Ministry Team
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Eric Eichinger
Senior Pastor 626-447-7690 pastoreich@oslcarcadia.org Rev. Eric Eichinger enjoys wearing his many vocational hats of husband, father, pastor, and scribe. He hails from the great state of Michigan and was ordained in the office of holy ministry in 2006 in his hometown congregation of Zion Lutheran Church in Kalamazoo, MI. Currently he serves as senior pastor of OSLC Arcadia, since 2022. Prior to the pastoral ministry, Eichinger met his future wife, Kara, as they served together as missionaries in China. Today, as they raise their three children together, Pastor Eich feels fulfilled utilizing their overseas experience serving in the holy ministry amidst the strongly Chinese populated city of Arcadia. Eichinger says, “Our church seeks to Share Our Savior in the hearts of individuals, throughout our neighborhood, and beyond.” Our Savior Lutheran Church has many exciting people, ministries, and opportunities for people to meet and become involved with. OSLC strives to blend legacy congregation members with newer faces in the community. Our worship services and ministries continue to reflect this reality more and more. Pastor Eichinger loves to share Jesus in creative and innovative ways and has written for The Lutheran Hour as well as authored three books of his own. In His leisure time, Pastor Eich enjoys playing sports with his family, sipping coffee, reading, writing, and cheering on his beloved Michigan State Spartans, as well as the Detroit Lions (because someone has to). He looks forward to seeing you this Sunday! |
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Peter Jin
Chinese Ministry Evangelist 626-262-1099 pjin@oslcarcadia.org Born in China, Peter Jin Yanghai embraced the gospel of God’s grace in August 1990. This newfound faith ignited a passion for preaching, further intensified after a volunteer training course at his church in Christmas of 1991. During a pivotal morning prayer meeting, he felt God’s clear call on his life. Peter's journey led him to the Beijing Yenching Theological Seminary from 1993 to 1999. After securing a bachelor’s degree in theology, he served as a full-time pastor for eight years. Then, in 2007, moved by a deeper sense of purpose, Peter completed his Masters of Divinity at the Los Angeles International Theological Academy. Today, Peter stands as the pastor of the Chinese Ministry. Alongside him in life and service is his devoted wife. Together, they find joy in their son, a college student, and their daughter in high school. The Yanghai family, rooted in faith, reflects the blessings of God's grace. 我是Peter靳阳海来自中国，1990年8月份信主。信主之后经历了神恩惠的福音在自身生命当中的更新改变，热诚传福音，于是参加了教会1991年圣诞节举办的短期义工培训班，在晨更祈祷会中蒙神的呼召奉献，1993年9月到北京燕京神学院读神学，至1999年7月份神学本科毕业之后全职牧会八年。2007年8月蒙神引导在洛杉矶国际神学研究院完成MDV道学硕士学位。目前在亚凯迪亚路德会救主教会中文部牧会。家庭成员4位，妻子与我一同侍奉神的教会，儿子在读大学，女儿读中学，是一个蒙神祝福的家庭。 |
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Kathy Jin
Chinese Outreach Director 626-262-1099 kjin@oslcarcadia.org Born into a Christian family in China, Kathy Jin began her theological journey early. At the age of eighteen, she pursued her spiritual education at Yanjing Theological Seminary, culminating in a bachelor’s degree. After a span of 17 years, Kathy found herself in the USA, where she deepened her theological understanding by obtaining a Masters of Divinity from the International Theological Seminary. Together with her husband Peter and their two children, Kathy is dedicated to her service at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Arcadia |
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Greg Kniep
Deacon 626-447-7690 Deacon Kniep raised at Emmaus Lutheran church in Alhambra, where he also attended grammar school. He met his wife Pam at the church and they were married there in 1979. He ventured through six different colleges before attending Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and Fuller Seminary in Pasadena. However, Deacon Kniep's career path led him to dedicate 45 years to custom hardwood floors. He is a proud father to three children and grandfather to four baptized believers, with hopes for more grandchildren in the future. He and Pam transferred to OSLC in 1986. Over the years, he taught Bible study for approximately thirty years and was installed as a deacon even before the church initiated a formal deacon program. Now retired from his flooring career, his hobbies include music, woodworking, and spending quality time with his grandsons. |
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Marija Hallman
