Elaine Johnson, Congregation President

I started attending Our Saviour's in 1985 and became a member in 1986. I am the mother of Liza and Dennis. I am also in private practice as a licensed psychologist and alcohol counsellor. My involvement with Our Saviour's has included teaching Sunday school, working on service teams and serving as a member of various committees including the Building Task Force and Strategic Management Group.

Linda Thorson, Vice-President

I became a member of Our Saviour's at the Easter Vigil in 2017.  My spouse, Jeanne Heer, and I enjoy the worship, music and people at OSLC.  We live in Brooklyn Park and enjoy sharing meals with friends and family. We have a big yard with gardens and a bike trail across the street.  We have deep connections with Wilderness Canoe Base and Holden Village. Outdoor ministry has a special place in my heart.  I enjoy traveling, being with kids, biking and hiking.  It is an honor to be serving as Vice President of the congregation.

Joel Beard, Treasurer

Linnea Peterson, Secretary 

I started attending Our Saviour's in 2018 while serving in Lutheran Volunteer Corps and living at Winona House, and I joined the congregation as a member in 2019. I work at 1517 Media, the publishing ministry of the ELCA. At Our Saviour's, I participate in choir, co-run the young adult group, and have been a member of various small groups as well. As a queer person with a disability, I bring a distinct perspective to discussions of welcome, access, and social justice.

Dorea Ruggle, Worship and Arts Table Council Representative

I started attending Our Saviour's in 2011 and became a member in 2012, along with my husband Joel Abrahamson. We're parents to Ottilia and Theodore. I am an auditory neuroscientist and work for GN ReSound (Danish hearing aid company) researching and developing new hearing aid technology. I've been involved with youth, young adult, and children's topics and programming and have served on the Worship and Arts Table since 2016.  

Samantha Heaton, Community and Faith Formation Table council representative

Allyson Green- Outreach Table Council Representative

Patrick Herson, Member at Large

Patrick Herson is the very lucky spouse of Claire Doyle and the fortunate father of three adult children:  Mairead, Fiona and Seamus. He has been a member of OSLC since Easter 2017. Besides his vocations of spouse and parent, Patrick is a family doctor by training  and lived out that vocation in a variety of settings including private practice, as a medical school faculty member, with two insurance companies and most recently as the leader of the employed provider group in the Fairview Health System.  He is currently preparing to do a fellowship in Hospice and Palliative (End of Life) Medicine.  Patrick helped lead the Youth Faith Formation program at OSLC  in 2017-2018 and is a voracious reader, an AB level racquetball player and rarely thinks of time spent in his garden as ‘work.’

Rico Morales, Member at Large

Deb Swensen-Klatt, Member at Large

Aneesa Parks, Member at Large

Sheryll Mennicke, Member at Large

I arrived at Our Saviours through a series of coincidences and chance encounters (thank you

Tom Witt) while looking for a congregation that would be a good fit for my sons’ confirmation experience.  Ten minutes into our first service we all looked at each other,  nodding and grinning.  Nine years later, we are still nodding and grinning.  I love the energy, compassion, and inclusiveness of this congregation.  I am semi-retired from Concordia University where I have worked for many years as a Psychology Professor.

Pastor Martha Schwehn Bardwell also serves on the Council. See Pastor Martha's bio at the our Staff page.