Meet Our Staff
St. Paul’s staff includes our full-time called Pastor, and several part-time staff who tend to the day-to-day operations of our ministry. In addition to these paid staff, our ministry thrives with the generous gifts of time, talent and treasure by the members and friends of our congregation.
These individuals provide leadership for our congregation council, ministry teams, and outreach into our community.
Minister
Pastor LaDonna Thomas
One of Pastor LaDonna’s greatest joys is accompanying people on their journey of spiritual growth, exploration and relationship with God. That joy has sustained her ministry as a Pastor of the Lutheran Church for over twenty-seven years, among five congregations in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The scope of Pastor LaDonna’s leadership at St. Paul includes leading worship, preaching, teaching, pastoral care and counseling, spiritual direction, and leadership development.
Pastor LaDonna is a graduate of Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (now United Lutheran Seminary). She also studied at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN and has done extensive continuing education in congregational renewal ministry. Pastor LaDonna is also certified as a spiritual director, having completed a 2-year training with Oasis Ministries.
Living a healthy lifestyle is important to our Pastor. Hiking, reading, cooking, music, walks on the beach, board and card games, and being with friends all fill and renew her spirit.
Pastor LaDonna’s family includes a daughter, Rebekah, who is also a Lutheran Pastor. Rebekah is married to Maddy and they are parents to Pastor LaDonna’s first grandchild, Talis. She has siblings in Ohio, where she was raised.
“I accepted the call to St. Paul because of the people of this congregation. There is a generous spirit of welcome, acceptance, belonging and love that is contagious. How could one not want to be part of it?”
– Pastor LaDonna Thomas
Music Director
Theodore Stoddard
Ted joined St. Paul Lutheran Church as Music Director in 2011. Since joining, he has overseen the completion of our beautiful pipe organ. He kept the music going all through the COVID pandemic with help from several faithful choir volunteers.
He has music degrees from DePauw University and University of Cincinnati College – Conservatory of Music and is employed at C.B. Fisk (organ manufacturing) where he is a pipe maker and performs flue voicing.
Ted grew up in Michigan and enjoys foreign travel and is an active volunteer on the Schooner Adventure in Gloucester.
Office Manager
Kimberly Parsons
Kim joined the St. Paul staff in 2022 after retiring from a career in sales administration and graphic design. She is pleased to be able to continue to use her skillsets at St. Paul.
She lives with her husband in Gloucester where they are both active members in their church and volunteer in the community. She enjoys spending time with their adult children, friends and family. She gets great joy out of creating and sharing the fruits of her labor: whether sewing, knitting, all manner of hand crafts or cooking/baking.