THE REV. NICOLE SCHWALBE CALLED AS PASTOR
TO LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE RESURRECTION, MT. KISCO

On Sunday, April 11, 2010, with unanimous support from her new congregation, Pastor Nicole Schwalbe was called to serve as the next full-time Pastor at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection in Mount Kisco, NY. Pastor Schwalbe is the first woman to lead the parish in its nearly 75 years of ministry to the people of Northern Westchester.

An ordained Lutheran Pastor since 2005, Pastor Schwalbe comes to Resurrection from Lutheran Ministries in Higher Education where she served young adults as campus pastor to Columbia University and Queens College. Her experience there, combined with pre-ordination work with youth, will serve her well in leading ministry to a family-oriented community. In addition to her campus ministry experience, Pastor Schwalbe is a trained speech pathologist, having worked with early childhood development and served as a missionary in Slovakia, working there for two years teaching teenagers.

“When Pastor Schwalbe led worship for us last August, it was clear that she had very special qualities for leadership,” said John Heidgerd, chair of the Resurrection call committee. “At each checkpoint in the call process, the call committee felt the increasing pull of the Holy Spirit toward Nicole as the right person to lead Resurrection to a new future.”

"We (my entire family) are all excited to be a part of the community at Resurrection and are looking forward to joining in its ministry," said Schwalbe, who currently lives in Manhattan with her husband Craig, a Columbia University professor. They have two sons, Adam (5) and Josh (3). "We are so grateful for the hospitality we have received and have been overwhelmed by the congregations enthusiasm to move forward," she said. "The Holy Spirit is on the move!”

The Schwalbe family moved into Resurrection’s beautifully renovated parsonage in late July and the women of the congregation held a "Welcome Parsonage Shower" event for Nicole and her family on July 24 in the LCR lounge.

Pastor Schwalbe’s call came after a 10-month search for a successor to former Pastor, Jack Horner, who now serves as Assistant to the Bishop for missions at the Metro NY Synod office in Manhattan. The Rev. Thomas Crossman was appointed interim Pastor in September 2009 and served in that role until Pastor Schwalbe’s official start date on August 1, 2010. A service of installation for Pastor Schwalbe is being planned for sometime this Fall.


Lutheran Church of the Resurrection
15 South Bedford Road
Mount Kisco, NY 10549
914-666-5123