Pastor
Rev. Phil Hobson, D.Min.
Pastor Phil (pronouns: he/they) grew up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. His hometown was the “Secret City” of the Manhattan Project back in World War II. Steeped from an early age in the history of Oak Ridge, where they enriched the uranium for the nuclear weapon deployed in Hiroshima, Japan, Phil sought out answers for who the other side of the conflict was.
He followed that question to Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, graduating with a B.A. in Japanese Studies in 1992. Following college, he worked with his home church pastor and discerned a call to ministry. Phil graduated with his Masters of Divinity from Chicago Theological Seminary in 1997. He returned to CTS nearly two decades later, earning his Doctor of Ministry in Preaching in 2019.
Pastor Phil has served churches in Illinois, Texas, Michigan and New York before coming to Verona.
Pastor Phil loves helping people discover that Jesus shows us how God loves each and every person just as they are, and equipping people to discover and follow their own callings. Deep dives into scripture, compassionate listening, and building community are pieces of local church ministry Pastor Phil enjoys.
Outside of ministry, Phil likes games, movies with his family, and reading. A good cup of coffee and attempting to learn musical instruments are two of his joys.
Director of Faith Formation
Emily Bass, M.Div.
Emily grew up at Salem and is thrilled to return to her roots as Salem’s Director of Faith Formation. She attended Lakeland University and earned her Master of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California.
Emily brings a wealth of experience working with children, youth, and adults in both spiritual and educational settings. Passionate about environmental stewardship, she thoughtfully weaves care for people and the planet into her ministry.
Emily recently returned to the area from Santa Fe, New Mexico with her partner, Nick and their daughter Juniper, along with three cats Sunny, Sadie, and Zula! In her free time, Emily enjoys wandering and wondering in nature, writing haikus, watching kestrels, and kayaking.
Dawn Lingard
Instrumentalist
Dawn Lingard has been a musician nearly all of her life, sharing her musical gifts in her Salem Sunday School class at around age 10, then becoming one of the 2 organists while in High School. After focusing on her music studies at Oral Roberts University with Joyce Bridgman in Tulsa, OK, she then moved to Kansas City, MO. There she found a church home that embraced her eclectic musical background & helped enhance her worship style. Since coming back home to Salem in 2005, Dawn took over the Organist responsibilities. Here, she was able to introduce her varied background in piano performance & accompaniment. She loves working with musicians of all ages & abilities, helping them embrace their talent & share it with others.
​
Currently, Dawn is our organist and pianist, supporting the Chancel Choir.
She thoroughly enjoys sharing her gifts of music not just with Salem but with her community at large. She has been the Lands’ End Christmas Choir accompanist for 25 years & helps out with local school concerts, Solo & Ensemble events, and musicals … to name just a few.