Home Group team members cultivate our rhythm of Common Table.
Benjamin & Chris Matsuo
Benjamin and Chris have been attending Pearl Church since 2018. They found Pearl while looking for an LGBTQ+ inclusive faith community that could bridge their religious backgrounds. Benjamin was raised in the Episcopal church while Chris attended churches from various Christian traditions. Professionally, Benjamin is a Cybersecurity engineer in the healthcare sector, and Chris is a commercial insurance underwriter. In their free time, they enjoy adventuring throughout the US and abroad, hiking in the mountains, bicycling around the city, or tasting the local cuisine. After participating in home groups for several years, Benjamin and Chris are excited to step into the role of home group leaders. They hope to foster a warm and welcoming environment for those seeking community on the westside.
Beth Fry
A Portland native from the era before it was such a hip city, Beth is thrilled to be back in near-in Northeast PDX, after Lake Oswego, Los Angeles, Connecticut and NYC stays. Her kids are grown and launched, so she's exploring the next chapter in her life. It's likely to include cooking, entertaining, walking and hiking, reading, art and culture. Beth is passionate about connecting people to each other. She believes we expand our ideas of God when we know more God-seekers. Beth loves Pearl Church's community and the way Pearl examines theological paradigms so that they become powerfully new. Her hope is to host a home group that manifests equal parts of fun, faith and friendship. Oh, and maybe food!
Harriet & Chuck Tsen
Harriet and Chuck have been at Pearl Church since 2009, after moving to Portland from Madison, Wisconsin. They love supporting community and fostering space to deepen our connection with each other and with God. They enjoy the outdoors, gardening, and travel; but their main activity nowadays is trying to keep up with their two elementary-aged kids. Chuck and Harriet are excited to host a home group in Northwest Portland this fall with Zach as the leader!
Cheri & Dan Gilbert
Cheri and Dan have been married since 1983, and have two grown daughters and one new grandson. Dan is a CPA specializing in business valuations and forensic accounting and is passionate about whiskey and wine. Cheri is a retired general contractor who helps run their business, volunteers, and is passionate about cooking. Both Dan and Cheri have had a strong faith since they were young and have a heart to show Jesus' love to their community. They've been at Pearl since 2014. Cheri is a member of the Oversight Team and Dan is Pearl’s Treasurer. The Gilbert home group is all about connection, lively conversation, laughter, snacks and wine.
Heather Griffin
Heather and her wife Leah moved to Portland from NYC in 2013. After searching for a church for a few years, they finally found a home at Pearl in 2017. Heather and Leah welcomed their daughter Karson in 2019 and in 2022 she started serving on the Leadership Team at Pearl as the Preschool/Toddler coordinator. Heather grew up in the Episcopal faith and feels grateful to have been taught that the Divine loves us all for who we are. After being a part of a queer home group for many years, she is ready to co-lead a family home group and share in community with other parents at Pearl!
Janine Langsdorf
Janine has been a part of Pearl Church since 2008, yes a very long time, but it took marrying Larry Langsdorf 7 years ago to finally JOIN Pearl Church. They both lost their spouses many years ago and took their time in finding and being blessed with the second love of their life. And Larry loves to say he married into Pearl Chruch. They are very busy with seven children, seven grandchildren with number eight on the way, and six granddogs. When not with family they love to vacation in warm climates, enjoy the outdoors with lots of hiking where ever they find themselves. They both cherish all of Pearl’s Rhythms, especially a common table (and will continue with Potlucks!!) and look forward to being a greater part of this amazing fellowship of believers in Christ called Pearl Church.
Jen & Keith Johnson
Pearl became home for the Johnson family during the pandemic when gatherings were still online only. In the midst of the challenges of that season their daughter found Pearl Youth, and soon this special community felt like the right fit at the right time for the whole family. With hopes of continuing to grow in relationships with other Pearl folks, they are grateful for the opportunity to host a virtual home group space. Both from the northwest, Keith and Jen got engaged at Silver Falls State Park, married in central Washington in 1999, moved to Portland in 2002, and all four of their kids were born here. They still don’t enjoy concerts, eat sushi, or drink coffee, but they did finally give in and get a dog. As a family, the Johnsons love the typical amazing outdoor adventures of PNW life, and equally love hanging out in their own backyard.
Mindy Zwanziger
Mindy Zwanziger grew up in McMinnville and now calls Portland home. She spends most of her days coding as a software engineer and chasing after her young son with her husband, but in her free time, Mindy enjoys reading sci-fi and fantasy, playing strategic board games, and enjoying the beauty of the PNW by kayaking, camping, and hiking. After spending her childhood and early adulthood attending more conservative non-denominational churches, Mindy found Pearl Church in 2023, a few years into her deconstruction and subsequent reconstruction journey. The theology and community here has been an incredibly healing presence in her life. Her hope is to facilitate a home group where folks can feel safe to bring their authentic selves and explore the impact of faith on their lives.
Rachel Ko & Nolan Burger
Rachel and Nolan met as college students in Philadelphia. They spent the next five years in DC, got married during the pandemic, and moved to Portland in September 2021, just for fun! They now call Woodstock, in SE Portland, home. Rachel is originally from Philly and works as a cardiology Physician Assistant. In her free time, she likes antiquing and floral arranging. Nolan grew up in the Seattle area and works as a marketing strategist and copywriter. He is passionate about photography and coffee. They both enjoy being outdoors, checking out new wine bars, and eating their way through the PNW. They hope to host a weekly gathering focused on meaningful conversations, where everyone feels comfortable exploring their faith and building community.
Valinda & Paul Harlan
Valinda and Paul are native Californians. After being in ministry for 15 years in West Los Angeles (Paul as Music Director & Valinda as Family Pastor) they moved to Florida where Paul started his second career as a professor of music and Valinda went back to school and became a mental health counselor. They have raised four children and become advocates for the LGBTQ+ community. Shortly after moving to Vancouver, Wa. in 2018 they found Pearl and joined a Home Group. Their heart is to build community and provide a safe nonjudgmental space for personal growth and spiritual reformation through de/reconstruction. This usually involves food and wine, with opportunities for emotional support and to be intellectually stimulated.
Vivi and Daniel Parecki
Vivi and Daniel met by chance in Omaha, Nebraska and have been married since 2014. Vivi spent most of her life in Chicagoland while Daniel grew up in the Beaverton-Tigard area. Three moves and three children later, they are happy to call the Portland Metro home. Both of them are physicians—Vivi is currently a pathology resident at OHSU and Daniel practices family medicine with Kaiser. They love camping, board games, and the performing arts. They were drawn to Pearl in early 2023 for its expansive and inclusive theology. They hope to create a space where folks at any point in their faith journey feel seen and supported.
Zach Holz
Zach started coming to Pearl Church in 2019, and was elated to discover—as someone who grew up in a secular family—that faith had a role to play in his life. Since then, he’s found great joy in exploring some of the more contemplative traditions within Christianity. Above all, Zach is motivated by peace and the deep, integrative goodness that shines forth from the love of God. He’s humbled to have the chance to cultivate Pearl’s rhythms as a co-leader of a home group with Chuck and Harriet Tsen. (And as a neophyte, he is grateful to continue to learn more in community!) A good day for him is meandering the woods looking for mushrooms, working with the bounty of a vegetable garden, and plumbing the depths of our shared experience through good conversation.