About Us

King of Glory is a Lutheran Community located in Tempe, Arizona, home of Arizona State University. Founded in 1970, our 400+ member congregation has a strong history and spirit of deeply caring and being present for one another and the broader community. Our aim is to manifest the love and Lordship of Jesus Christ as a congregation and in our individual daily lives. Our church’s ministries reflect our commitment to this mission.

We strive to be a church beyond our walls. Jesus calls for us to go outside the walls to reach people with His love.

It is there that all people can experience and know the love, mercy and grace of God. Most churches find it is comfortable to stay within the walls, but we make it an effort to be like the church from the book of Acts, to see our city changed.

We highly value our relationships with one another. We look to grow through gatherings, and ultimately growing closer to God. We value the word of God, and the leadership of the Holy Spirit. We look to extend grace to all people, and share the hope of Jesus Christ to all we may encounter.

New Church Launched - On October 1, 1969 the first worship service was held at Tempe Mortuary with over 200 people in attendance.
Charter Weekend - On February 14 and 15, 1970 the church recieved 274 charter members and dedicated the church sanctuary and facilities.
Focus on Families - On September 4, 1990 we established King of Glory Preschool to meet the growing needs of families.
Loving Our Neighbors - In 2020 we began reaching out to support people experiencing homelessness thorugh I-HELP in partnership with the City of Tempe.

Pastor Charles has served in pastoral ministry for over 20 years. He and his wife, Jenifer, grew up in California, and have called Arizona “home” for over 15 years. Jenifer is an elementary school teacher and together they are a blended family with 5 children. Pastor Charles is considered a compassionate faith leader and entrepreneurial visionary. He advocates for the local church as a sacred institution, to live out the day-to-day call to make disciples of Christ through missional communities. He attended San Diego State University and received his BA in History Education. After teaching and working in government programs, he earned his Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in Chicago, IL. He has served churches in Los Angeles, CA; Yorba Linda, CA; Chicago, IL; Decatur, GA; and various churches throughout AZ.

Pastor Rachael grew up at King of Glory. She is fondly remembered for leading campfires and snipe hunts in her teen years. Rachael graduated from ASU with a teaching degree in 1986. She moved to Upstate New York in 1989 where she taught in the Schenectady Public Schools and became a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. She worked her way from volunteer to full-time staff in the areas of worship development, music ministry and as the Children, Youth and Family Minister. This is where she first heard the call to public ministry leadership. She also earned a Master of Science in Curriculum Development from SUNY, Albany. Rachael received a Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 2007. Upon returning to Arizona in 2012, Rachael lived in Phoenix and worked as a hospice chaplain and then served the Arizona Department of Corrections. As Associate Pastor, she preaches, teaches a variety of classes and leads the prayer ministry of our community and many of our Adult Bible studies. She lives with her puppies, Max and Moxie.

Cindy has been the Director of King of Glory Preschool since 2011. Cindy believes in helping both children and their parents grow cognitively, emotionally and spiritually. One important way to do this is to show them the love and grace of God every time they come to preschool. Cindy has been involved with the Early Childhood Education field for the last 20 years. She taught pre-kindergarten and three-year-olds before beginning her current position as Director. She has a B.A. in Elementary Education and an M.A. in Education Psychology. She also went through the Director’s Credential Program with the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership. She has lived in Arizona for over 49 years and has been in Phoenix since 1990. She has been married for over 30 years to an amazing man and has one grown son. Cindy started her career in education in 1989, teaching fourth grade in Tucson. In her free time, Cindy enjoys reading, classic television shows, traveling, and hiking.

Christy Hegebush has enjoyed working with the youth of KOG for many years. Currently, she is serving as The Next Generation Coordinator, a new position here at KOG. She enjoys helping the youth of KOG grow in their faith as they learn to live in today’s world. During the week, she works as the Autism and Low Incidents Specialist for the State of Arizona Department of Education. Her teaching in the classroom has helped prepare her to assist the youth of KOG to grow in their faith. Christy graduated from NAU with a degree in Elementary Education and Special Education, and received her Masters of Legal Studies from ASU. She enjoys spending her free time with her husband and two daughters.

Daren, from the Great Lakes State of Michigan, came to AZ in the fall of 1996 and attended Arizona State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Technology Management in 2003. He is married to Christy Hegebush The Next Generation Coordinator, and has 2 step kids, Kelleigh and Sarah, that he calls his own. Daren became a Member of KOG on May 2nd, 2021. He enjoys getting out on the golf course, spending time with his family, and going to ASU Football and Hockey games. His job at KOG consists mainly of creating the digital messages of KOG that you see on the KOG website and Digital Marque sign on Southern Ave. This also includes YouTube videos, Facebook and Instagram posts, and creating the slides that you see during the Pre-Worship Loop and any slides for the Sermon on Sundays. Daren also does the print media for KOG as well, which includes the Sunday Service Bulletin, the Monthly Connections Newsletter, the weekly Glory Notes, and anything else that you might see posted in the Narthex and around campus. Every once in a while, you can catch him in the Tech Booth on Sunday mornings working lights, sound, or video.

