The Rev. Carrie Ballenger became pastor at University Lutheran in August 2022; she also serves as Lutheran chaplain at Harvard University and a field education supervisor at Harvard Divinity School. She has served two congregations in the Chicagoland area, and most recently completed eight years of service as an ELCA missionary at Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Prior to ordination as an ELCA pastor, Carrie worked as a certified doula and lactation counselor and taught music both in schools and in her private piano/oboe studio. She holds music degrees from Oklahoma State University and an MDiv from Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC).
When not at church, you can probably find Carrie cooking, baking, or reading a cookbook! She also enjoys knitting gifts for others, exploring new places, and making music.
Carrie and her wife Brittany, a social worker and counselor, are parents of two grown children, Caleb and Zion.
In addition to her sermons at University Lutheran, you can read or listen to past sermons by Carrie at knitpurlpraypreach.blogspot.com or at vimeo.com/CarrieBallenger .
Pastor Carrie’s office hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 am through 3 pm.