I was called to be the pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in 2024 and since then it has been a profound blessing to be here and to minister alongside God’s people. I was raised in Fishers, Indiana and attended Ball State University where I earned a B.S. in Social Studies Education. I later attended Trinity Lutheran Seminary at Capital University where I earned my Master of Divinity. I am married to my wife, Kendra, and we have two children who mean the whole world to us. We also have a cat named Paisley who has been with us since she was a tiny kitten. I am a husband, father, pastor, and, most importantly, a baptized child of God.

I am passionate about Jesus and about what God is doing in our lives as believers. My calling is to preach and teach all that I can about God’s grace and God’s love for all people. I was not always a member of the Lutheran Church, and there was a time when I was not even a Christian. But God has done incredible things in my life and I see God doing amazing things in other people’s lives. I would love to share the joy of the Gospel with you anytime, anywhere. I am happy to meet you whenever and wherever works best for you. Whether it is for a home blessing, a chat over coffee, or a stay in the hospital. I am here for you no matter what. God’s love knows no bounds and this is something I firmly believe. Christ is Risen and Christ is with us. More importantly, Christ is for us. We are never alone.

I would love to meet you sometime. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the church office. God bless you!

I was hired as Zion’s Office Administrator in mid-March of 2023. After wonderful instruction from the previous Office Manager, Linda Short, I have hit the ground running. There are many moving parts to this job, and I enjoy the challenge and variety, but I especially enjoy meeting everyone here. They have all been warm and welcoming.
I was born and raised in Tipp City, graduated from Miami University with a business degree, moved to Cleveland for 4 years and then came back to the community I love. I have worked in a variety of businesses for over 40 years, many in the Tipp City area.
Although I don’t attend this church, I am very involved in the music ministry in my church. Our ensemble/praise team has been together for over 30 years, serving in several congregations.
I have been married to a wonderful man, Jeff, for almost 4 decades. Many of you may have met him during his 27-year tenure in the Tipp City EMS department, the last four serving as the Chief. Most of our family was raised here and lives in the area.
In addition to caring for a large property, I am involved in community with the Tippecanoe Historical Society and the Arts Council. I love arts and crafts and enjoy learning to create with polymer clay from Lily Nichols. I play the flute, have a pilot’s license, am an official photographer for both the Dayton and Cleveland Air Shows, love to camp and travel, love to entertain and I have collected buttons since I was 9. Although they could technically be sewn on garments, these are not plain buttons like you see on clothing. Many are worth a lot of money. There are local, state and national button collecting organizations so it’s a big hobby.
I look forward to serving the Lord and the people of Zion for many years to come.

Jessica Dorn serves as director of Christian Education.

I became Zion’s organist in 2012. Melinda Schall (Zion’s Christian Education director at the time) recruited me! I had been looking for a church closer to our home, so our family could get more involved, and I was looking for a preschool for our son. With Main Street Preschool across the street, there were a lot of “coincidences” in our move to Zion, or more likely, divine intervention involved! I am a lifelong Dayton area resident. I graduated from Northmont High School, then graduated from the University of Dayton with a mathematics / computer science degree, and prior to moving to the Tipp City area, my husband and I lived in Kettering. I have played keyboard instruments professionally now over 25 years. Prior to serving Zion, I was organist at Bethlehem Lutheran Church (Fairborn, OH). My piano instructor was Barbara Gibbons, and my organ instructor (during my years at U.D.) was Dr. Richard Benedum. My husband James and I have four children. We enjoy a variety of church, sporting, music, and scouting activities with which our children are involved! I serve on Bethel Local School Board and the Miami County Planning Commission. The people at Zion are warm and welcoming. One highlight of my week is our Wednesday night choir rehearsals, where there is a lot of good-natured ribbing that goes along with “instruction”. We are blessed at Zion with a lot of musical (both instrumental and vocal) talent, and I love incorporating those abilities into our worship services. I am equally thankful for the team of people at Zion that I work beside. One of my favorite Scripture passages comes from 1 Corinthians 12.

Bill Jones shares the Choir Directing position with Susie Gray.

Susie Gray shares the Choir Directing position with Bill Jones.