Pastor Jean began her call to Faith Lutheran Church in 2018.  She has served as a Lutheran pastor since her ordination in 1999.  Her previous calls were to a rural seven-congregation cooperative ministry and to a newly consolidated congregation, both in South-Central PA. 

In her role as parish pastor, she especially enjoys preaching, teaching, and the privilege of accompanying people through the joys and challenges of life. She loves a good baptism and outdoor summer worship on the lakefront. Her favorite books of the Bible are Psalms, Genesis, Jonah, First Corinthians, and whichever gospel she is reading at the time. She values collaboration, creativity, good questions, and faithful imagination.

She was born in St. Louis, MO but grew up in Erie, and is happy to be back. Before becoming a pastor, she was a college philosophy teacher.  She was not raised in the church, but came to faith and was baptized as a young adult. She became a Lutheran because she fell in love with the liturgy, and stayed because of the theology of grace.

She received her M.Div. from Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary in 1998, an M.A. in Philosophy from Purdue University in 1993, and her B.S. in Biology and Philosophy from Dickinson College in 1983. She has been a Benedictine oblate since 2000.

She is married to Geoffrey VonBurg. They live on the east side of Erie with Katie the dog and four cats. She enjoys mushroom hunting, hiking in woods and by the water, icon painting, reading, and cooking.