The Rev. D. Lowell Chilton (he/him)

Pastor

Cell: 518-285-0441| Email: lowell@firstlutheranalbany.org

Pastor Chilton joined us in January 2022 as Interim Pastor. In December 2022, the congregation called Lowell (and he prefers just Lowell, or just “Pastor”, in conversation) to the Office of Pastor, without the “Interim” qualifier) and he was installed as our pastor on February 26, 2023.

Lowell comes to us from New Berlin, Pennsylvania, where he served as the pastor of Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church for several years. Prior to New Berlin, Lowell served Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church in Anchorage, Alaska, as Interim Synod Authorized Minister. He received a Master of Divinity degree from the Seattle University School of Theology and Ministry in 2017, with a year of Lutheran studies at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary.

Prior to entering vocational ministry, Lowell worked in the PlayReady team at Microsoft. He is married the Rev. Kate Drefke, pastor of Faith Lutheran Church in Troy and Evangelical Lutheran Church in Poestenkill. They reside in Albany with three cats and a lot of board games.

Lowell and Kate also serve the Albany Maritime Ministry as chaplains.

Julie Lind

Parish Administrator

Office: 518-463-1326 | Email: julie@firstlutheranalbany.org

For more than twenty years, Julie has been serving as Parish Administrator here at First Lutheran Church.  Born and raised Lutheran, she became a member of First Lutheran in 1999.  She also sings in the Chancel Choir.  “I feel like this is what I am meant to do,” she says when asked why she liked her job so much.  “There is rarely a slow time at FLC.  There is always something going on that keeps me busy.”