Indiana. We have a 10.5 year old yellow lab. We have been members of the Columbus Zoo since 1990, and can be found there many Friday mornings as a way to decompress and spend time together outside. I am an avid reader and am curious about most things—many of which I do not understand—like mathematics. I especially enjoy studying history and geography and am constantly reminded how much those discipline inform how we understand the world around us.
To sum up my understanding of Christianity, I point to the name of Jesus—Emmanuel, which means “God with us”. For me, my parents died when I was quite young (my father when I was 9 and my mother when I was 22) God being “with us” provided grounding and a profound sense of belonging. This was reinforced through the support I experienced by my home congregation as an example of God’s grace. Such grace is what I attempt to live and pass along in the ministry.
Saturday Evening Pastor
Diana Gugel
revdkg@yahoo.com
I am from Marietta Ohio, graduated from Wittenberg University and Trinity Lutheran Seminary. I was ordained in 1987 and have served parishes in southeast Ohio and served in a specialized Synod Ministry as well. I am married to the Rev. Dr. E. Wray Bryant who is an assistant Professor of Religion at Capital University. We met at Trinity. He plays piano and organ and is an ordained pastor in American Baptist Churches.
We have two adult sons. Our oldest, Douglas, is a clinical pharmacist and he and his fiancé live in Fargo, North Dakota. Our youngest, Michael, and his wife live in Columbus and he works at Fed Ex. We have 3 cats, Augie (my cat), Buddy Girl (formerly Sandra Shultz’s cat) and Sprinkles (“she who must not be named.”) Our two dogs are Fritz, a labbeagoodlewhaser (Lab, beagle, poodle, chihuahua, and schnauzer) and CJ (pug body, chihuahua head which is not quite big enough). Wray’s mother Frances lives with us.
I enjoy piecing quilts, reading, tennis, pickle ball and write as part of the Fairfield County Creative writers. (We have 3 published books and are currently working on a 4th.) My latest obsession is a Canadian crime show, Hudson and Rex featuring Detective Charlie Hudson and his partner, Rex who is the most amazing German shepherd to ever be on television. We moved to Lancaster in 2002.
Financial Secretary: Mary Carl splc.financial@gmail.com
Office Secretary: Kelli Taylor stpeterslancaster@gmail.com