Pastor Bill Coleman has been pastor of Luther Memorial Church since November 2008.  Bill grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania with his parents and two brothers.  After graduating from high school, he attended St. Bonaventure University, and finished his BA in Accounting at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  Bill met his future wife Amy at I.U.P and they were married in August of 1996.  After living in Northern Virginia for seven years and working as an auditor and financial analyst, Bill was called into the ministry. 

The Coleman family, including two children - Brennan and Emma, began seminary at Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary in the fall of 2000.  Bill graduated with his Masters of Divinity in 2004, and was called to serve Trinity Lutheran Church in Sidman, Pennsylvania and St. John Lutheran Church in Summerhill, Pennsylvania.  After moving to Erie (where his wife Amy grew up) Bill served St. Peter’s Lutheran Church (Millcreek) and Trinity Lutheran Church (McKean) before being called by Luther Memorial Church. 

Bill enjoys running, biking, reading and cooking.  He finds peace during long walks and runs at Presque Isle State Park.  He finds joy in the simple moments of life and is appreciative of his many blessings. He enjoys having conversations with people and welcomes meeting new people.  He is thankful for the ministry which happens here on a daily basis and is excited about the future of this ministry.

Heather is a Diaconal Minister: a called, consecrated, Rostered leader in the ELCA with roots in Word and Service. She has served as the Director of Christian Education and Family Ministry at Luther Memorial since October of 2006.  Heather is passionate about helping Christians in the identification and development their roles within the body of Christ. She believes that we all have spiritual gifts, given to us by God and intended for God’s service. When we work with one another, we can recognize the beauty of diversity and unity, which can lead us toward compassionate service in Christ’s name. Heather sees her role as an enhancer, encourager and utilizer of spiritual gifts in children, youth and adults.

Heather grew up in the open land of central Ohio, with horses and goats among her companions. She has always enjoyed camping and traveling, experiencing a variety of cultures and environments. Her international ministry fields have included Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Slovakia and Romania. Through various experiences of volunteering, travel and graduate internships; from the individuals who tell of lives weathered by homelessness, addiction, violence and dementia; and from those who are journeying on smoother paths, Heather has encountered aspects of society that have shaped her perspective of faith and life. 

Heather earned her Bachelor’s degree at Valparaiso University with majors in Spanish and chemistry. She completed graduate studies at Temple University, Harrisburg (Masters in Social Work) and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (Masters of Arts in Ministerial Studies).

Heather is married to Blaire P. Smith, a seminary classmate and fellow Diaconal Minister and have one child, Phoebe.

Walt Gaber serves as Cantor at Luther Memorial Church. The cantor is the leader of the people's song, responsible for the congregation's entire musical expression. At Luther Memorial, Walt serves as organist, as well as overseeing both adult and youth choirs. He served as interim cantor for four months after his predecessor resigned, and was appointed cantor upon the unanimous recommendation of a search committee, effective January 1, 2012.

Norma Buerk, Church Secretary, has been a staff member at Luther Memorial since 1987. She grew up in Murrysville PA, and holds Associate’s Degrees from Duff’s Business Institute in Pittsburgh in Legal Secretarial Service and Court Reporting Stenography.  Norma worked as a legal secretary in Pittsburgh until 1980 and in Erie until 1984. She raised a family of 3 children, briefly operated a cleaning business, and worked as church secretary at Kingsley United Methodist church before coming to Luther Memorial.

At Luther Memorial, Norma manages the front office for the church, producing bulletins for every service, the monthly Parish Banner for Jesus, and many other publications. She is also the voice of Luther Memorial on the telephone, and says what she likes best about her job is that “People need to know that they matter – they can call somewhere and feel that someone cares.”

In addition to her work as Church Secretary, Norma performs all the custodial work for the church building (except the school). She schedules this work, alongside her office duties, into some very full days. She also notes that the church office works together with the school office on many projects. When school is not in session and the school office is closed, Norma is often called to take on school office responsibilities as well.

Outside of work Norma has served as director of Sonlight Puppets since 1987, and is a member of the Lakewood United Methodist Handbell Choir. She enjoys spending time with her family, as well as biking, walking, and gardening.

Marilyn Rositer (Care Ministries) is a lifelong Erie resident and a lifelong Lutheran. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education and a Master’s degree in Student Personnel Services (Guidance and Counseling for College) from Edinboro University of PA, and has completed post Master’s work in Adult Education at Penn State, as well as in Counseling at Edinboro and Kent State Universities.

Marilyn has worked at Luther Memorial since 2006, when she joined the staff to provide help to the ordained staff, who were overwhelmed with the volume of calls needed to serve the sick and homebound. She was asked to form a volunteer group to take Holy Communion to the congregation’s shut-ins. She soon began assisting with hospital visitation and calling on our homebound members, both in person and by telephone.

