Senior Pastor
Reverend William E. Flippin, Jr., was born in Nashville, Tennessee. His formative years and training were developed and nurtured in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a 1998 graduate of Morehouse College where he majored in History and minored in Religion.
In 1999, Rev. Flippin, Jr. was selected to travel to Cote d’ Ivoire, West Africa as a Mickey Leland Intern for World Hunger and Peace. This experience was momentous that Flippin, Jr. realized the hunger within would shape him in further education. Thus, he enrolled in Seminary training/studies. A 2002 graduate of the Interdenominational Theological Center, Morehouse School of Religion receiving the Master of Divinity where he concentrated in Church History/Reformation Studies. He furthered his education at Emory University, Candler School of Theology receiving the Master of Theology (ThM) in 2003 an additional ThM (2005) from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Currently, he has completed the Doctor of Ministry (DMIN) in Transformational Leadership from Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland Ohio. His dissertation project will develop a new ecclesiological model for Lutherans and Baptists based on John chapter 3 and spirit baptism. Rev. Flippin, Jr. appeared on the History Channel which aired April 2008 on the Reformation. He has been a contributor to the African American Lectionary as a Cultural Commentator with his most recent publication coming on Ash Wednesday, 2013. He is also a regular contributor blogger for the Huffington Post (Black Voices and Religion) guest columnist for the Living Lutheran with publications for Augsburg Press. Also, he has preached three times on Day1, formerly known as the Protestant Hour. He has served as Ambassador for Children Inter-national and is now an Associate for Healthierchurch.org specializing in Church Growth/Church Planting/Grassroots and community organizing. He serves on the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Church Council, the legislative body of the four-million-member organization and is the churches representative for ecumenical relations for the United Methodist Church. Rev. Flippin, Jr. has served the following churches: Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church, Atlanta, Ga. (2000-2003); Progressive Community Church, Chicago, Ill (2004-2006); Messiah-St. Bartholomew Episcopal Church, Chicago, Ill (2005); St. Stephen and St. Paul Evangelical Lutheran Church both in Decatur, Ga. (2006-8); St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church, Columbus, Ga. initially as Associate Pastor and as Senior Pastor completing his tenure in March of 2013. He is the first African American pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church, a multicultural congregation in southwest Atlanta. He continues to serve his community as the Third Vice President for the Georgia NAACP. He received the “Prophetic Voice” Award in April 2016 from Faith in Public Life Washington, D.C. Also, in 2017 he was inducted to the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College.
He has been married to Kedra Phillips-Flippin for fourteen years, a native of Atlanta and nurse care manager, who is an advocate and specialist for rural health care who loves the Lord. Rev. Flippin, Jr. mantra is found in Matthew 20:26 “the greatest among shall be your servant.” He is committed to serving this present age and being truly a shepherd-servant leader.
Parish Administrator
Susan Sparrow is our parish administrator. Originally from South Carolina, she holds degrees from the University of South Carolina (BS) and Georgia State University (M.S). Susan is a retired school media specialist. Susan is also an accomplished visual artist, storyteller, and trained spiritual director.
Music Director
Krista Crews serves as St. Luke’s music director. She has been a member of St. Luke for over 15 years. She teaches elementary music in Clayton County, Georgia and has a master’s degree in music education. She enjoys all kinds of music and loves to sing and play instruments. Krista feels that directing the choir is an important part of serving her church.
Accompanist
Judy Owen began as interim organist in late 2006. Her career in church music began at the age of eleven as she accompanied the choir at a rural Methodist church in central North Carolina. She studied organ at Campbell Academy and Junior College (now Campbell University) and continued at University of North Carolina at Greensboro where she earned a Bachelor of Music degree with a focus in Liturgical Music. She has served as organist at several churches in Raleigh, NC and in the metropolitan Atlanta area while also working in community bank management roles followed by office management for a large eye center for 20 years. Through the years, she has held leadership positions in several civic organizations. She resides in Peachtree City and is a longtime member of Christ Our Shepherd Lutheran Church.