Karen Breckenridge – Pastor
I believe that Christ calls us into community within the church in order to connect us more deeply with the Triune God, with each other, and with the world. In worship, our souls become more in tune with God. In education, our minds become saturated with the Word. In fellowship, our hearts are united with one another. And in service, our lives are poured out for the benefit of others and of the world. I was drawn to Wedgwood Presbyterian Church because the congregation has valued these kinds of connections for many years, reaching across generations and out into the community to love and serve God and the world.
I grew up in Southern California and was an active member of a large Presbyterian Church in my hometown. I attended the University of Pacific in Stockton, CA where I majored in math and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. After college I attended Princeton Theological Seminary and received a Master of Divinity degree. Uncertain about my call to ministry, I spent the next seven years working in retail management in a variety of locations around the country until I finally moved to Seattle. Once I settled in Seattle, it quickly became clear that a change was in order as I felt a call from the Holy Spirit to return to work in the church. I came to Wedgwood Presbyterian Church as the Director of Christian Education and was here for two years. I was then ordained and served as Associate Pastor of Northminster Presbyterian Church for ten years. I completed a full circle and returned to Wedgwood in 2008 as the Pastor. My latest passion is running. I have run quite a few half marathons (a distance I love), and I have recently completed my first (and hopefully not last) marathon. I also enjoy reading, movies, games, and spending time with my husband and daughter and our extended family – many of whom live in the Seattle area.
Jennifer Houston – Christian Education Director
Hello, I’m Jennifer Houston. I’m originally from Wilmington, Delaware where I enjoyed spending my summers at Rehoboth Beach. I graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in Elementary Education. After working as a preschool and elementary school teacher in Delaware, I moved to Seattle in 1989. I worked as a teacher and supervisor in preschool programs in West Seattle before starting work as the Christian Education and Youth Activities Director at Wedgwood Presbyterian. I’ve been a member at WPC for 19 years and working here for 15 years.
I love spending time with all ages of youth – from the youngest preschool age through the Elementary Fellowship Group to our active middle and high school youth. I was originally attracted to this church because of the intergenerational nature of WPC and continue to enjoy that feeling as I watch our young people be welcomed to be active participants in all areas of our worship life.
I’m married to Andy who enjoys singing in our excellent choir and sharing his construction and theatre skills with our church’s many events, especially those involving youth. We have two children, Nancyrose and Adam who are both off at college, but look forward to spending time at church whenever they are in town. I feel fortunate they grew up having such a loving second home as Wedgwood Presbyterian.
Janet Anderson – Music Director
I have had the pleasure of working with the congregation at Wedgwood Presbyterian Church since 2017, when I arrived as interim music director, then applied to stay on. Growing up in Kent, Ohio, I loved learning the piano and singing in the choir at Christ Episcopal Church. The organist-choirmaster there, Walter Watson, composed the beautiful music that we sang for communion every two weeks, which later inspired me to create music for Wedgwood. I studied music and philosophy at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, then moved to Seattle in 1992. Here I have continued my music studies by learning the organ and the harp, as well as writing music in various forms both for concert performance and for church, which include not only the communion setting that we use here, but also numerous choral pieces, song cycles for solo voice, chamber pieces, and even a short musical play.
I live with my husband Jeffrey Simmons, an abstract painter, and our daughter Mary, in the Haller Lake neighborhood of north Seattle. In addition to working at the church, I teach piano and composition students of all ages, while Jeff shows his work at the Greg Kucera Gallery and Mary attends North Seattle College. When I’m not playing music, I’m writing fiction and poetry and reading the many books that pile up all over our house.
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