Marilyn formed a group of the congregation’s older members for informal fellowship and lunch at various area restaurants and to provide other opportunities to learn and grow throughout the year. This group soon was named Older and Wiser Lutherans (OWLs) and affiliated with the national organization Adult Lutherans Organized for Action (ALOA). In 2007, Luther Memorial became a covenant congregation of ALOA. With a mission to provide resources to encourage adults in the second half of their lives to celebrate their blessings and to serve in their churches and communities, ALOA has been growing steadily under Marilyn’s care.

Marilyn is also coordinator of the “Growing in Soul” grace group, whose members read books of faith and share their spiritual journeys. She is amazed at the support the Care Ministry receives from the congregation: soup, handmade gifts, and prayer shawls, in addition to regular financial support.

Prior to working at Luther Memorial, Marilyn retired from Gannon University, having served since 1984 in a variety of areas, including Graduate, Adult, and Continuing Education, the Cultural Diversity and Women’s Center, the Returning to Education Adult Program (REAP), and as Coordinator of Commuter Life.

Outside work, Marilyn’s interests include spending time with her grandchildren, reading, playing cards, belonging to a book club, visiting Chautauqua, and attending lectures and concerts. She describes herself as a spiritual seeker who loves listening to tapes, hearing speakers, reading theology-related books, and discussing all of these topics with other seekers.

Miriam Scheid has been the Parish Manager of Luther Memorial Church since October 2007. Miriam grew up in Orlando, Florida and moved to Erie in 1989 when she married Jeffrey Scheid. She has three adult children, Ashley, Joshua and Cassia. Before working for Luther Memorial, Miriam worked as a travel agent and accounting manager at North Coast Travel.

Miriam and her husband have been active members of their church, Church of Mt. Zion, for over twenty years. Miriam served missionaries as a travel agent and helped churches with their missions programs for almost fourteen years. Miriam enjoys accounting and is grateful to use these skills helping others, and in the service of our Lord.

Miriam enjoys visiting her son-in-law and daughter in Virginia, where they serve in the ministry and spending time with her family. Miriam also enjoys the beach, kayaking, and loves to travel.

David Buerk, Building Manager, has worked at Luther Memorial for six years. He is a native of Erie, where he graduated from Tech Memorial High School. He owns Buerk Construction, a remodeling and building contractor. At Luther Memorial, his part-time work includes taking care of our sprawling physical plant, making sure things get repaired or replaced just before they break and saving the church from incurring considerable expense using outside contractors.

Outside Luther Memorial, David enjoys playing cards, swimming, and fine woodworking.

Charlie Lintelman, Church Security Guard, grew up in a 200 year old house located on 120 acres outside of Waterford, and has always been active in many outdoor activities.  Charlie attended

Luther Memorial Learning Center and Fort LeBoeuf High School. In 2011, he received his Bachelor’s degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Edinboro University with a minor is Psychology. He is currently working on his Master’s degree in Education and on earning his Teaching Certification in Middle Level English/Science.

Charlie has officially worked at Luther Memorial since 2005, although he was a frequent volunteer prior to turning 16.  He began serving as the church’s Security Guard on weekdays, sharing the job with the Parsh brothers who worked weekends. He notes that his position is something of a catch-all, as he is called on to help with weddings, concerts, funerals, benefits, and other events, also serving as a host to welcome people and a door man. He also manages our relationships with our neighbors (“putting out fires”), and handles the grounds and outdoor upkeep. He is often called on to supervise volunteer projects at the church.

Charlie says that he enjoys his job because it is never boring, always presenting him with something new to learn. He gets to know a wide variety of people, and finds the people at Luther Memorial “a wonderful group to work with.” Charlie strives to represent Luther Memorial as a friendly face who materializes whenever anything is needed. He recognizes, though, that most of his job is behind the scenes and isn't noticed unless something isn't done.

Charlie worked at Metro Health Center doing grounds maintenance before they closed. He has also worked for the Ft. LeBoeuf School District doing grounds maintenance. He has owned his own landscaping company since 2007.

Outside of work, Charlie enjoys running, basketball, and soccer. He likes going out to dinner, movies, amusement parks, and beaches. He also enjoys visiting and helping his grandmothers and playing cards. He calls himself a “huge people person” and says he is very grateful for the experience and skills he has gained from his time at Luther Memorial. His goal is to become a teacher, and further down the road, a principal. He also hopes to continue and expand his landscaping business, and to stay connected to Luther Memorial. “After all,” he says, “it's been my second home/family for a very long time.”