grace in action

For over 35 years, Preston Meadow Lutheran Church has been a community of grace in action, serving the communities of Plano, TX, and beyond with the light and love of Jesus.  What started as a small gathering in a family living room has turned into a growing faith community with ministries throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and Haiti.  We love to sing in worship, connect with others to grow in faith, and are joyfully generous.  We are a member church of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  

Our Team

Our lead ministry team exists to equip our congregation to pursue our mission to connect people to share in Christ's mission of grace for God's world.  We're pretty proud of them and think you'll enjoy meeting them too.   

  • Pastor Paul grew up in Wichita Falls, TX, and is a graduate of Midwestern State University.  He proves that you can succeed in life with a degree in English!  He received a Master of Divinity from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, OH, in 2005 and was called as our Associate Pastor that same year.  He has served as our Lead Pastor since 2011.


    He is married to Susan, who serves as a Family Nurse Practitioner in the area, and they are proud parents to three busy children, Caleb, Joshua, and Sophie.   A bible verse that keeps him centered in life is: "With God, all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).  


    We apologize, in advance, for his repeated references to the Texas Longhorns.  

  • REV. DR. ERIN SWENSON-REINHOLD, pastor for Group life

    Pastor Erin is a native of Kansas and brings twenty years of therapeutic experience, skills for coaching and group facilitation, and a  passion for spiritual discernment and formation into service of Christ and God’s kingdom.  Her heart and passion is to pray with, walk alongside, and raise up followers of Christ who seek to discern and boldly respond to God’s holy invitations. 


    Recently relocated from Washington D.C. where she served as an Assistant to the Bishop, she is a mom to Samuel who recently graduated college and is now working with a non-profit in Knoxville, TN; Ephraim who recently graduated high school and is planning on attending Texas A&M in the Fall; and Emma who is going into the 8th grade and looking forward to school in Texas. She has been married for the last 25 years to her husband Nathan.  She is excited to join Preston Meadow Lutheran and its mission to connect people to Christ and share in his mission of grace!


    A centering scripture for her is Psalm  46:10, 11...

    “Be still, and know that I am God!

        I am exalted among the nations;

        I am exalted in the earth.”

    The Lord of hosts is with us;

        the God of Jacob is our refuge.

  • Rev. Dr. Jackie Linden-Schade, Congregational Care, RETIRED

    Pastor Jackie retired from full-time ministry at the end of 2023 and is enjoying a well-deserved sabbatical!  She will return in April and assist with homebound and hospital visits.  


    Her passion these days is engaging people through spiritual direction and leading centering practices that help people engage the Divine through prayer.   She is beginning to do work in interfaith spiritual meditation as she connects with people of different faiths to learn from their experiences and create a more a peaceful, hopeful world. 

  • A transplant from WI, Chadwick moved to north Dallas in 1999 with his wife-to-be Christina.  Shortly thereafter, they married and moved to Plano and found a church home in PMLC in 2002.  He graduated from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College with a degree in Prototype Design and Fabrication and has worked with Fortune 100 and 500 companies, creating designs and prototypes of many of the products you have seen and used in your everyday life.  


    He is an active volunteer in the Amateur Radio world, and he acquired his license, KD5UMO, in 2002.  He enjoys supporting many community events and causes such as the Plano Balloon Festival, Multiple Sclerosis Society, Best Buddies (Autism), Make-A-Wish, Scottish Rite, Methodist Hospital, and Meals on Wheels.  He is also a severe weather and overall nature enthusiast (when thunder roars, he's outdoors!).  He holds the position of Assistant Emergency Coordinator with the Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES).  Through this capacity, he serves as the National Weather Service liaison for the Fort Worth office to the Collin County ARES SKYWARN weather spotting team and volunteers.  Having a passion for planning, logistics, and helping people, he enrolled at the University of North Texas and obtained a degree in Emergency Administration and Planning with  a Minor in Business.  


    Over the years, Chadwick has volunteered his time with the youth, Green Team, Habitat for Humanity, church softball teams, and special projects.  He joined the PMLC staff in 2016.  Chadwick's wife, Christina, works for the Plano Independent School System as an Instructional and Dyslexia Specialist, and they have a daughter, Clara, who wants to be a paleontologist when she grows up!  

