Our Staff

At Lyndale, our members are our ministers. Meet the people helping them.

Rev. Joann Conroy

Interim Pastor for Congregational Life

Reverend Joann Conroy serves as an Intentional Interim Pastor at Lyndale United Church of Christ, Minneapolis, MN. Reverend Conroy served as Chaplain for the Good Samaritan Society/Sanford Health, Maplewood, MN. For nine years. Other areas of current ministry include the St Paul Area Synod Advocates’ for Racial Justice; Justice Ministry education program, Auburn Seminary, New York; Lutheran Church of the Redeemer Core Team – Isaiah, Sanctuary Church Response Team; American Indian Alaskan Native Lutheran Association President; Native American Alaska Native Curriculum Development Team, LSTC; Navajo Lutheran Mission Wisdom Keeper Seminary advisor; National Lutheran Campus Ministry Board of Directors; ELCA Ethnic Association Presidents team; ELCA Women’s 50th Committee; Healing MN Stories Steering Committee; Ecumenical and Inter Religious Relations & Theological Discernment Ad Hoc Committee to establish pastoral guidelines for ministry in a multi-religious world; Lutheran World Federation Caring for Creation team; Twin Cities Inter-religious Volunteer Chaplains.

Previous Calls : Lutheran Campus Ministry, SD School of Mines and Technology, 2002- 2008; Woyatan Lutheran Church, Rapid City, SD 2003-2008 Pastor/Developer : Ministry among Native American people of Rapid City, SD, and Outreach to ex-offenders, and to the homeless; SD Synod Multicultural Center, Rapid City, SD Pastor Developer 2002-2003; Atonement Lutheran Church Rapid City, SD ; Associate Pastor 2000-2003; Episcopal Diocese of S.D. ,11/2010 – 2013 Clergy Supply/Interim on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation and in Rapid City, SD.

Executive Director Center for Restorative Justice, Rapid City, SD
Masters of Divinity: Luther Seminary August 2000
Ordained – ELCA, SD September 2000
Retired – ELCA in December 2008.

Rev. Dr. Rebecca Voelkel

Pastor for Justice Ministries and the Director of the Center for Sustainable Justice

Rev. Dr. Rebecca Voelkel is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and currently serves as the Director of the Center for Sustainable Justice. She is a theologian, pastor and movement-builder who specializes in coalition and collaborative partnerships across movements for justice. Previously, she served as the MountainTop Movement Building Consultant at Auburn Seminary, as Interim Executive Director for PFund Foundation, as Faith Work Director for the National LGBTQ Task Force, as Interim National Coordinator for the United Church of Christ Coalition for LGBT Concerns, as pastor of Spirit of the Lakes United Church of Christ and as Program Staff for the Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence. You can follow her writing and wider work on her blog here. She is a graduate of Earlham College, Yale Divinity School and United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.

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Chelsea Boyden

Youth Minister

Hello new friends! My name is Chelsea Boyden and I am excited to join SpringHouse as the new Youth Minister. I graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in 2021 with degrees in Political Science, Philosophy, and Peace, Justice, & Conflict Studies and am currently pursuing my M.Div in Social Transformation at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and seeking ordination in the UCC. I have several years of experience in youth work and have been involved in several youth ministries and currently work full time as the Academic Success Coordinator for TRIO Upward Bound. In my free time, I enjoy exploring new foods and restaurants with my partner in the Twin Cities metro and spending time with my cat, Kiwi. I am eager to get to know all of you soon and help the SpringHouse youth navigate their faith and big questions.

Karn Anderson

Church Administrator

Karn is grateful and honored to be able to support the mission and vision of the Lyndale UCC community. She lives with her two son’s in South Minneapolis. Between them, you’ll find art makers and crafters, competitive soccer players, yogis, runners and general fitness buffs, super outdoorsy, frequent visitors of Lake Superior, travelers, game nighters, and people who are generally curious and open to new experiences. You can email her at admin@lyndaleucc.org

Paul Kovacovic

Director of Music

Paul Kovacovic enjoys a career that spans both classical and popular styles. He has been the guest soloist with several orchestras as well as the accompanist for artists such as singer-songwriter Ann Reed and Las Vegas entertainer and television host Tony Sandler. Paul has won first prizes in the Thursday Musical, Schubert Club, and Indiana University Piano Concerto Competitions. Paul was an accompanist and coach for the Florida Grand Opera in Miami and has also worked with several theater companies in Minnesota, including the Minnesota Opera, Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, and Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. Paul loves to teach piano and compose as well as perform.

Allan Henden

Community Minister

Allan has served as Lyndale’s volunteer Community Minister since January 2003. He believes that God calls us to love and welcome our neighbors, whoever they are and wherever they are on life’s journey. Lyndale’s community ministry is an active presence in our neighborhood, advocating for the needs of children and youth, helping to shelter and feed neighbors in need, reaching out with other people of faith in the community, and sharing common cause and dialogue with our Muslim neighbors and friends.

Rev. Don Portwood

Pastor Emeritus

The Rev. Don Portwood served as Pastor of Lyndale Church starting December 1, 1980 through May, 2015. He doesn’t believe there are many churches he could’ve pastored that long. About his time with us, Don writes, “Lyndale is a wonderful and crazy mix of people whom I was privileged to serve. And they kept me on my toes!” Don is also involved with a folk art form called InterPlay (interplay.org for more info), which stimulates my creativity and playfulness through improvisational movement, story telling, singing and rhythm. He considers InterPlay to be one of his spiritual practices, which is another area of interest. Don believes spiritual practices, ancient and new, can ground our faith so we have the spirit and energy to live the call to be a people and community “who embody and extend God’s welcome, healing, justice and love.”