A WORD FROM OUR LEADERSHIP
Art work credited to Raquel Busa @maquina37co
PROGRAM MANAGER
The Rev. Dr. Moses D. Barrios is an Indigenous Mayan minister, son of Central American immigrants, born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Having served numerous diverse and inclusive congregations in Southern California, Northern California, and Hawaiʻi, he now serves as Assistant to the Bishop for Congregational Renewal, Multiethnic and Intersectional Ministries in the Metropolitan DC Synod and as Pastor of St. Matthew in Southwest Washington, D.C. He also leads the ELCA’s Multiethnic and Intersectional Network, guiding national lay and rostered leaders, synodical and Churchwide leaders in cultivating a church that is warmer, more inviting, making room for true belonging that better reflects the diversity of God’s people.
Pastor Moses received both his graduate and post-graduate degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. His doctoral project titled, “Confronting the Lack of Racial Unity in the American Christian Church,” is the one of his passions behind his ministry work. His other theological and biblical studies derive from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (P.L.T.S.) in Berkeley, CA, The Hispanic Center for Theological Studies (C.H.E.T.) an affiliate of North Park Theological Seminary in Compton, CA and Chicago, IL and Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, MN. He is an Ordained Roster Minister of Word and Sacrament with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
A prophetic preacher and public theologian, Moses is deeply committed to justice, inclusion, reconciliation, healing, liberation, and congregational transformation, empowering communities to participate in Christ’s renewing and liberating work in the world. He is married to his wife and ministry partner, Brenda, and together they are the proud parents of three young adult children who attend college in the Bronx, New York and work in Virginia.
Art work credited to Raquel Busa @maquina37co
PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Pastor Darla DeFrance is the founding pastor and has served Church of Hope since its beginning in 2010. She lives in the neighborhood with her family, where they delight in the sacred natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest and love visiting libraries and museums, listening to live music, hiking and walking their dog in the neighborhood.
Pastor Darla offers leadership and organization for the ELCA Multiethnic and Intersectional Network.
She holds a BS in Mathematics from Duke University and M.Div from Princeton Theological Seminary. She previously served as the Puget Sound Director for Lutheran Volunteer Corps.