We welcome you to
Meet our Pastor, Staff, and Leaders
The work at GSLCL has been very challenging and just as rewarding. We, at GSLCL, look forward to meeting, greeting, and worshiping with you.
Rev. D. Lowell Chilton
PCell: 518-285-0441| Email: pastor@gslcl.org
Lowell serves as the pastor of Good Shepherd and First Lutheran Church in Albany through a partnership agreement.
Lowell comes to us from New Berlin, Pennsylvania, where he seved as the pastor of Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church for several years. Prior to New Berlin, Lowell served Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church in Anchorage, Alaska, as Interim Synod Authorized Minister. He received a Master of Divinity degree from the Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry in 2017, with a year of Lutheran studies at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary.
Prior to entering vocational ministry, Lowell worked in the PlayReady team at Microsoft. He is married the Rev. Kate Drefke, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Troy and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Poestenkill. They reside in Albany with three cats and a lot of board games.
Lowell and Kate also serve the Albany Maritime Ministry as chaplains.
our OFFICE COORDINATOR, our musiC director, and our CUSTODIAN
Office Coordinator
Tonya comes to us with a wide breadth of experience as an administrative assistant at Hope Lutheran Church in Troy. She will be in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays, working 10 hours per week, and continues to work for Hope Lutheran on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. She has an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice and additional coursework in Business/Health Information Processing Technology.
Tonya has been in the Capital Region for twenty-three years and currently resides in Wynantskill. She has three children and one granddaughter. In her spare time, she enjoys family camping trips and water parks.
Music Director
Mary Bon is our Interim Music Director and Organist. Mary holds academic degrees and professional certifications in organ performance, choral directing, and liturgical music and is well known in the Albany area as the Minister of Music at First Church in Albany from 1982 to 2021. Mary believes that music offers a doorway to faith and a glimpse of the sublime and mysterious heart of God. It speaks to our hearts and souls and adds breadth, depth, and richness to our collective worship. It strengthens, broadens, and enriches our faith, deepens our prayer and praise, and gives us strength and courage to care for each other and minister to our community and our world.
Kevin Wertman
Kevin, our custodian, is a lifelong resident of Colonie, NY where he lives with his wife, Marie, of 41 years. He has two daughters and three grandchildren. His grandparents were founding members of Good Shepherd. He enjoys classic cars and taking his treasured Dodge Challenger out for Sunday afternoon rides on sunny days. He is family oriented, which is evident when you see him light up when he hears the word, Papa. He started as the custodian at Good Shepherd in 2022 and he enjoys working with the pastor, the congregation, and the property team to make building improvements and to keep the property maintained.
Our Congregational Officers
The following people have been elected by the congregation to positions of leadership. We give thanks for their willingness to serve. In Baptism we are welcomed into the body of Christ and sent to share in the mission of God; we rejoice now that these sisters and brothers will lead us in our common life and our mutual mission as a congregation.
