Pastors of Hope

Roger ThompsonPastor Roger

Lead Pastor

Roger grew up in the Pacific Northwest, on both sides of the Columbia River around Portland, Oregon.  He graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington in 1976, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Classics and Philosophy, and received his Master of Divinity degree from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, California in 1981.

Ordained in the former ALC in 1981, Reverend Thompson has been Hope’s Lead Pastor since June 2009.  Prior to coming to Fresno, Roger was Senior Pastor of Grace, Phoenix for ten years.  He is the former Dean of the Capital Conference of the Grand Canyon Synod of the ELCA, and Facilitator of the Lutheran Urban Coalition of Phoenix.  Before coming to Fresno, Roger spent the entire 28 years of his ministry in Arizon, serving pareshes in Phoenix, Tucson, and Mesa.

Pastor Thompson has extensive experience in contemporary worship planning and leadership, and a broad knowledge of current contemporary Christian music.

Roger’s hobbies include fly fishing, art, and music –both listening and playing (guitar and drums).  He and his wife, Cheryl, are the parents of two grown children, Alissa and Trajan, and gradparents to Marlee, Rylind, Olivia, and Dylan.

Allen SchoonoverAbby, Karen and Pastor Al on The Great Wall of China

Associate Pastor

If I were to pick one word that best describes my faith journey it would be “curious.”  I wasn’t born and raised Lutheran - or even Christian.  In high school, I became curious about who God was and how Jesus might love me.  Before that, I wasn’t really very interested in “God-stuff.”  But thanks to Jan Blum, a high school friend, I became curious.  There was something about her - and no, it wasn’t her good looks! - that said to me, “Hey, Al, she’s got something that you need.”  She got me curious about God.

Fast forward to college and my roommate my Junior year.  His name was Mike Schuleter and thanks to some late night conversations, I got more curious about Jesus and this fella named Martin Luther.  I decided to go on to seminary after college because I was still curious about God and how Lutherans understood Him.  Eventually, I became a pastor so that I could hang out with other curious people and through them, get to know Jesus better.

I’ve been very blessed by this God- with a wonderful family: my wife, Karen, and my two daughters Abby and Amy; with the opportunity to serve God and to walk along side other curious people; with the chance to live in Fresno near our extended family.

Warren Nelson

Pastor Nelson

Shut In/Visitation Pastor

Tall, white, wavy haired guy who always wears a suit and tie or a sports coat on Sundays - that’s Pastor Nelson, our shut in/visitation pastor.

He hasn’t always been a pastor, however. Back in the “old days” (the 50’s and early 60’s) he was a TV announcer, a professional singer and a radio disc jockey who interviewed many famous people, including Elvis. He also toured with The Covenant Players who appeared in churches throughout the West. He was a member of “The Greatest Generation” on Guam toward the end of WWII. He was also in the Navy during the Korean War and served as an Air Force Chaplain Lt. Col. during the Vietnam War. He’s really old! He’s married to Sharon, a retired teacher and zoo docent. They have a cat (Miss Kitty), two basset hounds (Suzie and Sam) and three birds. They have two grown sons who were adopted. In the late 70’s and 80’s Pastor Nelson was pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran (the tent church) on Fruit. Prior to that he served churches in Santa Maria, San Pedro, and Sylmar, CA.

So now that you know who he is, when you see him at church say hello and ask him about Elvis.