STAFF BIOGRAPHIES

Pastor Julianne
Pete Justine


PASTOR JULIANNE BARLOW (KOIVISTO)

Pastor Julianne Koivisto was installed as Lead Pastor on June 21st, 2004.

Pastor Julianne was born and raised in London Ontario, the middlest girl of three daughters and a son. Raised in a Christian family, she was drawn to a teaching career and graduated from the College of Family and Consumer Studies at the University of Guelph with a major in Applied Human Nutrition. Her oldest son was born in Moncton and her youngest son in Ottawa. Pastor Julianne married Dave Barlow in Calgary August 27, 2004.

Pastor Julianne began her theological training in 1996, finally receiving her Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota in 2004. Her studies concentrated on Youth and Family ministry since her passion in ministry is for healthy families, unity in the church and sharing God's love. As an international student, Pastor Julianne had the opportunity to hear incredible stories of God's work worldwide. Pastor Julianne is currently studying Congregation Mission and Leadership, a Doctorate of Ministry program of Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN.

Palm Sunday, 2004, First Lutheran voted to call Julianne to lead the congregation as their Senior Pastor. Pastor Julianne started her ministry at First Lutheran in June 2004 and is excited about leading the congregation. First Lutheran's commitment to serving God through Christ centred living is lived out in community gatherings such worship, home groups, Bible studies and in caring ministries. We welcome you to join us in living Jesus "inside out."

PASTOR AARON SCHNELL

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, neither 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.” Romans 8:38-39.

Pastor Aaron Schnell was born in September 1980 in Calgary, and was baptized in December.  Aaron was raised in a Christian home with both parents and a younger brother.  He grew up participating in team sports and various faith-based activities.  Aaron attended the University of Calgary, earning his Bachelor’s degree with emphasis in Canadian Studies in 2001.  In June 2004, Aaron and his longtime friend Juanita were married at Highwood Lutheran Church, Calgary.  Both Aaron and Juanita participated in and later led the youth group at Highwood for many years.  (If you have the chance, be sure to ask Juanita about her earliest youth-group memory of Aaron!)  . 

Working with young people and proclaiming God’s love for creation has been a long-time passion for Aaron and Juanita, through which God’s Spirit continued to gift them both for their roles in God’s mission.  After much prayer and discernment, they moved to Saskatoon, SK in 2007 so that Aaron could pursue God’s call to ordained ministry at the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Saskatoon.  After four years of study, Aaron graduated from LTS with his Master of Divinity in May 2011.  In June of 2011, the congregation of First Lutheran Church, Calgary extended the call for Aaron to serve as Pastor along with Pastor Julianne Barlow.  Aaron and Juanita have two beautiful children: Isabelle born in August 2009 and Toby born August 2011.  They currently reside in Bowness, along with their two dogs Selah and Honey Brown.  

PETE JUSTINE

Peter Justine was born in Michigan and raised in the Shenandoah Valley in Central Virginia. He attended a Discipleship Training School with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) at Last Days Ministries in Lindale, Texas, in 1994 and 1995, and has been on staff with several other YWAM mission bases in the US over the years.  

From 1998-2001 Peter and his wife, Josanna, worked with an Appalachian Compassionate Outreach Center and ministered as worship leaders with Mercy Church in Southern Kentucky. They also toured as a band and as worship leaders for several years, performing and ministering in churches, ministries, festivals, coffee shops, pubs, high schools and universities, front porches, a bowling alley, the rotary club...

Before moving to Calgary, they led worship at All Nations Fellowship in Southern Colorado, and worked with a YWAM base in the area as the Directors of Worship and the Arts, and alongside the amazing staff there, helped train and send young and old alike as missionaries to reach the world with the love of Christ - from as far away as India, Kenya and Kyrgyzstan to as close as their own back yard.

Pete's passion is to bring glory to our Lord, and to help lead others in songs and expressions of authentic worship - whether it be traditional hymns, modern worship songs, or songs written by himself or others in the local Body of Christ.

Peter and Josanna currently have three awesome children, Briona, Lyric and Jasper.

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