Pastor & Staff
Pastor Janelle Krais
Janelle Krais was called to Grace as the Associate Pastor in September of 2004, and began serving as the Lead Pastor in 2017. Her passions in ministry include helping people to recognize and respond to God’s amazing grace, creating opportunities to work for social justice, leading inspiring and meaningful worship, and teaching the beauty and power of scripture. She married John (who has proven to be a saint over and over) in 1984, and has three incredibly cool adult children and 4 amazing grandchildren. In her free time, you’ll find her petting any willing dog to get her puppy fix, gardening or running.
Deacon Allison Wilcox
Allison is serving as our deacon. She is supporting our congregation in energizing our Evangelism and Adult Education ministries. What’s a deacon? (Glad you asked!) A deacon is a seminary graduate and rostered leader in the ELCA, who is called to be a “Minister of Word and Service.” The role of Deacon Wilcox at Grace will be to work in the areas of evangelism and adult education, and to preach monthly.
Kelsey Tomlinson
Kelsey Tomlinson started at Grace in June 2014 and is our Director of Christian Education & Youth Ministry. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Youth & Family Ministries from Augsburg University and graduated in 2019 from Luther Seminary with her Masters of Arts in Children, Youth, & Family Ministry. She is now working towards her Doctorate of Ministry through Fuller Theological Seminary. Kelsey works with our Christian Education program, especially our Sunday program – G.R.A.C.E. Place – to keep our kids engaged and our volunteers excited to teach each lesson! Kelsey is also our youth leader and works closely with the Youth Visioning team to create fun and engaging events for all ages. Her favorite thing to do is to watch movies and find hidden themes of God in them! Our high school youth group meets each Sunday and is currently working through a Harry Potter Bible study! Kelsey will do anything she can take her dog to! She loves to hike, bike, kayak, and swim. Her biggest passion is young adult ministry as she is a young adult and sees the need to connect with others her age in Bible studies and in fun!
“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”
Matthew 18:3-4
Phyllis Conroy
Phyllis has been our Parish Administrator since 2001 and is most likely the first face you’ll see when you stop in the office or the voice you hear when you call. Along with being the first person to welcome folks into the office, she takes care of putting together the bulletins, PowerPoint slides for worship, newsletters, and just about anything that comes out of the office. She married her college sweetheart in 1982; they live in Gilbertsville and have four wonderful children. She is very active in her Methodist church, but we consider her an honorary Lutheran. In her spare time, she loves going on walks, reading, bowling, and playing cards or games with her family.
Joyce Berner
Joyce Berner is the Director of Church Music. She has been the keyboard player and vocalist for Spirit of Grace since 2003. She started her music studies as a child and continued on through school as a music major. In addition to her music at church, Joyce also plays in a rock band, Rougarou. She lives in Royersford with her husband Kurt and has a daughter in college.
Steven Matzke
Steven has just recently started as our new Property Manager. He has a big job, taking care of our campus which includes our Church Building, Welcome Center, Education Center, Office, 3 rental properties, our parking lot and our grounds. Steve has been a member of Grace since 2018, when he and his wife joined. They have one son and a puppy and have lived in Upper Providence Township for 28 years. Steve enjoys bicycling and hiking in his spare time.