Director of Music 626-447-7690 Since 2014, Dr. Marija Loncar Hallman has been serving as the Music Director and Organist of Our Savior Lutheran Church and has loved every moment of it, even during the year of online services during the pandemic. A native of Croatia and Serbia, Marija emigrated to the United States after receiving a full ride merit scholarship. She obtained her Master of Music at the University of Southern California and then embarked on the long journey towards a performance career. These efforts led to concerts at some of the nation’s most esteemed organ venues including St. Patrick’s Cathedral and St. Thomas 5th Avenue in New York City, the Crystal Cathedral of Orange County, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, many performances for the American Guild of Organists, and numerous engagements and master classes abroad. In 2010, she was offered another scholarship to complete her Doctorate of Music Arts at USC. She finished her DMA in 2015, majoring in Organ Performance with specialization in Choral Music, Sacred Music, and Music Education. Besides her work as organist and choir director, Marija is also a teacher. In 2015, she helped launch a music ministry for children, the Our Savior Lutheran Church Music Academy. One of the highlights of Marija’s week is Thursday evening, the choir and hand bells rehearsal where she gets to not only make awesome music to praise God, but also do that with amazing groups of people. |
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Esther Liu
Director of Music, Chinese Assembly 626-447-7690 Esther was born and raised in Tainan, Taiwan. She was admitted and then received 4 years of professional music education by the special music program. She learned piano, violin, music theory, musicianship…etc and built a strong foundation of her musical ability which God has used greatly later on in her life. At 12 years old, she lost her earthly father and moved to Taipei. She started going to a Baptist church because her mother was a Christian. She then received Jesus as her personal Savior at age of 13 and started serving God in church by playing piano in the worship services. She immigrated to U.S.A. with her mother when she was 18. She received her B.S. degree in Business Administration option in Accounting at California State University, Los Angeles and got her CPA License later on. While being at school and working, she never stopped serving God in church with her musical gift. She had served in Mandarin Baptist Church of Pasadena, and Mandarin Baptist Church of Los Angeles. After quitting as an accountant from the City of Los Angeles, God miraculously led her to Lutheran Church of the Cross to work as the music director for almost four years. She always feels grateful and blessed to be used by the Lord. Her favorite Bible verse is from the Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” 劉劍詩在臺灣臺南出生長大。她考進永福國小音樂班並在裡面學習了四年專業的音樂課程，主修鋼琴，副修小提琴。她在當中建立了相當良好的音樂基礎，以致之後能夠大大地被神在音樂上使用，服事祂。 她十二歲時，失去了地上的父親，繼而搬到台北。因為她的母親是個基督徒，她開始參加劍潭浸信會的聚會。她在十三歲時接受耶穌成為她個人的救主，並開始在教會崇拜中，用鋼琴來事奉神。 她十八歲時跟母親移民到美國，她畢業於加州州立大學洛杉磯分校，商業管理系，主修會計，並有拿到會計師執照。即使在求學或工作階段，她從未停止禮拜日在教會用神賜她的音樂恩賜來事奉祂。她先後在培城國語浸信會跟洛杉磯國語浸信會事奉，崇拜司琴，詩班鋼琴伴奏，兒童合唱團助教/伴奏，手鐘隊隊員， 和管弦樂團小提琴手。在辭去了洛杉磯市政府會計正職後，神奇妙地帶領她到亞凱迪亞市的信義會十架堂擔任音樂總監達三年十個月。她總覺得很不配，但能被主使用，實在是非常地蒙福和感恩。 她最愛的聖經經文是羅馬書八章二十八節：「我們曉得萬事都互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處，就是按祂旨意被召的人。」 |
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Lee Kofahl
Creative Arts Director 626-898-2667 lkofahl@oslcarcadia.org Lee is the Director of Creative Arts at Our Savior providing creative elements for worship services. She works with Pastor Eichinger and talented volunteers to produce drama sketches that bring the message to life. Lee also teaches drama classes for children using fun activities to encourage them to speak and present themselves well in front of others and develop their own unique creativity to glorify God. She is the author of Jesus, Son of God: A Collection of Drama Sketches for Advent and Lent. The work includes staging notes and stories drawing on 20 years of experience. |
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Anastasia Barkow
Director of Youth Ministries abarkow@oslcarcadia.org Anastasia has been a member of OSLC since she was a little kid. She grew up in Arcadia, CA and this church community. She went through confirmation at Our Savior before graduating high school and moving out of state for college. While studying Drama and Irish Studies at New York University, along with her academics, she led weekly arts-based Bible studies for her peers. After graduation, she has been blessed to be able to pursue both acting and ministry opportunities. A fun fact about Anastasia: she loves rock climbing even though she’s not very good at it :) |