Public Invited to Festival Celebration and Installation of Bethesda-on-the-Bay’s New Pastor

Rev. Angela Jean Freeman-Riley

Bethesda-on-the-Bay Lutheran Church will formally welcome its new pastor, the Rev. Angela Jean Freeman-Riley, at a Festival Celebration and Installation at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 7. A reception will follow the Installation Service. The public is welcome to attend.

Pastor Angela’s arrived at Bethesda following a 16-month search led by the church’s nine-member Call Committee.

“Bethesda has been impacting lives and working to serve the community for 70 years,” says Pastor Angela. “I am beyond delighted to have been called to walk alongside Bethesda for the years to come. Together we will deepen our relationship with the God who calls us to love our neighbors as we explore ways we can continue to serve and care for the surrounding community.”

Bethesda’s long-time pastor, the Rev. Dennis Stylski, retired October 1, 2015, after 38 years of service at Bethesda. Interim pastor Robin Craig served the congregation until Sunday, Feb. 19.

Pastor Angela most recently served as the part-time interim pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lakewood after the retirement of their pastor of 25 years. From 2012-2015, she was co-pastor at the Lutheran Church of Honolulu in Honolulu, Hawaii. Before moving to Hawaii, she served seven years as pastor of First Lutheran Church in Malden, Massachusetts. She also was a community development pastor in Marshfield, Massachusetts, an intern pastor at the International Church of Copenhagen in Copenhagen, Denmark, and an intern at the famous Thomaskirche (St. Thomas) Church) in Leipzig, Germany, where Johann Sebastian Bach had served as music director.

Pastor Angela received her master of divinity degree in parish ministry at Pacific Theological Seminary in Berkley, California. She studied theology at the University of Leipzig in Leipzig, Germany. She received bachelors of arts degrees in theology and German from Mount Mary College in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has expertise in worship leadership, youth and family ministry, evangelism/mission, multicultural ministry and spiritual formation/direction.

Pastor Angela lives in Lakewood with her husband, Pastor Jonathon Glass-Riley, pastor of Lakewood Baptist Church, and stepson, age 11.

Celebrating its 70th anniversary, Bethesda-on-the-Bay Lutheran Church holds Sunday services at 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. For more information, visit www.bethesdaonthebay.org or call the church office at 440.871.2276. Bethesda-on-the-Bay Lutheran is located at 28607 Wolf Road.