Our Staff & Council

The Reverend Veronika Czutor

Pastor

Photo of Pastor Veronika smiling. She has pale skin, hazel eyes and brown hair pulled back in a bun. She is wearing a white alb and a red stole with an outline of a dove on it.

Pastor Veronika (she/her) brings a unique perspective to our congregation. Growing up in the charming town of Szabadkígyós in Hungary, she was raised by her Roma father and non-Roma mother, instilling in her a deep appreciation for diversity and inclusion. Her journey to ministry started in Rome, Italy, where she worked at the bishop’s office of a bilingual (German-Italian) church. She came to the USA when she received a scholarship to study theology at Lutheran School of Theology Chicago and later she earned her Masters of Divinity from Luther Seminary. 
Along the way, Pastor Veronika served in multiple congregations across the nation. In new missional ministry positions, like cross-generational and young adult ministries, she responded to her call to serve all members of the Almighty’s diverse family. 
When she’s not inspiring us from the pulpit, Pastor Veronika dedicates her free time to rescuing and nurturing animals, a reflection of her commitment to respecting all of God’s creation. Fun fact: she’s also a huge fan of salsa music, infusing her life and ministry with rhythm and joy. 
Join us at Central Lutheran Church and experience the warmth, compassion, and vibrant energy that Pastor Veronika brings to our community!

Pastor Veronika’s office hours are 10am-2pm, Tuesday- Friday or by appointment.
To contact Pastor Veronika, send her an email at reverend.veronika@gmail.com

Harold Knight, PhD

Music Director

Photo of Harold wearing a purple choir robe playing the piano. He has fair skin, grey hair and is wearing glasses.

Harold Knight’s (he/him) first position in a Lutheran church was First English Lutheran Church in San Bernardino, CA, when he was in college (1965-67). He has played organ and conducted choirs in Lutheran or Episcopal churches continuously since then.
He is a Nebraskan who has lived in California, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Dallas. He began studying organ when he was a kid and his church needed an organist. He earned his B.M. degree in organ performance at the University of Redlands in California and his doctorate in Organ Literature from the University of Iowa. He has taught music (rather, has learned about music along with students) in three colleges. He came to Dallas in 1994 and was Music Director at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Farmers Branch for sixteen years.
While in college, Harold studied church music as well as organ. He studied music and the arts at the School of Theology in Claremont, CA, for two years. His professor was a scholar of Luther’s music, and Harold began his lifelong study of music and faith in liturgical churches. He is a writer of sorts and came to Dallas to study creative writing at UTD.
Hymnology – the study of hymns from ancient Gregorian chant, to Luther’s understanding of the spiritual nature of congregational singing, to modern expressions of those traditions – has been a major focus of Harold’s work. He was a member of the Music Commission of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts that introduced the Episcopal Hymnal 1982, and part of the team that introduced the ELW in our Synod in 2007. That focus is the center of his love of making and teaching church music.
Harold has many interests: his cats, opera and musicals, reading and writing fiction, the Lutheran church in Palestine, finding every Japanese restaurant in DFW, and walking at the Frazier Dam Recreation Area. And, of course, following and learning new church music, especially music from Augsburg Press and the Association of Lutheran Musicians.

To contact Harold about joining the choir (or anything else), send him an email at harchiek74@gmail.com

Rachel Brown

Administrative Assistant

Photo of Rachel smiling. She has pale skin, blue eyes, and brown hair. She is wearing a grey sweater.

Rachel Brown (she/her) has been the administrative assistant at Central Lutheran Church since November 2022. When you call or email the office, Rachel will be the one you talk to. She has her B.A. in Professional and Technical Communication from the University of North Texas. Her other career is freelance copywriting. In her free time, Rachel enjoys petting every dog she sees and reading LGBTQ+ novels. Ask her for book recommendations!


Rachel’s office hours are 10am-2pm, Monday-Friday (except federal holidays).
To contact the office, email central.lutheran.dallas@gmail.com or call 214-327-2222.

Bill Slingerland

Caretaker

Photo of Bill smiling. He has pale skin, brown eyes and grey hair. He is wearing a green shirt and has sunglasses on top of his head.

Bill Slingerland (he/him) has been the part time caretaker at Central Lutheran since the Fall of 2023. He was first involved with Central through the Al-Anon meetings the church hosts twice a week. Bill’s first career was as a house painter. He has lived in the White Rock Lake neighborhood for quite a few years. In his spare time, Bill enjoys hiking and bicycling the trails around the lake.

Our Council

The council is our group of lay leaders who represent different ministry fields. They meet on the second Sunday of every month after worship in the Parish Hall. All church members can attend any council meeting.

Our council members for 2024 are as follows:

President- Ted Steinke (ts@tedsteinke.com)
Vice President- Jan Moody (jmzmoody@att.net)
Secretary- Linnea Castillo
Treasurer- Janis Farrow (farrowcpa@sbcglobal.net)
Administration- Mark Buie (mbuie@tx.rr.com)
Worship- Mary Glenn (maryglenn1963@gmail.com)
Education/ Youth/ Activities- Carrie Enocksen
Evangelism/ Mission & Outreach- Anne Monson (annemonson@sbcglobal.net)