Pastor Lloyd Willweber
PastorZion Lutheran Church and School is happy to have Pastor Willweber here with us as an interim pastor since mid December after Pastor Dandy took a call to Trinity Lutheran Church in Atchison, Kansas. Pastor Willweber will be serving Zion Lutheran Church through out the week along with helping at the school on Mondays or as needed. Pastor Willweber has history here at Zion as he attended Zion Lutheran School in the upper grades before going to high school. He went ahead and received his teaching degree at Concordia University in Seward, NE. After teaching a few years, he served as an insurance adjustor in southern California. Late in his career, he felt the calling to become a pastor. He was able to attend the Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO along with two of his sons. (All three of his sons are serving in Christ’s ministry!). After the seminary, Pastor Willweber was called to serve congregations in Florida and Seattle, WA, and then came to serve in Delano and Bakersfield before retiring. During his retirement, he enjoyed traveling around the US with his wife, Sharon, before they settled in Hawaii and lived with one of his sons. In Hawaii, Pastor Willweber continued to serve His Lord there at the different Lutheran churches by filling in to preach as a pastor, where needed. After the Lord called his wife to her heavenly home this past year and still feeling the need to serve, Pastor Willweber answered the call to Zion to serve as our interim Pastor for which we are thankful. If you have any questions for him, he may be reached in the school office, 535-4346.
Pastor Tim Steele
PastorPastor Tim Steele is the current Pastor serving at Grace Lutheran Church in Bakersfield, CA and he has a daughter attending Zion Lutheran School this year. Since they drive their daughter to school everyday, Pastor Steele will be able to help Zion Lutheran School out by doing religion classes on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and leading Zion’s Wednesday morning chapel service. Pastor Steele is a graduate from Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN and loves children! If you have any questions for him, you may reach him at the school office Tues.- Thurs. mornings, 535-4346. Zion is blessed to have Pastor Steele helping us out at this time.
Mrs. Christen Gibson
4-6 Grade TeacherMrs. Gibson grew up in the Porterville area and attended the former Orange Belt Christian School in Strathmore. She has fond memories of this small and supportive learning environment and is thankful that her own children can enjoy this same experience here at Zion. After graduating from Monache, she attended college and earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Christian Ministry and Psychology from Fresno Pacific University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Chamberlain University. Mrs. Gibson has experience in tutoring students and in substitute teaching for all grades K-12. She also has extensive experience in teaching and leading the children’s ministry program in a local church. The last eight years in working as a nurse, she enjoyed using her skills in math, health and science. Mrs. Gibson is very excited about teaching at Zion this year as we transition to a new classical approach and curriculum in the upper grades. Having a smaller class size will allow more flexibility to help with the students’ individual needs. Mrs. Gibson enjoys being with her family not only in working or playing together, but also traveling to the coast and enjoying the Shaver Lake area.
Mrs. Yuliya Schultz
K-3 TeacherMrs. Schultz was born and raised in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She came to the United States at age 16 years and didn’t speak any English. She quickly learned English in high school and continued her education with an Associate Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts. When working on her Bachelor’s Degree she did classroom hours at Rockford, Olive Street and Zion Elementary Schools. She was a program leader for Woodville’s Heart After School program from 2013-2014, a teacher’s aide from 2014-2018 and then took a four-year break to stay home with her children. In 2002-23 she did substitute teaching. Mrs. Schultz loves teaching and is very excited to start her year at Zion. She has a lot of fun activities planned and likes to do things that are “outside the box”. She was raised in a Russian Orthodox Church and then became a Lutheran in 2010 joining Zion Lutheran Church. She loves the traditions in the church and is thankful that she can raise her children in that environment. Mrs. Schultz loves to read and to spend time with her husband and three children. She and her family enjoy attending Sunday services and serving here at Zion. She feels that Zion Lutheran School has a lot to offer the children and give them a well-rounded education.
