Staff
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Minister
Rev. Dr. Troy Sybrant's wife Amy is a music therapist and their daughter Abbey is a junior focusing on social work and Spanish. Their family enjoys hiking, concerts, museums, walking their Boston Terrier Cali, and trying new vegetarian foods.
He obtained his Masters in Divinity from Vanderbilt Divinity School, his Masters of Science in Social Work from the University of Tennessee, and his Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. He has served churches in GA, TN, MO, CA, OH, and now OR. He began investing himself in communities early in his career, working alongside a 98 percent black working poor community to secure low-income housing in Chicago. He helped HIV+ people obtain housing and tracked welfare reform at the state level in Nashville. He has served on ecumenical and interfaith organizations wherever he has lived. He credits his “great cloud of witnesses” as his own source of inspiration and gratitude: family, friends, teachers, mentors, colleagues, and community members.
Director of Music Ministries – Ellie Hodder
Ellie Hodder began her tenure as Director of Music Ministries in September 2017.
Ellie holds a Bachelor of Music Degree from Crane School of Music at the State University of New York at Potsdam, an advanced teaching certificate from New York State and a Master of Fine Arts Degree from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
She directs the church’s diverse music ensembles—Faith, Hope and Love contemporary worship ensemble, the Jubilate Handbell choir and Chancel Choir as well as, SoundWave, an opportunity for elementary aged children to learn hand chimes and handbells.
Music in church is the ultimate practice of community. We endeavor to engage the congregation, each musician contributing their notes to the whole, forging connections through our music making in the moment of our shared worship.
Ellie and her husband, Benn, live in Southeast Portland near Reed College.
Contact Ellie at ellie.hodder@comcast.net.
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Office Administrator
Bonnie is a native Oregonian with years of Office Administration experience, many in the medical field. She loves to help people which has guided her vocational and educational choices through out life which led her to Murray Hills Christian Church.
She has a love of music, knitting, reading, and baking. Her love of the Ocean helps keep her in the Pacific North West, there is just nothing like an ocean when it comes to soothing the soul so she makes the escape to the beach as often as possible.
You may contact Bonnie at murray.hills@comcast.net
Pianist
David Chvorun is a student at Portland State University in his last year studying piano performance with experience accompanying choirs, ensembles, solo performers, and more. He is delighted to join Murray Hills Christian Church as our pianist! You can extend your greetings to him this coming Sunday!
Nursery Attendant
Jennifer McFarling grew up in Murray Hills Christian Church, and has worked with children in Stay & Play and the nursery since 1996. She graduated from Portland State University with a B.S. in General Science and minor in Biology. After spending 8-1/2 years doing R&D for Stash Tea, she changed gears in 2012 and is now a lead teacher at Valley Catholic Early Learning School. Jenn lives in Hillsboro, Oregon with her golden retriever, Reser.
In her spare time she loves to train her dog and her parents' dog and maintain ParkerPup.com and the corresponding social medias. Through that, she and her dogs have helped raise tens of thousands of dollars for various nonprofit organizations, focusing mainly on cancer awareness and finding a cure. As a dog handler, she and her dogs love to perform and work doing commercials, print ads, and music videos.