Pastor - Vincent Lachina
Rev. Vincent Lachina currently serves as Part-time Pastor. Prior to retirement in 2021, he served as Planned Parenthood's Northwest Regional Chaplain for more than 16 years. Rev. Lachina has been an ordained minister for over 50 years and is currently aligned with the American Baptist Conference. Rev. Lachina relocated from the Midwest to Washington State to serve as Senior Pastor at a Seattle-based congregation, where he remained for more than eleven years. He served in congregations and denominational positions in Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Kansas for more than two decades prior to moving to the Northwest. He also served as missionary in Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa. Rev. Lachina holds the BS in Religion and English from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and the MRE in Religion and Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas.
Velma Walker - Music
Velma Walker is a lifelong resident of Issaquah. She studied piano under Marguerite Hood, a piano instructor in Seattle, received music instruction from William Klein, a gifted musician who taught in the Issaquah School District, and studied music theory through the Art Publication Society of St. Louis, Missouri. In her junior and senior high school years, Velma accompanied the choirs and many solo and ensemble groups. In her senior year she also played with the high school band.
Velma began playing for Bethel Chapel Church in Issaquah at the age of 11, a position she held for the next 33 years. In addition, she played for many weddings and funerals. Following her work at Bethel Chapel she briefly shared her music ministry with Our Savior Lutheran Church and St. Joseph Catholic Church. In 1994 she joined the staff at Community Church of Issaquah where she plays the piano. She also directed the choir for several years.
Velma's testimony is her love of Christ, family, friends and music. She is dedicated to the ministry at Community Church and is open to new music as well as the traditional hymns and choruses.