Gina was born in Ellsworth, Kansas, and moved to Phoenix the summer before she started high school. Gina brings a wealth of administrative knowledge that benefits the King of Glory community in many ways. Gina and her husband Carl were members at Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church for over 47 years where she worked as the Office Administrator for over 20 years. She retired in January 2016 but responded to God’s calling to the KOG Staff as Admin Assistant for Membership in March 2019. She says, “I pray that through God’s Holy Spirit, the body of Christ, known as King of Glory Lutheran Church, will make a difference in your life as they have done in mine!”

Vicki was raised in Tempe, Arizona, and went on to explore North & South Dakota where she received her degree in Business Education with a minor in Religion and Psychology. She received a Masters in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. Vicki has been a member of King of Glory since 1975. Prior to working at King of Glory, she taught in the Tempe Union High School District and worked with private businesses. Vicki’s favorite pastime is enjoying her three daughters, three son-in-laws, and seven grandchildren.

Gail is an Arizona native and long time member of King of Glory Lutheran Church. She was confirmed as a teen in Phoenix at American Evangelical Lutheran Church, and married at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church. She earned a Music Education degree at Arizona State University, and a Masters of Education through Northern Arizona University. During her post college years she attended KOG and loved the music program. She spent 33 years teaching orchestra with the Mesa Public Schools. She and her husband raised a family of 5 children. Serving as the Volunteer Coordinator at KOG gives me the opportunity to support worship and enable others make a difference by serving in our congregation and beyond.

Jerry is our buildings and grounds maintenance person. He is responsible for overseeing the daily upkeep of our
facilities. Jerry was born and raised in Chicago and moved to Arizona in 1973 after serving a tour in the USMC. It
was in AZ that Jerry met his wife of 44 years, Bonnie. Jerry was self-employed in the automotive industry until
1991. He then went to work for Budget Car & Truck Rental until retiring in 2018. His wife Bonnie, passed in 2020
and it was at that time he began attending services at KOG eventually becoming a member. Jerry is grateful for
the love and friendship of the KOG family and community.

Originally from the town of Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, Thomas (Tommy) Strawser has built a vibrant and multifaceted career as a performing artist in the music and theatre communities of Arizona. As a professional chorister, Tommy's experience includes performing with The Philadelphia Singers during the organization’s tenure with the Philadelphia Orchestra, The Manhattan Chorale, and participating in a choral residency at St. Alban’s Cathedral in England. He has also contributed to various Arizona organizations such as Art Renaissance Initiative, Arizona Bach Festival, Canto Vivo, Sonoran Desert Chorale, and the Grammy-nominated True Concord Voices & Orchestra. Notably, he performed with the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale on their album Rachmaninoff: All-Night Vigil, which won the 58th Grammy Award for “Best Choral Performance.” In theatre, Tommy has dedicated ten years to Childsplay Theatre as a company actor, teaching artist, and music director for both local and national tours. He also served as Music Director for Empowered Theater and Arts, an organization committed to providing theatre and performance training for adults with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities. His acting credits also include collaborations with Arizona Opera, Arizona Broadway Theatre, The Phoenix Theatre Company, and Showtune Productions.

Most recently, Tommy held the position of Music Associate and Youth and Children’s Music Director at Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, where he led the youth and children's music program, including choral and handbell ensembles. Tommy holds a Master of Music in Opera/Musical Theatre Performance from Arizona State University and a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from West Chester University of Pennsylvania. His diverse background and commitment to the arts continue to inspire those around him.

Kristina grew up in Tempe and earned a Piano Performance degree from Arizona State University before relocating to Ohio in 2008 with her family. While in Ohio, she established herself as a gifted pianist and organist, raised her daughter, and cultivated a great love for music ministry. From 2013 to 2021, she served as Organist and Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church, where she had many meaningful opportunities. Kristina furthered her piano studies at Wright State University under the guidance of Dr. Jackson Leung. She was also a member of the keyboard faculty at Wright State and grateful for the opportunity to share her passion of teaching and making music with countless students. Kristina’s ability to connect with the performers and deliver expressive, skillful performances is one of her greatest joys, and she is honored to be a part of the many talents and musical traditions at King of Glory. Kristina loves figure skating with her daughter, volunteering, cooking, baking, entertaining, hiking, photographing Arizona sunsets, spending time with family and friends, and supporting music and the arts in the community.