Pastors - Directors - Administration
Jim Thwing, Legal Counsel & Business Administrator
Jim Thwing was raised in Cottage Grove, Oregon and graduated from the University of Oregon. Afterward he received his law degree from Northwestern School of Law in Portland, Oregon and another degree from the Judge Advocate General Graduate School in Charlotteville, Virginia.
Jim served 20 years in the U.S. Army, first as an artillery officer and then for 17 years as a military prosecutor and trial judge, attached to Judge Advocate General Corps, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Upon re-entering civilian life, Jim practiced law in the fields of estate planning and litigation from 1990-95. When an opportunity arose to serve on the church staff, Jim stepped forward, wanting to invest his life and talent more directly in Christian ministry. With his legal skills and never-stop work ethic, Jim has been an invaluable resource to the church.
Though reared in the church, Jim first surrendered to Christ in a meaningful way at the age of 30 when he was in the military serving in Germany.
Jim and his wife Judy have been married since 1970 and have a married daughter, Abby.
Contact information: 503.699.9840 (ext. 212) or jimt@lakebiblechurch.com
Lori Miller, Administrator of Adult Ministries
Lori grew up in Klamath Falls, Oregon where she attended Oregon Institute of Technology receiving an Associates Degree in Legal Secretarial Technology. Upon graduation, Lori moved to Portland where she worked for 12 years as a legal secretary, legal assistant and finally office manager in several downtown Portland law firms. In 1986 she married Max Miller and in 1990 retired from working with lawyers to become a full-time mom to daughter Ashley.
In 1996, Lori joined Lake, rededicating her life to Jesus Christ. Wanting to use her newfound gift of working with children, Lori began and continues to serve Lake as a leader/director in AWANA, GP4U Sunday School teacher and Vacation Bible School. Lori served in Bible Study Fellowship as a leader for 10 years.
In 2004 Lori was asked to join Lake’s administrative staff as assistant to the then Adult & Family Ministries Pastor. She currently assists John Dotson in his “plethora of responsibilities” which always “centers on the unity of the church.”
Contact information: 503.699.9840 (ext. 207) or lorim@lakebiblechurch.com
Myra Gassner, Facilities Manager
Myra became a member of Lake Bible in November 2007 and now serves as our Facilities Manager. She was born in Manila, Philippines, and is the youngest of five children. At age 4, her family moved to San Francisco where she lived until her 1994 corporate relocation to Portland with PG&E. Since her employment with PG&E in 1987, she developed a strong interest in facilities management and new construction—later becoming their Facilities Manager. With a major in criminal law, Myra is also certified in facilities management, project management, and space planning.
She and husband, Rick Gassner, have run their own general contracting business since 2000. They have a blended family of six children: Aaron and Ashley Moore, Samantha and Gabriel Gassner, and their two youngest children, Jordan and Joshua. She enjoys golf and tennis and previously served seven years in children's ministry, taught computer classes to single moms in recovery programs, and led the Hands-On (building) Ministry.
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. (1 Peter 4:10-11)
Contact information: 503.699.9840 (ext. 212) or myrag@lakebiblechurch.com
Olsie Andrews, Bookkeeper
The wife of our Senior Pastor, Olsie, has served as church bookkeeper since 1991. Like Jim, Olsie hails from (Boomer) West Virginia where she earned her degree in music education at West Virginia Institute of Technology and later took accounting courses at Warner Pacific College. She also is one of our church pianists.
Though she herself became a Christian at an early age, Olsie grew up in a non-Christian home. Because her pastor and his wife were such special influences on her life, early on her desire was to be a pastor's wife herself. She and Jim have been married 43 years.
Contact information: 503.699.9840 (ext. 217) or olsiea@lakebiblechurch.com
Lindsey Buckle, Secretary
Lindsey was born in Klamath Falls, Oregon. She and her family moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico when she was still a young child. After living there for 14 years, her family moved back to Oregon and settled in the Portland area. Two years later, she moved to Seattle to go to school and upon graduation, moved back to the Portland area where she and a friend actively sought a church home, discovering Lake through “The Final Word” radio program. They started attending Lake in November of ’06 and very quickly became involved in Community Care Groups. It was through the relationships built in her Community Care Group that she actively started serving in the Youth Ministry.
Lindsey has now been working in the Fusion Junior High Ministry for three years and loves it wholeheartedly! In August of ’09 she started working as church secretary and gets excited at the small opportunities to serve that come her way.
Contact information: 503.699.9840 (ext. 200) or lindseyb@lakebiblechurch.com
Patti Hastin, Secretary
One kindest people anywhere, Patti has worked at Lake since 1988 except for one two year hiatus. Besides her office duties, Patti leads a Heart-to-Heart Sonset Bible Study group and is involved in our AWANA ministry. More than her role suggests, Patti transcends her job description, ministering to our congregation behind the scenes in a thousand quiet ways.
A native of California, she graduated from CSU Fullerton in 1971 with a degree in English and Elementary Education. Patti and her husband, Craig, are parents of three children.
Contact information: 503.699.9840 (ext. 201) or pattih@lakebiblechurch.com
Katie Gray, Assistant Director of Children's Ministries
Katie grew up along the beautiful Hood Canal in Washington State where her family imparted a strong Christian upbringing along with a love for working with children. She received her BS in Elementary Education from Western Baptist College (now Corban College) and in 1995 she began attending Lake where she became Assistant Director of Children’s Ministries.
Katie enjoys organizing all the details and materials of Children’s Ministries as well as organizing events such as the annual Easter Egg Hunt and Vacation Bible School. Katie also works in Lake’s Mom’s Morning Out program where she has taught the 2’s class for the past 10 years. In addition, she teaches the 2’s Sunday School class, serves as an AWANA secretary, and assists with the Heart to Heart leadership team. Katie has a passion for imparting her love of God and His Word to children as well as equipping parents to better spiritually nurture their own families.
Contact information: 503.699.9840 (ext. 210) or milleekate@gmail.com