Staff
Rev. Luke Jacob
Senior Pastor
Pastor Luke was installed as Senior Pastor at Trinity in January 2024. His greatest joys in ministry are sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others and seeing the body of Christ at work in the world around us. Pastor Luke joined Trinity’s staff in August of 2021 after serving 13 years in Racine, Wisconsin. He enjoys running, watching sports, movies, and board games. Pastor Luke and his wife, Courtney, have three young boys.
Rev. Mark Wood
Lead Pastor – Mission Campus
Pastor Wood was installed as Lead Pastor of the Mission campus at Trinity in November of 2024. His favorite Bible verse is 2nd Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” His greatest joy in ministry is helping people see the beauty and love of Jesus through the teaching of Scripture. He enjoys travelling with his wife, Lauren, photography, and playing with their pets. He also enjoys grilling and smoking all types of meats.
Rev. Dr. Mark R. Schulz
Pastor Emeritus
Pastor Mark served as the Senior Pastor at Trinity and the lead pastor at the Mission campus from 2013 until his retirement in January 2024. His greatest joy in ministry has been connecting people to the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ and helping them grow as followers of Jesus. Pastor Mark served in pastoral ministry for almost forty years in Omaha, Chicago, and Kansas. He enjoys working out, watching all sports, and working in his yard. Pastor Mark and his wife, Nancy, have two adult daughters.
Rhonda Synovec
Children Family Minister
Rhonda is Director of Family Life Ministry across both campuses, serving children, youth, and their families. Her passion in ministry is to equip families to grow together in their faith and love for Jesus. Rhonda began her ministry at Trinity as a volunteer in 1992 and later joined the staff part-time before transitioning into family life ministry in 2014. She enjoys time with friends, traveling, watching musicals, concerts and plays, and reading.
Beth Counts
Youth Family Minister
DCE Beth Counts is the Youth Family Minister at Trinity. Her greatest joy in ministry is reminding students and their families that while we live in a world full of change and confusion, our God is constant and clear. Beth joined Trinity’s staff in 2018. Previously she served in Battle Creek, Michigan, for three years. In her free time, she likes to find good books to read, trails to get lost on, lakes to kayak, and new places to eat or get coffee.
Jo Ann Emerson
Preschool Director
Jo Ann is the Director of Trinity Lutheran Church Preschool and loves working with our preschool families. After 16 years of teaching elementary school, she began teaching at the preschool in 2011 and assumed the director role in 2016. Jo Ann serves on the Christian Early Childhood Association’s Board of Directors, which seeks to bring early childhood experts and presenters to the metro area. In her spare time, Jo Ann enjoys shopping for bargains, reading psychological thrillers, baking sweet treats, and walking her dog, Sweetie.
Dr. Lara L. West
Minister of Music and the Arts, Organist
As Trinity’s organist, Lara leads congregational song, accompanies the choir, and provides preludes and postludes for worship. A lifelong Lutheran, she served as music minister at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lawrence for thirteen years before joining Trinity’s staff. She enjoys shape note singing, contra dancing, traveling to the mountains, and speaking German. Lara and her husband, Eric, live in Atchison, Kansas, where they both teach at Benedictine College.
Brandon Draper
Director of Contemporary Music
Brandon Draper has enjoyed a celebrated career as drummer, percussionist, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and educator. In addition to freelancing and teaching, he currently performs as a solo artist, multi-instrumentalist. Currently Draper is on music faculty at the University of Kansas where he teaches jazz drums, world percussion, steel band and is the director of Music Enterprise certificate combining music business and entrepreneurship.
Laura Klaassen
Choir Director
Laura serves as Director of the Trinity Choir, helping lead music at the Mission campus. She brings more than ten years of experience as a choral conductor and music educator, most recently serving as Head Choir Director at Olathe East High School. Laura has a lifelong passion for faith, music, and ministry and has served churches throughout Kansas as a choir director, vocalist, and teacher. Laura holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Bethany College and a Kodály Methodology Certification from Wichita State University. She enjoys creating welcoming opportunities for people of all ages to experience the joy of music and community.
Brian Daniel
Administrator
Brian is the Administrator at Trinity providing support to the Mission and Shawnee campuses. Prior to joining Trinity Brian was a small business owner for 20 years in the Kansas City metro area and adjunct economics instructor at Baker University. He enjoys family time and outdoor activities including gardening, camping, and spending time at the family farm.
