Staff Biographies

Anita R. Warner, Pastor

Pastor Anita R. Warner has served as Pastor at Advent Lutheran Church since 1999 and as Associate Pastor at Advent before that, from 1994 to 1999. She has a lifelong love of scripture, the community of faith, and the church's music and arts, and she is awed by the work of the Holy Spirit whenever these come alive in the minds and hearts of people.

Pastor Warner was raised in Michigan and North Carolina and active in the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod as a child and young adult. She was a member of the first graduating class of the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, and received degrees from Michigan Technological University and Stanford University in Materials Science and Engineering. She taught and worked in that field at Stanford University as a young adult.

However, a sense of call to serve in the church as pastor had been present since childhood, and she became a member of an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America congregation where she was encouraged to pursue that call. In 1989, she entered seminary at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago to prepare to serve the church in ministry. She is glad to return to Silicon Valley in California to serve a congregation in ministry and remains interested in faith and science, which are so much a part of our everyday lives.

Anita's vocation involves a ministry of reconciliation, where individuals, reconciled to God in Christ, are "ambassadors for Christ" in the world. St. Paul testifies to this in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (NRSV): "So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Anita's mentors in faith include Martin Luther, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Luther King, Jr., Desmond Tutu, Henri Nouwen, C. S. Lewis, Douglas John Hall, Jurgen Moltmann, Marian Wright Edelman and those who work for nonviolent social change here and around the world.

Anita is married to Marc Northcott and they have two children. When she is not working, she enjoys hiking, family time, gardening, cooking, reading, playing piano and listening to music.

Casey Carlson, Youth Children and Family Minister

Casey Carlson has served at Advent Lutheran Church since 2006. Casey has lived her life discerning and recognizing God’s call through a variety of experiences, some of which include music leadership for seven years as a member of the Western States Servant Band, congregational leadership as a member of the youth executive board and worship team, as well as life-shaping mission trips that brought her to Arizona, Mexico and Ecuador. Casey earned an undergraduate degree from California Lutheran University in Liberal Studies for Elementary Education with a Minor in music, as well as three years of education from Wartburg Theological Seminary with a concentration in Youth and Family Ministry.

Casey’s gifts in teaching, preaching, leadership, and all-around fun encourage meaningful relationships and rich faith development. Casey strives to cultivate a youth, children, and family ministry with a focus on discipleship and vocation. The particular pairing of discipleship and vocation is intended to create a faith culture of deep religious education, a personal claiming of identity in God’s story, an active faith, and recognition of God’s call of vocational living for all people, no matter their age or title. The continued conversation between pop culture, media, technology, and Lutheran theology make up Casey’s never-ending education and desire to remain current and relevant to the needs of today’s youth and church. Her current passions include Godly Play, serving as an Adult Representative on the Sierra Pacific Synod Youth Committee, teaching Confirmation, and growing with the youth of Advent Lutheran Church. You can usually find Casey spending her free time hanging out with her dog, working out at the local 24 Hour Fitness, cooking with her boyfriend, or reading a book.

Rev. Lee Tyler, Parish Associate, Volunteer

Rev. Lee Tyler is a second career pastor, ordained at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto in 2002. She served as pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Du Quoin, Illinois until her return to California where she retired from PC(USA). She is now serving as Parish Associate at Advent Lutheran Church in Morgan Hill where she is also a member of the prayer ministry. Rev. Tyler has a undergraduate degree in Psychology; a Master’s degree in Pastoral Ministries, from Santa Clara University, with an emphasis in Spirituality; a Master of Divinity from Pacific School of Religion; and a Certificate in the Art of Spiritual Direction from San Francisco Theological Seminary. She considers it a profound gift to be invited to companion another on their spiritual journey to discern God’s will in their life.

Marc Northcott, Director Of Drama Ministries

Marc Northcott, a teacher, director and actor, has been teaching drama for more than 25 years. He is the Director of Drama Ministries at Advent Lutheran Church, Program and Artistic Director for Christian Music Theatre in Morgan Hill and the Artistic Director for Christian Music Theatre in Palo Alto. He also teaches K- 4th grade Music and Middle School Theatre Arts at the Charter School in Morgan Hill.

He has been a full-time drama teacher in the Chicago Public Schools and the Harker Academy in San Jose. He has directed for Palo Alto Children's Theatre, San Diego Reader's Theatre Institute and San Diego State University. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from San Diego State University. He, also, studied acting for three years under the direction of Paul Gregory of the Royal Academy of London and acted in film, TV and on stage while living in Los Angeles.

Marc brings a high level of excellence and a strong professional enthusiasm to all his drama teaching. His Puppet Ministry at Advent Lutheran is a highlight for children and adults during Sunday morning worship on the first Sunday of every month. Marc is married to Reverend Anita R. Warner, Pastor at Advent Lutheran. They have lived in Morgan Hill since 1994 and have a daughter and a son.

Phillip Robb, Director Of Music Ministries

Phil Robb is the part-time Director of Music Ministries at Advent Lutheran Church. He directs the Adult Chancel Choir and the Youth Choir. The relevance of historical and traditional church music in worship is a very important part of his focus and commitment as the Director of Music Ministries at Advent Lutheran. He values the opportunity to join forces with other staff members that find the arts important and necessary in meaningful Christian worship. Phil is also the Music Director of the Christian Music Theatre (CMT) Summer Program for children. He has directed the music for CMT productions since 2001.

In addition to his part-time music position at Advent Lutheran church, Phil has been the Choral Director at Gilroy High School since 1984. The Choral Program at Gilroy High School has become one of the finest in the state, annually receiving high commendations across the western states. The Gilroy High School Chamber Singers have traveled abroad many times to Japan and Korea, and most recently to Germany and the Czech Republic. He, also, directs the Gavilan College Concert Choir, a college and community choir of sixty singers.

Phil has been directing children and adult choirs in the Gilroy and Morgan Hill area for the past 29 years. His love for teaching music and for singing is evident in his fun loving style, enthusiasm, focus and constant drive for excellence. In 1997, the California Alliance for Arts Education recognized Phil Robb for his outstanding contributions to arts education and in 1999, the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce named him 'Educator of the Year'.

Before coming to Advent Lutheran Church, he was the part-time Choir Director at Gilroy Presbyterian Church from 1980 to 1999. He graduated from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California and received his teaching credential from San Jose State University. He and his wife, Pam, live in Gilroy and have two grown children.

Ruth Butterfield-Winter, Accompanist

Ruth Butterfield-Winter, pianist, is a native of California. She studied with Adolf Baller and John Delevoryas in the San Francisco Bay Area before attending the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she studied with Dr. Vladimir Sokoloff. Ruth is known throughout the Bay Area as a sought after chamber musician, accompanist and teacher. She has collaborated with many musical performance groups.

She is a founding member of the Clavion Piano Quartet of San Francisco, has played with members of the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall and was recently the guest artist with the San Francisco Bay Area Winds. Ruth plays in musical productions for TheatreWorks and American Musical Theater. She has served as orchestral pianist in the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra and the Santa Cruz Symphony. Before returning to California in 1994, Ms. Winter lived in New York City, where she was on the accompanying staff at Juilliard School of Music and played with the New York Chamber Ensemble. She was also invited to accompany students for Master Classes of Yo Yo Ma, Isaac Stern, Jean-Pierre Rampal, and Luciano Pavarotti.

Ms. Winter enjoys encouraging others to succeed in music. She is collaborating with several local, national and international artists to invite, introduce and promote a diverse group of professional musicians to the South Valley Area. She continues to produce several annual concerts and variety shows since she joined the staff at Advent Lutheran Church in 1999.