  • Linda was born in Columbus, OH, and moved to Plano in 1993 with her husband, Tom, and her son, Jason.  This was their family's 4th move with the JC Penney company.  She joined the PMLC staff in 1994 and currently serves as the Office Administrator.  


    Linda enjoys bargain hunting, watching college football (O-H-I-O!), and drinking her daily Starbucks Coffee!  The scripture verse that keeps her grounded is John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."  

  • Maddie Franklin, Director of youth & Family Ministries

    Maddie recently became our full-time Director of Youth & Family Ministries, and we're excited to have her continue with our ministry staff!  She graduated from Kansas State University in May 2023 with a BA in Anthropology, summa cum laude. Go Wildcats! She has been attending PMLC for the last several years and has been fortunate enough to participate in this ministry in a variety of ways.    


    In her spare time, Maddie enjoys all things music, traveling to new places, and meeting new people! A scripture that keeps her centered is 1 Corinthians 16:14, “Let all you do be done in love.”


  • lisa schafer, pRESCHOOL dIRECTOR

    Lisa moved around a bit as a child before her family settled in Saginaw, Michigan, when she was in 3rd grade.  From then on, she was a Michigander.  She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in Political Science/Pre-law.  Sensing a call to a different career, she shared with her parents that she wanted to be a teacher. They suggested she move to Texas since they had relocated here and could help her go back to school.  

     

    She earned her teaching certification, principal certification, and Master of Education degrees from the University of North Texas.  She taught for over a decade primarily in second grade.  Lisa then had her first of 5 children and stayed home with them until the last was ready to enter kindergarten.  She then piloted and taught a very successful kindergarten program at a local preschool and later moved into the Director role there for over 9 years.

     

    She met her husband Dan here in Texas, but ironically, he too grew up and graduated from Michigan State. They married in 2000 and have 5 unique and wonderful children -- 4 boys and 1 girl, all born here in Allen, Texas.  They range in age from 22 down to 14 and are all about 2 years apart.  She likes to attend her children’s various functions and sporting events, enjoys nature/hiking, spending time amongst the trees, playing with her golden retriever Charlye, and spending time with her family.  Her favorite bible verse is Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

  • Anne Abercrombie, Coordinator of Music Ministry

    Anne grew up in rural Minnesota.  She received a degree in piano performance from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, where she also met and married her husband Russ in 1982.  The couple moved to Texas, where Anne taught high school choral music for eleven years in large programs in Killeen, Richland Hills, and Plano.  She studied choral conducting as the graduate assistant to Dr. B.R. Henson and is still active as an accompanist and clinician for area choirs.  Anne and Russ have two grown children, Ben and Hannah.  She has served as PMLC's organist for the past 20 years, and is active with a private piano studio.  She currently coordinates all of our musical groups and directs our Sanctuary choir.  


    In her spare time, Anne enjoys the study of Italian, musical composition, reading, word games, and gardening.  Romans 8:38-39 grounds her in life:  "For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."  

  • Growing up as an "oilpatch" kid, Melissa spent most of her childhood overseas in London, Norway, and Scotland.  She attended Rhodes College where she earned a degree in International Relations in 1995.  He passion for writing and marketing led her into the fields of advertising and publishing.  In 2000, Melissa earned an Associate of Applied Sciences degree in Web Design and Multimedia which resulted in the discovery of her ideal field: Communications!  She spent the next seven years managing corporate graphics and communications departments in the technology and oil & gas industries.  In 2007, she moved to Plano to be closer to her family.  


    She is married to Kirk and have two wonderful girls, Grace and Faith.  In August 2011, Melissa began as PMLC's Communications Coordinator, and her favorite scripture verse is: "For by grace you have been saved through Faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8).  

  • Rick Grady, A/V Coordinator

    Often found up in the a/v booth, Rick Grady has been a long time member of PMLC and takes care of all audio and webstream needs.  An US Army Veteran, Rick has found many ways to serve his community and advocate for the most vulnerable among us.  He currently serves on the Plano City Council.