Parishioners of St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church will welcome a new pastor.

The church announced today that Pastor Emily Kuhn Hartner will become St. Mark’s Second Pastor joining The Rev. Dr. Peter Brown. Pastor Hartner will be introduced to the congregation and deliver this Sunday’s sermon at 10 a.m.

Pastor Hartner said that her ideal church is one that is inclusive to all people and that’s why she chose to join St. Mark’s.

“My ideal church would emphasize worship by placing word and sacraments as the center of church life, and by living out the Gospel in the surrounding community,” Pastor Hartner said. “Any congregation that recognizes a need to grow in any of these areas would be a setting that would energize me and would make the best use of my gifts. I have found my ideal church, and it is here at St. Mark’s.”

Pastor Hartner has ties to North Carolina. A native of Conover, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree with a double major in Psychology and French from Davidson College in 2003. Prior to her joining St. Mark’s, Pastor Hartner was the Vicar and Intern Pastor at Salem Lutheran Church in Toledo, OH from 2008-2009. During her time in Toledo, Pastor Hartner designed a curriculum for a mid-week after-school program for elementary-aged children, a Vacation Bible School Program and a class for new members. She also participated in a mission trip to Orange, TX to rebuild homes destroyed by hurricanes.

During the summer of 2007, Pastor Hartner interned at Bread for the World in Washington, D.C., a national awareness and fund-raising effort used by congregations across the United States.

Pastor Hartner also spent one year as a project worker for Bethany Christian Trust in Edinburgh, Scotland where she helped provide transitional services to the city’s homeless population. She worked on their behalf in conjunction with a wide range of charities across the United Kingdom.

Pastor Hartner received her Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School in New Haven, CT in 2007 and studied at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, PA.

“When we first met Pastor Hartner, she had a strong spiritual strength about her,” said Rev. Brown. “She has strong liturgical skills and an interest in traditional worship. Her preaching style engages the mind and reaches the heart. We at St. Mark’s are truly lucky to welcome her to our family.”

Pastor Hartner is married to her husband, Ian, and currently lives in Charlotte.