Mrs. Debra Cain
Teacher’s AssistantMrs. Cain has lived in the Porterville/Terra Bella area most of her life. She became involved at Zion Lutheran School when her granddaughter started attending several years ago. She would volunteer and help chaperone field trips and other school events. When Mrs. Cain retired from working at Beckman’s, she spent more time volunteering at Zion as needed. That was in 2020-2022, but in 2023 Zion had a staffing need and was blessed to be able to have Mrs. Cain come on a daily basis to help with the children. Even though she is retired and enjoys sewing, baking, camping and fishing, she now serves Zion Lutheran School as a part-time paid teacher assistant. She is now working each day mostly with the kindergarteners and then does noontime PE alternating with all of the grade levels. Mrs. Cain is a very active and creative assistant and truly loves the children! Zion is grateful that she is on its staff.
Mrs. Norra Galindo
Mrs. Norra Galindo grew up in Terra Bella and attended Terra Bella Elementary where she graduated from the 8th grade before going on to Porterville High School. She later earned her Associates Degree in 2006 from Porterville College. Mrs. Galindo began working as a Kindergarten Instructional Assistant at the Terra Bella Elementary School District in January of 2007. She was there for nine years before moving to the Los Angeles area with her husband. When she returned to Terra Bella, it was in the middle of December of 2020 during the pandemic. Mrs. Galindo has lived in the Porterville/Terra Bella area for 40+ years. She loves to travel to the central coast as well as camping and exploring new places. She is very flattered to be part of Zion and is thankful for the opportunity to utilize her experiences and skills. Zion welcomes Mrs. Galindo as their new Teacher Assistant for their upper grades.
Ms. Eloise Anderson
Volunteer and SubstituteMs. Anderson has served as a teacher at Zion since 1985. She grew up in the Sioux City area of Iowa and received her teaching credential at Seward Teacher College, (now called Concordia University) in Nebraska. She came to Zion with 13 plus years of teaching experience and through the years she has taught grades K-8 in one subject or another. Miss Anderson officially retired in 2016, but after a year of retirement came back to Zion to teach part-time for a few years. This year at Zion, Miss Anderson will be volunteering each day doing before school supervision. She will also help and serve as a substitute when needed. In her spare time, Miss Anderson loves to read, solve Sudoko puzzles, travel to the coast when the opportunity arises and show her Barbie doll collection to interested students. Zion is grateful for Miss Anderson’s dedication to the school and its children.
Terry Isom
Church and School SecretaryMs. Isom has been the church and school secretary at Zion for over ten years. She is a former student and graduate of Zion Lutheran School. She has been a member of Zion Lutheran Church her whole life and graduated from Porterville High School. Zion is blessed to have Terry in the office to greet parents and staff. Her invaluable office skills keep the school going in many ways! Whenever she has free time, she enjoys camping and spending time with her dogs, Bear and T-Bone.
Mrs. Kim Moon
Mrs. Kim Moon was born in Lindsay, CA and grew up in the Terra Bella area. She attended Zion Lutheran School all eight years and graduated from Porterville High School in 1992. Mrs. Moon enjoys riding motorcycles, spending time at the beach and mountains, but especially she enjoys time with her family. She is married and has two boys who have now blessed her with two grandchildren both born last August, just 20 days apart. Mrs. Moon has worn many hats in her life from fast food and waitressing to working with children as a teacher’s aide, coach and after school director. She has also served as a marketing director and an on-air host for the KTIP Radio station. Through the years, she has supplemented her income by cleaning homes in the Porterville area. The most important things in her life are her faith, her family and her friends. Zion Lutheran Church and School is happy to welcome Mrs. Moon now as their new part-time custodian.
Mr. Randy Fowler
2nd - 8th Grade Band TeacherMr. Fowler has served as Zion’s band teacher for many years. He was born and raised in Bakersfield and moved to Porterville in the early 1980’s. Music has been his life either in performing or teaching it to his students. In the 1970s he and his band played at various amusement parks such as Magic Mountain, Disneyland, and Knott’s Berry Farm. Mr. Fowler started teaching in the 1980’s and has taught how to play all kinds of instruments. He currently gives private music lessons at Jeff’s Music in Porterville in addition to teaching the students here at Zion. The band lessons at Zion School are optional but encouraged and are held twice a week with more practices before a scheduled performance. There is a separate fee paid to Mr. Fowler for his service over the normal educational costs at Zion.