Our First Steps into Lent

The Rev. Dr. Christa M. Compton (she/her) is a lifelong Lutheran who grew up in Lexington, South Carolina. After graduating from the University of Virginia in 1993 with a B.A. in English and a Masters in Teaching, Christa spent the first decade of her professional life as a high school English teacher in Columbia, S.C.  She was named the 2001 S.C. Teacher of the Year and was one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year. Christa moved to California in 2002 to pursue a PhD in the Stanford School of Education, which she completed in 2007. From 2002 to 2009 she worked with the Stanford Teacher Education Program and enjoyed serving as a supervisor and course instructor for people entering the teaching profession.

Over time, however, the call to ordained ministry grew stronger, and in 2009 Christa entered Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley to prepare for life as a Lutheran pastor. Her seminary years were filled with many rich ministry experiences, including field work in the San Francisco Bay Area and an internship year at Sierra Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sierra Vista, AZ. Christa graduated from the seminary in May of 2013 with her Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree and was called as the pastor of Gloria Dei later that year.

Pastor Christa enjoys having conversations with people about their faith journeys or anything else that shapes their daily lives.  She loves helping people grow in faith and learn about scripture, and she welcomes your doubts, questions, and curiosities.  She is committed to affirming the glorious diversity of God’s creation and to dismantling racism in all the places that it erodes human dignity.  She wants church to be a place of hope for those who have not always found welcome in Christian spaces, including the LGBTQIA+ community.

Pastor Christa believes that ministry extends beyond the walls of the church building, so you will often find her  collaborating with local interfaith colleagues, planning youth events for the NJ Synod and for Cross Roads Camp and Retreat Center, and praying with people each week at the Chatham Community Food Distribution.  She also serves as a facilitator for the SHAPE of Leadership program (for experienced pastors and deacons) and for First Call Theological Education (for new pastors and deacons).  She enjoys sharing her love of preaching by publishing "Preaching Helps" in the journal Currents in Theology and Mission and “From a Preacher” essays in Sundays and Seasons.

Pastor Christa loves spending time in South Carolina with her family, including parents Charlie and Nancy, sisters Claire (a high school math teacher) and Carrie (a mother-baby nurse), and nieces Addison and Camryn.  You will often find the Comptons playing a spirited game of miniature golf, enjoying time on the beach, doing a craft project together, or competing over cards (Kings Corner and Gin Rummy are favorite games).  Pastor Christa also enjoys sharing adventures with her sister Claire; they often seek out national parks when planning their travels, with Zion and Bryce Canyon being recent favorites.  

As a lifelong nerd, Pastor Christa is usually juggling a stack of books that includes novels, non-fiction about strange topics, and young adult literature.  She especially delights in reading and writing poetry. Pastor Christa is a big fan of Broadway and other local theater, and she enjoys venturing into the city for lectures, shows, concerts, and museum exhibitions.  You will often hear her celebrating the accomplishments of her Virginia Cavaliers, especially during college basketball season. (Her fandom borders on the obnoxious, but it comes from a place of love.)