At WPLC we empower all people to be leaders in the congregation, bringing forth new ministries and ideas to engage the world and help others glimpse the work of God among us. Our paid staff help guide this process, along with the elected congregation council.
The Rev. Jason Glombicki, pastor and congregation president
Pastor Jason (gender pronouns: he/him – what’s this?) grew up in East Dundee, Illinois, with his parents, brother, and countless pet turtles. He majored in religion, biology, and pre-medicine at Augustana College, Rock Island and worked in Chicago as a homeless shelter case manager with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps. He continued his education at both the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and Yale Divinity School before receiving his Master of Divinity with a concentration in urban/metropolitan ministry. During his studies, he served in pastoral roles at Temple University’s Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministries and St. John’s Lutheran Church in Easton, Pennsylvania. Before coming to WPLC in December 2013, Pastor Jason worked as a hospital chaplain at Yale-New Haven Hospital specializing in pediatrics and palliative care. In the fall of 2019, Pastor Jason obtained a certificate in non-profit management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
His passions for ministry include historical liturgical worship, community engagement, administration, and for expansive ministries with marginalized groups (e.g., LGBTQIA+, women, BIPOC, and immigrants). His favorite Gospel is Luke, especially the story of the Good Samaritan, as it is a continual reminder to love God and to love and show mercy to others and ourselves. Its implications are complex and rich, and it shapes and informs Pastor Jason’s ministry.
In his spare time, Pastor Jason enjoys walking along the lake, hiking, playing with his cats, exploring new restaurants with his partner, the fine arts, and keeping up with current events.
Contact Pastor Jason at pastor@wickerparklutheran.org
Vicar Vicky Carathanassis, pastoral Intern
Vicar Vicky (she/her – what’s this?) grew up in Mazon, IL. She graduated from Shimer College with a B.A. in Humanities in 2013. After college, she went “and now for something completely different,” and spent the next several years working in logistics and data analytics. During this same period, she began to seriously discern the call towards rostered ministry that she’d first felt as a child. With the fierce encouragement of her home church, she decided she was all in, enrolled at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and started the candidacy process for Minister of Word and Sacrament.
Her time in seminary has been particularly shaped by the pandemic, which began roughly a month after she started taking classes full-time. As a result, she has a newfound passion for looking beyond the conventional to find ways to connect communities. She completed one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, where she worked extensively with families whose babies were in the NICU. With the understanding that God’s love excludes no one, she cares deeply about advocating for and accompanying people who, like her, have previously been hurt by religious institutions.
In her free time, she loves engaging with stories, bragging about how cool her dog is, and starting craft projects that she will never finish. Her socks haven’t matched since 2002.
Contact Vicar Vicky at vicar@wickerparklutheran.org
Dr. Jordan Chua, church musician
Dr. Jordan (gender pronouns: he/him – what’s this?) has been a musician in the Chicago metropolitan area for over 15 years, serving as an ecclesial musician, music educator, and performer. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in music and philosophy from Loyola University Chicago and studied the sciences in Loyola’s postbaccalaureate program. Dr. Jordan was awarded a master’s in music education from VanderCook College of Music and completed a doctorate in education from Loyola University Chicago.
He enjoys reading literature by George R. R. Martin, Orson Scott Card, Margaret Atwood, C. S. Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien; recreating by Lake Michigan; and playing with his baby niece. Jordan delights in working with both young and experienced musicians. Through his music ministry at WPLC, Jordan desires, as J. S. Bach affirmed, “. . . to give God the greater glory and refreshment to the soul.”
Contact Dr. Jordan at churchmusician@wickerparklutheran.org
CharliE Dykstal, office assistant & volunteer coordinator
Charlie (gender pronouns: he/him – what’s this?) was born in Alabama but grew up in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area in Minnesota. He went to Denison University, outside of Columbus, Ohio, where he explored his interest and love of contemporary art and cinema, earning a degree in both. After this, he followed another interest of his, horticulture, to Chicago; managing a community garden on the West Side, where he grew produce and distributed it for free at a food pantry. He has since been exploring theology and clerical work, leading him to WPLC. He hopes to continue to find meaning in working with people, beauty, and the natural world.
Charlie spends a lot of his leisure time consuming various forms with art with his friends and family. Reading, watching films, going to museums, and playing with his band are his favorite pastimes. He also plays a lot of Dungeons and Dragons and loves the storytelling that goes along with it. He is a dedicated environmentalist, and loves to camp, hike, snowshoe, and everything in-between. He also loves his cat, Aldo.
Contact Charlie at office@wickerparklutheran.org.
Evelyn Lopez, Nursery caregiver
Evelyn (gender pronouns: she/her – what’s this?) was born and raised in Chicago. She grew up with her older sister, a younger brother, her mother, and her grandparents. She’s always been really close to her family.
Evelyn graduated in May 2023 with her associates in early childhood education and is planning to continue her education in early childhood education and special education. She has always been interested in becoming a teacher. Ever since Evelyn was little, she asked to volunteer to help the younger children even though she was also learning. She has always had a passion for helping others. When Evelyn’s younger cousin was born, she started to spend her whole summer helping her cousin learn to read and write. After a while, she started to help more kids, and at eighteen, she started to work at a child care center. Evelyn started off as a floater helping the classrooms from infants to 5 years old. After six months, Evelyn was promoted to assistant teacher in the infant room and then, to lead teacher.
She adores all her children and enjoys all her time she spends with her past students and new students. Evelyn hopes to become the best teacher a child could ever ask for. During her free time, she spends time with her family or friends. She loves going to the gym and exploring. Evelyn has traveled to about twenty different places in Mexico! She hopes to keep exploring different parts of the world.
Contact Evelyn at nursery@wickerparklutheran.org