St. Luke's Staff biographies
The Rev. Dr. David T. Gortner, Rector
The Rev. Glenda Empsal, Deacon
Ann Cotroneo, Administrative Assistant
Julie Heard, Music Director and Organist
Jonas Malone, Organist
The Rev. Glenda Empsal, Deacon
Ann Cotroneo, Administrative Assistant
Julie Heard, Music Director and Organist
Jonas Malone, Organist
The Rev. Dr. David T. Gortner, Rector
I am delighted to be serving and working with the people of St. Luke’s, as together we seek to follow Jesus, love one another, and serve the world around us in Coeur d’Alene and North Idaho
.
I came to the inland Northwest after living and working in many different places across the U.S. For more than thirty years, I have served a wide array of churches and faith-based organizations, including seminaries, churches, campus ministries, church plants, and interfaith organizations. All of my previous work, including my early work on farms and building houses and my work in various pastoral and mental health settings, has shaped me as a pastor and leader.
I want to help people find how God is already moving in their lives. God loves us, has made us each uniquely and wonderfully in God’s own image, and will not leave us alone. This is why I wrote the book, Transforming Evangelism, and why I have taught and trained hundreds of clergy and lay-people. I want Christians to embrace the practice of sharing our own journeys of faith, listening for signs of God at work in everyone’s lives, naming where we see God at work, and inviting people to discover more.
I am an Episcopal priest because I have found in this Church an unflinching, passionate belief in God’s love for all humanity, and in the power of that Love to remake us and heal the world.
My wife, the Very Rev. Heather VanDeventer, is also an Episcopal priest and serves as the Dean of St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Spokane. Our two children are continuing to grow and learn as they make their way through high school and middle school.
Education
Ph.D., Psychology and Human Development, University of Chicago
M.Div., Theology, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary (Evanston, IL)
M.A., Psychology, Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, NC)
B.A., Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL)
A sampling of Dr. Gortner’s books and articles
I am delighted to be serving and working with the people of St. Luke’s, as together we seek to follow Jesus, love one another, and serve the world around us in Coeur d’Alene and North Idaho
.
I came to the inland Northwest after living and working in many different places across the U.S. For more than thirty years, I have served a wide array of churches and faith-based organizations, including seminaries, churches, campus ministries, church plants, and interfaith organizations. All of my previous work, including my early work on farms and building houses and my work in various pastoral and mental health settings, has shaped me as a pastor and leader.
I want to help people find how God is already moving in their lives. God loves us, has made us each uniquely and wonderfully in God’s own image, and will not leave us alone. This is why I wrote the book, Transforming Evangelism, and why I have taught and trained hundreds of clergy and lay-people. I want Christians to embrace the practice of sharing our own journeys of faith, listening for signs of God at work in everyone’s lives, naming where we see God at work, and inviting people to discover more.
I am an Episcopal priest because I have found in this Church an unflinching, passionate belief in God’s love for all humanity, and in the power of that Love to remake us and heal the world.
My wife, the Very Rev. Heather VanDeventer, is also an Episcopal priest and serves as the Dean of St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Spokane. Our two children are continuing to grow and learn as they make their way through high school and middle school.
Education
Ph.D., Psychology and Human Development, University of Chicago
M.Div., Theology, Seabury-Western Theological Seminary (Evanston, IL)
M.A., Psychology, Wake Forest University (Winston-Salem, NC)
B.A., Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL)
A sampling of Dr. Gortner’s books and articles
- Varieties of Personal Theology: Charting the Beliefs and Values of American Young Adults. London, UK: Ashgate/Routledge, 2013.
- Transforming Evangelism. New York, NY: Church Publishing, 2007.
- Retraining Ourselves in Thought and Action: A Thematic Exploration of Leadership Literature. Anglican Theological Review, 2010.
- Looking at Leadership Beyond Our Own Horizon. Anglican Theological Review, 2009.
- Congregational Studies and Ministry: The Art of Multifaceted Contextual Exegesis. (Percy, E., ed., The Study of Ministry: A Comprehensive Survey of Theory and Practice. London, UK: SPCK, 2019).
- Surveying a Church’s Attitude toward and Interaction with Islam. (In Heaney, R., Sayilgan, Z., & Haymes, C., eds., Faithful Neighbors: Christian-Muslim Vision & Practice. New York, NY: Morehouse, 2016).
