Kristina Heise was born an
d raised in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, and is a third generation member of Divinity Lutheran Church, ELCA, of Parma Heights. She has a bachelor’s degree in Social Science from Ashford University. Before beginning her Master of Divinity education at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, Kristina served as the Director of Church Operations at Pilgrim United Church of Christ in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland. She currently holds the position as Administrative Assistant for St. Luke’s Lutheran Church of Logan Square in Chicago, Ilinois. Her long-term professional goal is to hopefully one day be a pastor for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a denomination she is proud and honored to be a member of.
Kristina is a 2011 Congregational Fellow for the Fund for Theological Education, and a member of the Academy of Preachers. Her sermon from the 2012 Academy of Preachers National Festival of Young Preachers was recently published in Uncommon Sense: Jesus and the Renewal of the World (Chalice Press, 2013).
Previous to parish ministry, Kristina worked in the public library systems and has always enjoyed helping people nurture their personal desire for knowledge and spirituality. This passion has often led to volunteer opportunities that would build such connections, including the Lupus Foundation of America. Kristina was diagnosed with systemic lupus in
1999, and is a proud ambassador for people living with chronic illnesses.
Kristina is single and has strong family ties, particularly to her niece Phoebe and nephew Alexander. She currently resides in Chicago with her cat Cozmo who is a rescue. She is continually appreciative of the love and support of both her immediate and church family.
