Jordan Kologe
Lead Pastor, Priest

Jordan grew up in the shire, that is, in the rolling cornfields of small-town Iowa. After completing his undergraduate degree at Central College in Pella, IA, where he also played soccer, he traveled all over Southeast Asia with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) and Youth With A Mission (YWAM). When he returned to the US Jordan joined IVCF staff as a campus minister and then later with IVCF's Urbana Student Mission Conference. He then spent five years as an associate pastor in an Anglican church in North Carolina while earning his MDiv at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary before receiving the call to become the Rector of The Church of Advent in October 2019. His sincere desire is that Advent becomes more and more a community where people are truly receiving the gift of life in Christ, and then slowly but surely reorienting everything around life in Christ through robust worship, true formation, healthy community, and redemptive mission. He and his delightful wife Jennie love enjoying the Colorado sunshine with their five little ones (four humans and a pup!). Along the way, Jordan looks for chances to relish in the glories of the Arsenal F.C., biblical theology, dessert, Tolkien, playing soccer, planting trees, sharing ideas, and sharing meals.

Lisa Elmers
Pastor, Deacon

Lisa grew up in the foothills outside Boulder, reading and playing in the woods. Her love of writing, music, and art led her to Grove City College in Pennsylvania and later to Loyola Marymount University in California to earn her BA and MA in literature and creative writing. Lisa's passion for Scripture’s literary patterning and life-rearranging theology awoke in her a desire to study and teach God’s word; her love for equipping God's people to love and serve their neighbors ignited a call to pursue the diaconate. She was ordained as a deacon in The Diocese of the Rocky Mountains in August, 2023.

Along with her husband, Luke, and kids, June and Jonah, Lisa has been a member of the Advent family since 2018, where she has taught both children and adults, hosted a Parish and a Life Group, and served as a prayer minister. As a pastor, Lisa supports all of Advent's ministries, and oversees Women's Ministry, Life Groups, and Mission. In her off-time, you can find Lisa watching birds, painting, and brunching (she really loves brunch).

Patrick Dorn
Priest

Patrick Dorn is a priest in the ACNA and serves frail seniors as a full-time chaplain. He sometimes wonders if The Transfiguration of Jesus is one of the most underrated events in the Gospels. Patrick and his wife Abby have been married since 1986. They have two grown children... and a dog. He loves the sound of laughter, and is a prolific writer of religious and secular stories, plays for children, and theatre reviews. patrickdorn.com.

K.C. Schwarz
Senior Warden

K.C. grew up on a farm in Kansas along with his five brothers and one sister. Home, Kansas was fairly remote, so K.C.’s early church years were as a part of a closely knit small church family. Farm life is built on faith, in a natural sense, and K.C.’s family was also imbued with a deep Christian faith. Adventuring far from the farm, K.C. entered the Air Force academy in 1971 and spent twelve years in the Air Force as a pilot and engineer. During his Academy years K.C. was involved in the Academy chapel community. In 1977 K.C. married the sister (Anne, of course!) of his Academy best friend and roommate. After marriage K.C. and Anne joined the Episcopal Church. K.C. left the Air Force in 1983 and spent the balance of his career as an aerospace engineer, company technology leader, and entrepreneur. During this time K.C. and Anne have been very involved with their church communities. K.C. has served as a vestry member, church administrator, senior warden, and ministry leader, all in Anglican churches. Professionally, K.C. is “mostly retired” with just a couple of small business interests. K.C. and Anne enjoy time with their daughter, Rachel, and son-in-law, Ryan, as well as three grandchildren, Cameron, Sydney, and Kelton. Their younger daughter, Jenna, is an emergency nurse at Lutheran hospital in Wheatridge.

Ellen Huang
Junior Warden

Ellen grew up in the foothills of Colorado where the vibrant seasons provided a backdrop for her formative years. It was at a summer camp in the mountains where she made her faith her own as a 13 year old. Sharing the Good News has inspired her to connect with people of all different backgrounds, from villagers in remote areas of Burma to Afghan refugees in Broomfield. In 2002 she graduated from Baylor University with a degree in nursing and worked in the ICU in a Denver hospital before pursuing a master’s degree. In 2018 she completed spiritual direction school (from Sustainable Faith) and she enjoys creating space to listen for God with others. Also, Ellen currently teaches nursing classes at Colorado Christian University where she appreciates the opportunity to share within a Christian worldview. Together with her husband, Mark, they live in Westminster and have 3 children (Elijah age 16, Ellie age 13, and Suraya age 11). Their family has attended Advent since 2021 and they appreciate the genuine and deep relationships they’re forming there.

Jeff Dzugan
Treasurer

Jeff has lived in Denver since 2018 and enjoys playing games, hiking, reading, and playing piano. He received mathematics and physics degrees from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama and works as a health actuary for Hannover Re. He and his wife, Rachel, began attending an Anglican church in Birmingham in 2016, and they plugged into Church of the Advent soon after arriving in Denver. He particularly loves the liturgical and sacramental aspects of worship at Advent. Jeff lives in Golden with Rachel and their sons Silas and Percy where he keeps trying new things like gardening, baking, kombucha brewing, and playing guitar.

Catherine Emanuel

Catherine has lived in Colorado almost all of her life, has been attending Church of the Advent since 2012, and has had the privilege of seeing the church grow both in size and faith through all our challenges and blessings. In addition to the vestry she serves in various capacities during Sunday morning service. Catherine has a Masters in Public Health from the University of Colorado and works as an epidemiologist for the state health department. You can usually find her running around Denver looking for adventure with her niece and nephew, or with her poodle, Clark.

Sam McKnight

Sam is a Colorado native who moved to Denver in 2021. He has graduate degrees in music composition and theology and works as a software engineer. Drawn to the beauty of its liturgy and sacramental focus, Sam and his wife, Rachel, were confirmed in the Anglican Church of North America in 2016 and have attended Church of the Advent since they first moved to the area. He and Rachel live in Denver with their daughter, Esme, and toy-obsessed dog, Islay.

Mandy Spalding