nick@lsbcwaco.org

Nick delivered his first sermon as Lake Shore’s pastor on Easter Sunday, 2022.  During the previous two years, he served as Interim Senior Pastor of Riverside Baptist Church in Washington, DC, following previous pastoral positions in Connecticut and North Carolina. He completed his Master of Divinity at Duke University, has an M.A. in Interreligious Studies from Hartford International University for Religion and Peace, and is continuing postgraduate work in the areas of reconciliation and interfaith relations. For more than fifteen years, Nick has also been managing editor of The Muslim World, founded in 1911, making it the world’s oldest academic journal dedicated to Islamic studies and interfaith relations. As a follower of Christ, Nick fully embraces Lake Shore’s welcoming-and-affirming commitment and the church’s dedication to ecumenism, reconciliation, and social justice. Nick and his wife, Virginia, have twin sons, Declan and George.

brently@lsbcwaco.org

Brently joined the Lake Shore staff as Director of Music in June 2024. A Pennsylvania native, Brently moved to Texas in 2019 to join the faculty of Waco High School where he now serves as Head Choir Director, leading the WHS Chorale, Chamber Choir, and Show Choir, and directing an annual musical. He also serves as Professor of Oboe at McLennan Community College. After undergraduate studies in Instrumental Music Education and Music Entrepreneurship at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Brently earned his Master of Music Education at Ohio University, focusing on instrumental conducting, voice, and musculoskeletal health of instrumental musicians. In his free time, Brently is the Principal Oboe of the Waco Community Band and McLennan Community Orchestra. He enjoys travel, writing, performing, acting, and spending time with his family and friends.

louis@lsbcwaco.org

Louis is a long-term Waco resident and Lake Shore member who is now helping us with building maintenance and support for Wednesday night suppers. He was ordained as a deacon at Lake Shore and sings in the choir. He is also a leader in the local community as one of the founders of the Waco Hispanic Museum and a volunteer at the food pantry that operated at Lake Shore for many years and is now operating at Carver Park Baptist with Lake Shore participation.

Tom Hanks, who joined Lake Shore in 1977, has led our college-aged class for many years and has served as our College Minister since his ordination in 2004. A native of Missouri, Tom earned his BA at Washington University, and then served as an information officer in the U.S. Air Force, including a stint in Vietnam. He earned  MA and PhD degrees from the University of Minnesota, and served on the Baylor University faculty, teaching in the English Department and the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core, between 1976 and 2017. At Baylor, Tom earned every teaching award that the university offered. At Lake Shore, he has served on many of our key committees, and is a faithful member of the choir.

pingtinglan2019@gmail.com

We welcomed Dr. Lan  to the Lake Shore music staff in August 2024. A native of Taiwan, she holds BA, MM and DMA degrees in Piano Performance from the University of North Texas. She has worked for Stephen F. Austin State University as a staff accompanist, adjunct faculty and piano teacher, and has performed as a soloist, duo pianist, accompanist, and chamber musician in the United States and in Taiwan. Many of her piano students have become music teachers, performers, and church musicians. In Nacogdoches, Dr. Lan served as church organist at Christ Episcopal Church and Westminster Presbyterian Church. She and her husband, Dr. James Pitts, with whom she frequently performs, are members of the Music faculty of McLennan Community College. James and Ping-Ting have a son, Adrian,  who lives in Austin. 

jessica@lsbcwaco.org

A native of Washington state, Jessica came to Lake Shore with long and excellent experience working with children and youth as a church volunteer. She served at more than 40 camps and retreats for her home church and more than 20 ministry/service trips. Jessica earned a BA fin Intercultural Communications, focusing on religion, ministry and missions, from Bethany Global University in Bloomington, Minnesota. She interned with local missionaries in Garissa, Kenya, for a year where she helped to develop a primary educational curriculum. She also served for a year in Mirebalais, Haiti, preparing and implementing a curriculum for preschool and elementary students. Jessica was a paraeducator for a school district in Washington for 9 years where she was involved with elementary and middle school students. As part of that job, she worked on a team to address student needs and implement solutions. Jessica says she personally focused on “spiritual literacy, understanding the breadth of Christian thought and tradition, and engaging in a personal, communal, and justice focused faith.”

sharlande@lsbcwaco.org

Sharlande came to Lake Shore in 1985 as Associate Pastor for Children. Through the years she has ministered through pastoral care, missions, worship, and spiritual formation of children and adults. In January, 2024, she transitioned to a new role as Writer in Residence. Sharlande received a B.A. in English education and an M.A. in English from Louisiana Tech University. She taught English in Missouri and in Fort Worth before graduating from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with an M.A. in Religious Education. Her visit to the Baptist World Alliance in Seoul, Korea; her sabbatical at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Ruschlikon, Switzerland; and her visits to Gaza confirmed her life-long interest in global issues. She has served on the Religious Education Commission of the Baptist World Alliance and she currently serves on the liturgical team of Seeds of Hope Magazine. She writes for Bearings, a publication of the Collegeville Institute and for Reflections devotional guide. Her book, Prayers and Litanies for the Christian Seasons, was published by Smyth & Helwys. In 2018 she received the Frankie Huff Granger Distinguished Mentor Award from Baptist Women in Ministry, presented to a person with an exemplary commitment to nurturing Baptist women called to ministry.

office@lsbcwaco.org

Petra Williams stepped into the busy role as our Office Manager in October 2023. She graduated from Baylor University in 2004 with a BFA in Theatre Performance, and then moved to NYC where she pursued her passion in theatre. In the meanwhile, she learned that she had a knack for nonprofit administration and development. She and her husband, Judson, moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2011 where she worked for years as an event manager, office administrator, and bookkeeper. While there, they welcomed their two brilliant and beautiful daughters, Ivalee and Elowyn.  During the Covid pandemic, Petra and her family migrated back to Texas to be closer to relatives, and were embraced by the Waco community and the Lake Shore congregation.