ABOUT US.
OUR PASTOR
& STAFF
REV. KEVIN VANDIVER, PH.D.
SENIOR PASTOR
Pastor Kevin Vandiver (he/him) is the Senior Pastor at Lutheran Church of the Reformation. Pastor Kevin attended Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC, where he earned a B.A. in Music. After he completed his undergraduate studies, he earned his Master of Divinity from the Duke University Divinity School, where he was a Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar.
Pastor Kevin holds a Ph.D. in Practical Theology with a specialty in Homiletics from Princeton Theological Seminary. He was a Princeton Seminary Doctoral Fellow, and a recipient of the prestigious Doctoral (2020) and Dissertation Fellowships (2022) at the Louisville Presbyterian Institute.
Pastor Kevin is married to Dr. Marci Vandiver (she/her), a prolific author, speaker, and tenured professor at Towson University, and they have two children, Ethan and Miles. For fun, Pastor Kevin enjoys reading fantasy and science fiction novels, listening to NPR and other podcasts, being near a body of water somewhere, playing ping pong, and spending time with family.
Pastor Kevin has a passion for the last, lost, and least, and believes that God’s love is lavishly offered as free gift to all.
JAYME KOKKONEN
VICAR
Vicar Jayme (she/her) is a final year Master of Divinity student at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Her vicar year at Reformation is the final component of her degree as she prepares for ordination as a pastor in the ELCA.
Jayme grew up in New Market, Virginia where her church life and family life were always intertwined. In 2019, she earned a B.S. in Human Development from Virginia Tech and in 2021, Jayme moved to Chicago to begin her seminary studies. Jayme has worked as a cook in a memory care facility, a worship leader in Grand Teton National Park, and a volunteer with Centering Prayer classes in Cook County Jail. She is eager for the ways in which her time with Reformation will shape her both personally and professionally for years to come.
Jayme lives with her partner, Katie (she/her), and their ‘foster fail’/rescue pup, Merton. For fun, Jayme enjoys an array of arts and crafts, being in or near the water, and FaceTiming with her young nephews.
PAUL LEAVITT
DIRECTOR OF MUSIC
Paul Leavitt (he/him) is the full-time Director of Music and Arts at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation. In Oct. 2008, he led the Reformation Choir on a 10 day tour to Central Europe, where they performed in Bratislava, Prague and in Wittenberg, Germany. In 2006, he led the Reformation Choir on a ten-day performing tour in London, Geneva, and Paris where they shared the stage with the Chorale de l’Association Internationale Musique Ensemble (AIME). Leavitt founded AIME in 1995 in Paris and directed it until the fall of 2000.
His training includes a Master's Degree from the Juilliard School in New York and a Bachelor's Degree from SUNY Purchase. He was a laureate of the International Steinway Competition for Young Talents (1989) in Paris, France. A versatile musician and composer, Mr. Leavitt performs regularly in Europe and in the United States as a classical pianist, concert organist and choral conductor.
JULIE MILLER
DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES & OPERATIONS
Julie (she/her) serves as the Director of Facilities and Operations at Lutheran Church of the Reformation, overseeing the building, Space Use, and the inner-workings of the church office. Occasionally she plays Tetris with the parking lot.
Raised in a small south-central Pennsylvania town called New Freedom, Julie grew up loving music. She played piano and flute from a young age and was the drum major for her high school marching band. She then earned a BA in Music Education from Eastern University (outside of the Philadelphia area) and began teaching private lessons for piano and band instruments upon graduation and moving to DC. Julie is happily married to her husband, Andy, and were foster parents for 8 years and have a son through adoption. When she isn't thinking about the details of church office life, she enjoys making music, being outdoors with her family, watching movies, and hanging with her cats Daniel and Milky Way.
EMMANUEL KABASAALA
COMMUNITY HOST
Emmanuel Kabasaala was born in Butaleja, a small village in Eastern Uganda. He was raised in a small-scale farming family. Emmanuel had learned of Christianity at a young age from one of the women in his native village, and testifies that his faith has been key to his survival. In 2017, Emmanuel went on a work program in the United Arab Emirates, where he founded an NGO named “Emmanuel Foundation Africa” EFA focused on children and the elderly, as well as the empowerment of youth.
In 2022, seeking more education in community development, Emmanuel enrolled at the University of the District of Columbia. Soon after, Emmanuel joined the congregation at Reformation, and was baptized. He began in his role of Community Host in 2023.