The Rev. Sandra Carlson Alexis
Pastor Sandra Carlson Alexis began her ministry at First English on April 18, 2016 after serving a number of congregations in the Baltimore area as well as Hagerstown and southwest Pennsylvania. One of her favorite Scripture verses is from 2 Corinthians 4 which refers to the Good News of Jesus Christ being entrusted to mere humans: “We have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” Those clay jars come in all sizes and shapes so Pastor Sandy has a special concern for inclusion of the diversity of God’s people — especially for those with special needs. Pastor Sandy has served as a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for over 30 years and feels blessed by the commitment and faith of those she has served with throughout that time. She prays for the faithful to continue to reflect the light of God’s glory in their daily lives.
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Joann Moorer, CAGO
Joann Moorer has a rich professional background in sacred music, choral conducting, vocal performance, and music education. She comes to First English Lutheran Church from Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church in NW Washington, D.C. where she served as Assistant Director of Music since 2010. Previous appointments include Organist and Minister of Music at historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in Centreville, Virginia and St. George’s United Methodist Church in Fairfax, Virginia. Joann has earned music degrees from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, summa cum laude, and the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. She has taught piano and voice as a member of the Applied Music Faculty at Garrison Forest School, Owings Mills since 2012. She has served as the Minister of Music for First English since March 1, 2017.
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Amber Wilke
Amber Wilke began her first year as director at FELP in the fall of 2021. Prior to working as director, Amber taught for 10 years in the 3 year old and 2 year old classes. Before joining the FELP staff, Amber taught 1st grade in Baltimore City public schools, then stayed home with her 2 children, Ava and Russell, until they began elementary school. Amber has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and she did her graduate work at Johns Hopkins. Amber started as a parent at FELP, a volunteer and then a teacher. She is happy to be a part of the First English Lutheran Community, and looks forward to a year of growth and cooperative work.
River Cook Needham
River Cook Needham (she/her) moved to Baltimore in October 2024 and began at First English as the Parish Administrator on July 22, 2025 and added the Building Manager position in January 2026. She brings a wealth of experience to this role from her previous Office Administrator position at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Chicago, IL, as a Teaching Assistant for Public Church I and II, and as a research assistant to her academic advisor at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC). River also managed the Currents in Theology and Mission academic journal as well as the grant project Pathways to Lower Debt at LSTC. As a result of that program’s research, River began and managed Katie’s Closet, a food pantry for seminary students. She additionally worked for Student Services as the Life Together Coordinator, providing care and activities for other seminarians. River obtained a BA in Biology from Luther College (Decorah, IA) in 2010, an MA from LSTC (2019), and a ThM also from LSTC (2021). She is currently a PhD candidate and is collecting oral histories for her dissertation research, which combines queer theology, process theology, and liberation theology. She’s usually up for a theological dialogue and is grateful to be at First English.