Our Staff
Interim Pastor
The Rev. Martha Halls
The Rev. Martha Halls grew up on a dairy farm in central Minnesota, where her family still lives. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Speech and Theater from Bemidji State University in Bemidji, MN, after which she earned a Masters of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, and completed graduate courses in Student Administration and Community Counseling at the University of Minnesota, Mankato. Rev. Halls served two calls as Pastor to two churches in Minnesota and has served thirteen times as an Interim Pastor to various churches in Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois. She has also taught Human Identity and Relationships and Family Relationships for four years at the University of Northern Iowa.
Pastor Halls has been married for over 29 years to her husband Marcus who is also a Pastor and works in Chicago at the Office of the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA. They have two children, Daniel a college student and Andrew attending high school, and live in Park Ridge, Illinois.
Pastor Halls like to spend time with family and friends, sew, decorate, hunt for bargains at secondhand stores, read, and garden.
Music Director and Parish Administrator
Michael Kellerhals
A native of Paxton, Illinois, and graduate of North Park University (Chicago) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in piano performance, Mike has been playing for churches since he was 10. Mike came to St. Philip in January 2002 and lives in Chicago.