Trinity’s Pastors and Staff

Each staff member makes a meaningful impression in church life at Trinity.

Our staff are skilled leaders, faith-filled servants, and thoughtful stewards of our spiritual home. You’re invited to learn more about these remarkable individuals in their bios.

Pastor Pam Challis

Senior Pastor

The Rev. Dr. Pamela Joan-Swarts Challis (better known as Pastor Pam or P2) grew up in Marion, Indiana as the oldest of three daughters born to Robert and Janice Swarts. Pam was active in church life from the time she was three, when she had her first speaking part in Marion First Church of the Nazarene’s annual Christmas Program.
After graduation from high school, Pam attended Olivet Nazarene University in Kankakee, Illinois, where she received a BS in Home Economics and General Science Education. She married David (Dave) Challis following graduation and they have three adult children and six grandchildren: Aubrey (married to Nick Cray with their children Dani, Vanessa, and Elaina), Aaron (married to Brianna Casiano, and Tanner), and Ashley (married to Stephen Davis with their children Naomi and Samuel).
Pam finally listened to the urging of the Holy Spirit and attended Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, where she graduated and was ordained in 1995. Her first call was to Atonement Lutheran Church (in Barrington, IL) as Associate Pastor for Education and Outreach (this call morphed into Associate Pastor for Youth and Family Ministry). Moving to the south side of Chicago, she served Ashburn Lutheran Church and School as both Co-Pastor and Solo Pastor. Her third call was to Ahwatukee (Phoenix), Arizona where she served as Senior Pastor at Esperanza Lutheran Church and Preschool. While serving at Esperanza, Pam finished her DMin in Preaching from LSTC (Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago) in 2009. In 2011, God called Pam to serve as Pastor Developer for Living Faith Lutheran in Santa Clarita, California and since November of 2013, Pam has had the privilege to serve at Christ Lutheran Church in Long Beach, California.
Pastor Pam enjoys reading, walking, yoga, hiking, baking and cooking, watching British TV programs and hanging out with her husband and their two cats, Ashton and Graham.

Pastor Janet Kettering

VISITATION PASTOR

Pastor Janet Kettering serves as our Visitation Pastor. Pastor Janet and her husband, Pastor Phil Kettering, joined as members of Trinity in spring of 2016.
Pastor Janet is a second-career pastor who comes to us from the Southwestern Minnesota Synod. Her 30 years of experience as a District Court Reporter for the State of Minnesota served as a surprising catalyst to a call to pastoral ministry and the opportunity to engage in the stories of God’s people in a new way. Pastor Janet completed the ELCA candidacy process through the TEEM program (Theological Education for Emerging Ministries) at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California, and was ordained into her first call in February of 2009 as Associate Pastor of Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church in Canby, Minnesota. That was followed by a call as their Senior Pastor; she continued in that position until 2016, at which time she and her husband, Pastor Phil Kettering, relocated to the Rocky Mountain Synod and the Boulder area.
Pastor Janet currently serves as a half-time pastor at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Boulder and cherishes spending time with her husband and their family, preparing and sharing meals with others for others, and seeing God’s presence revealed through our life experiences.

Melanie Nehls Burow

PARISH ADMINISTRATOR

Melanie has been a member of Trinity since spring 2001 and a staff member since July 2004. Melanie manages the church calendar and events, production of church publications, the church’s technology and equipment, and communication to the congregation. She is the person who makes sure things get done and considers herself a Jane-of-all-trades. Melanie holds a Master of Arts from the University of Chicago in Social Service Administration with over 20 years experience working with nonprofits. Melanie is married to Andrew Burow and they reside in Boulder. Melanie sings in ASTER Women’s Chamber Choir where she serves as choir president. Melanie is a Master Composter and teaches composting classes in the area each spring and fall. She is an avid traveler and is always trying to find time to see more of the world.

Dr. Leila Heil

ADULT CHOIR DIRECTOR

Dr. Heil is Trinity’s Adult Choir Director. She began her ministry among us in April 2013. Leila is an Assistant Professor at CU in the College of Music: Choral Methods, Graduate Level Foundations of Music Education, and Faculty Advisor. She moved to the area from Ft. Collins where she served as the Choir Director of Christ United Methodist.

Jeanine Marsh

COORDINATOR OF MUSIC MINISTRIES

Jeanine is the Coordinator of Music Ministries/Youth Choir Director. Jeanine and her husband Tom joined Trinity in April of 2012 after they moved to the area from Columbia, South Carolina. She has a Bachelor’s degree in music with a piano major and voice minor from the State University of West Georgia (1976) and has done graduate work, including organ study, at Columbia College in Columbia, SC. She has been organist/choir director at two churches, one ELCA and one Episcopal, where she was director of adult and children’s choirs. For many years she directed the children’s choir at their home church, Westminster Presbyterian in Columbia, and has experience directing bell choirs. Tom and Jeanine spend a lot of time playing with their two grandsons that live here in Colorado, traveling back East to see their three granddaughters, and driving to California to visit family.

Marilyn Van Roekel

ACCOMPANIST

Marilyn came to Trinity as our Organist in Fall 2017. An organist and pianist, she studied at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. She has a lifetime of serving churches from Iowa to Alaska to Missouri to Arizona to Colorado! She currently lives in Frederick with her spouse, Jeff. Marilyn has two children and two stepchildren, plus one adorable grandchild who prompted the move to Colorado from Iowa. When away from the keys she loves hiking, biking, motorcycling, rafting, and sailing.

Eli Grimm

OFFICE ASSISTANT

Eli identifies as nonbinary and uses they, them pronouns. For more information, you can check out this site: https://www.mypronouns.org/they-them
Eli is the local newcomer, having joined Trinity less than a year ago. After growing up in Buffalo, NY, Eli moved to Colorado in 2018. Like their fearless leader, Melanie, Eli embodies the jack of all trades archetype. They've done everything from journalism to event planning to bartending! As such, they bring a variety of strengths to the juggling act that is administrative operations. You may recognize them as the purple-haired alto in the Trinity adult choir and Trinity's bell choir. Outside of Trinity, Eli studies Sociology and Public Relations, striving toward a career in research and professorship. Their social advocacy efforts at the Colorado State Capitol won them the ACLU's Civil Rights in Action Award. In their free time, Eli figure skates, watches Bills games with their partner, Andy, daydreams about their next trip abroad, and tries unique, funky wines.

Bill Rhode

CUSTODIAN

Bill has been at Trinity since 1977. Bill’s role at Trinity is to keep God’s house and surrounding yard clean. Bill has always enjoyed doing things for the church, even trimming the bushes and grass and, when needed, shoveling snow. Bill was in the Air Force for 4 years and then worked for the Federal Aviation, retiring in 1995. Bill and his wife Carol have one son, Steven, who is married to Amy, and two grandsons, Kyle and Travis. Bill & Carol have a condo in Maui and whenever they get a chance, they go to Hawaii and enjoy the sunshine to relax.

Monica Plumb

BOOKKEEPER

Monica has been our bookkeeper since 2006 and a member of Trinity since 1995. Monica holds an AA degree in accounting and has been working in this field since 1983. She is responsible for paying operating expenses, payroll service, balances the checkbooks and creates the church’s financial statements. Monica has two boys whom she loves fiercely. She likes to read, hike and hang out with her family.