- Effective clergy leadership in the 21st century: Are we up to the task?, In Trust, 2014.
The Rev. Glenda Empsall, Deacon
Glenda was ordained to the Diaconate in 2012. By her annual request and at the pleasure of the Rt. Rev’d Gretchen M. Rehberg, she is assigned to St. Luke’s; serving at the altar, ministering to needs within the surrounding community and “other duties as assigned.” Young people bring Glenda joy and she volunteers as a Puppy Reader at Bryan Elementary and on the Mini-Camp Resource Team at Camp Cross on Lake Coeur d’Alene.
In her secular careers, Glenda worked as an exploration geologist for a mining company, a software engineer at a defense contractor, and an environmental health and safety manager for a remediation contractor, in the lumber industry and most recently in aerospace, retiring in 2016.
Glenda has been married to her husband, John for more than 41 years. They have two grown sons, each married to an amazing daughter-in-law, a granddaughter born in November 2019, and two grand dogs.
Glenda was ordained to the Diaconate in 2012. By her annual request and at the pleasure of the Rt. Rev’d Gretchen M. Rehberg, she is assigned to St. Luke’s; serving at the altar, ministering to needs within the surrounding community and “other duties as assigned.” Young people bring Glenda joy and she volunteers as a Puppy Reader at Bryan Elementary and on the Mini-Camp Resource Team at Camp Cross on Lake Coeur d’Alene.
In her secular careers, Glenda worked as an exploration geologist for a mining company, a software engineer at a defense contractor, and an environmental health and safety manager for a remediation contractor, in the lumber industry and most recently in aerospace, retiring in 2016.
Glenda has been married to her husband, John for more than 41 years. They have two grown sons, each married to an amazing daughter-in-law, a granddaughter born in November 2019, and two grand dogs.
Ann Cotroneo, Parish Administrator
Ann Cotroneo came to North Idaho after living and working all over the United States, most recently Austin, Texas. Her previous 25 years in food & beverage/hospitality management has shaped her love for community service, and St Luke’s is the perfect landing place with it’s friendly staff and congregation.
Ann is married to her husband Kevin, has a daughter, son in law and grandson in Northern California, and a son in Texas. She also is mom to a mini schnauzer, Wilson.
Ann Cotroneo came to North Idaho after living and working all over the United States, most recently Austin, Texas. Her previous 25 years in food & beverage/hospitality management has shaped her love for community service, and St Luke’s is the perfect landing place with it’s friendly staff and congregation.
Ann is married to her husband Kevin, has a daughter, son in law and grandson in Northern California, and a son in Texas. She also is mom to a mini schnauzer, Wilson.
Julie Heard, Music Director and Organist
Julie Heard received her Bachelor of Music degree in 2013 from James Madison University, where she studied under Canadian pianist Dr. Lori Piitz. Since graduating she has had the unique opportunity to live overseas in the United Kingdom where she played the organ at her local parish churches. Upon returning to the states she became the church accompanist at a local NH Anglican church. December 2019 the U.S. Airforce brought her family to the Spokane area where she currently resides. Outside of playing for St. Luke's she also teaches piano lessons to students in the local area as well as online. She is very excited to be joining the music ministry here at St. Luke's.
Julie Heard received her Bachelor of Music degree in 2013 from James Madison University, where she studied under Canadian pianist Dr. Lori Piitz. Since graduating she has had the unique opportunity to live overseas in the United Kingdom where she played the organ at her local parish churches. Upon returning to the states she became the church accompanist at a local NH Anglican church. December 2019 the U.S. Airforce brought her family to the Spokane area where she currently resides. Outside of playing for St. Luke's she also teaches piano lessons to students in the local area as well as online. She is very excited to be joining the music ministry here at St. Luke's.
Jonas Malone, Organist
Jonas is an organ student of Rose Dempsey's (Rose was organist many years ago at St. Luke's and now plays at Trinity Lutheran). He is a high school student interested in a future career in music. Jonas also plays on Sunday afternoons at the Mormon congregation where his family attends.
Jonas is an organ student of Rose Dempsey's (Rose was organist many years ago at St. Luke's and now plays at Trinity Lutheran). He is a high school student interested in a future career in music. Jonas also plays on Sunday afternoons at the Mormon congregation where his family attends.