Staff

Pastor Darla Ann Kratzer joined Peace as interim pastor in July 2025 after six years serving Our Lord’s Lutheran Church in Maryville, Illinois. Prior to that, she served congregations in northeast Ohio for more than 20 years. Pastor Kratzer graduated from Bethany College with a degree in chemistry, the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago with a Master of Divinity, and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry.

Megan joined Peace as office manager in January 2026. She was born and raised in Springfield and has a fine art degree in ceramics from Bradley University, where she focused on creating large, figurative sculpture out of clay. She is also skilled at throwing on a potter’s wheel. She spent several years serving the community with the Springfield Art Association. Her personal passion projects include an extensive pollinator garden in her front yard to feed the birds and bugs. Flowers…

Originally from the Chicago area, Jan serves as Peace’s worship coordinator and choir director. With a degree in music education from Western Illinois University, she taught music at Springfield School District #186 for 39 years, retiring in 2011. Her music ministry began in 1995 and over the years has served as music coordinator, fine arts music camp director, and choir director for adults, youth, and handbells. Jan and her husband Allen have two adult children, three grandchildren, and three grand-dogs.…

Brenda has many decades of church music experience. She started playing piano at church at age 12 and organ at 14. She has a degree in music education with a specialty in piano performance and taught music in schools in Indiana and Illinois. She also took graduate classes at several universities. Brenda served as organist, director of music, and choir director for Atonement Lutheran Church, Springfield, from 1991 to 2015 and at Peace since then. Brenda has maintained a home…