Gretchen Hollman
Office Supervisor
Gretchen serves as a central hub of information and communications for the church as editor of the electronic newsletter and webmaster. Gretchen has served at Trinity since 2012. She enjoys participating in the Life Team at Hope Lutheran Church, sharing the gospel-motivated love for all, from preborn through natural death. She enjoys family time, floral arranging, her grand puppy, singing, and sewing.
Jennifer Estes
Staff Support
Jennifer provides office support for the staff. Her responsibilities include maintaining the prayer list and preparing worship slides. Jennifer enjoys baking, reading, and spending time with her family.
Brayden Yoder-Mulkey
AV Manager
Taking charge of the AV operations at both the Shawnee and Mission campuses, Brayden is received a degree in music education and music enterprise certificate at the esteemed University of Kansas. Brayden a band instructor for the public schools in Lawrence. Brayden enjoys spending quality time with his loved ones and playing the French Horn. Beyond his responsibilities at Trinity, he gives private music lessons and contributes to the technical crew at the Lied Center of Lawrence.
Lydia Rocha
Youth Ministry Support
Lydia serves as Youth Ministry Support, where she enjoys supporting the ministry and building connections with students and their families. She has been a member of Trinity since 2021. Outside of church, she has worked as a high school science teacher in the area since 2020, and enjoys taking walks, baking, and curling up with a good book.
Executive Committee
Trinity Lutheran Church (TRINITY EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH OF MISSION, KS) is a member of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. The church is recognized to be a 501(c)(3) non-profit under the organization of The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.
Trinity is governed by a six-member Executive Committee elected by its members, plus the Senior Pastor. The Executive Committee works under the policy governance model and meets monthly. In this model, the Executive Committee establishes Values, Mission, Vision, and Strategic Goals. The Senior Pastor acts as a CEO, guiding and directing staff to achieve the strategic goals. The governing documents of the organization are available upon request. Please contact the church office, located on the Mission Campus. If you have questions about Trinity please contact the Senior Pastor or a member of the Executive Committee.
Executive Committee
Steve Henslee, President
Brenda Rice, Vice President
David Teefey, Acting Secretary
Kelsey Scheetz, Treasurer
Danielle Hollrah, Member-at-Large
Doug Plumer, Member-at-Large
Pastor Luke Jacob
Message from the Executive Committee
Read the highlights of the September 28 meeting. Featuring: Are you the missing puzzle piece? Every person is important in the Body of Christ.
Message from the Executive Committee
The church’s new fiscal year started on July 1, 2026. The Executive Committee did not meet in July due to the members’ summer travel plans, so our first meeting was on August 24. Get all the highlights here!
Message from the Executive Committee
July 16, 2026 Here's a recap of the Annual Congregational Assembly - June 28, 2026: Election of Officers At the June 28 Congregational Assembly, voters approved the slate of nominees for the Executive Committee. Brenda Rice, formerly a member-at-large, was elected...
A Message from the Executive Committee
The church’s loan application with LCEF has been approved, allowing it to refinance existing debts into a new loan of about $1.4 million ahead of the July 25 deadline. Additionally, a call committee is being reformed to pursue a third pastor, while Pastor Luke will be on sabbatical July–September with Pastor Mark Wood serving as interim senior pastor and continuing his local doctoral studies.
A Message from the Executive Committee – May 7, 2026
Get all the highlights of the April Executive Committee, including refinancing our debt, the launch of our OneFund campaign, and new HVAC replacement for the Mission sanctuary.
A Message from the Executive Committee
April 9, 2026
Enjoy this recap of the Executive Committee’s March 30 meeting. Items discussed include Pastor Mark’s doctoral program, refinancing our loan, the call process for a third pastor, and Youth Ministry updates.
Listening Sessions
Pastor Luke would love to hear from you! He will be hosting three listening sessions where he will answer questions, listen to your suggestions, and seek your input before we begin the call process this summer. This is your chance to have your voice heard and your questions answered.
Nominations for Executive Committee
Nominations for Executive Committee positions are now open. The positions of Vice President, Treasurer, and Member at Large are open for nominations. There are hard copy forms available at each campus or you can fill out the online form.
A Message from the Executive Committee
Get an informative summary from the March 5 Executive Committee meeting, including: new board secretary, HVAC upgrades, Heart-to-Heart fund, and sabbatical clarity.
Message from the Executive Committee – February 26, 2026
During the January 25 congregational assembly, Pastor Luke mentioned that he would be taking a three-month sabbatical beginning in July. Given our current staffing, we can understand if you wonder how church services will be covered during those three months.
