Our Pastor
Hi! My name is Jerry O’Neal, and I am privileged to serve as the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Muncie. It is a joy to partner with all of you as we seek to follow God’s mission here: to gather in worship, grow in faith and go in service to our Risen Lord!
I come to ordained ministry from a varied and eclectic background. After growing up in Asheville, NC, I attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1993. I served as an officer in the U.S. Army from 1993-2001, stationed at Fort Bragg, NC and Fort Hood, TX. While at Fort Bragg, I met my wife Amy at a church retreat, and we have two children: our daughter Gracen is in college at IUPUI, and our son Drew is at Ball State.
After leaving the Army in 2001, I attended graduate school at Georgia Tech in Operations Research, completing an M.S. in 2004 and Ph.D. in 2005. While there, I discerned that God was calling me to ordained ministry. With my congregation’s blessing and support, I went to seminary in 2006 at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, OH. I graduated and was ordained in 2010. I then served for six years as the pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in Bluffton, IN before coming to Muncie in August 2016.
In addition to my work at Holy Trinity, I serve part-time as the Director for Stewardship for the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA. In this role, I provide workshops and retreats on stewardship to congregations and leaders throughout Indiana and Kentucky. In my spare time, I enjoy being with my family, reading, playing music (piano and guitar), playing Sudoku, and watching sports.
My personal mission statement is this:
Drawn by the love of the crucified and risen Christ, I am called to lead others in passionate and holistic discipleship which places Jesus at the very center of our lives. This discipleship includes faithful stewardship of all that God has entrusted to us - our time, talents, and material possessions.
May God bless our ministry together at Holy Trinity!
I come to ordained ministry from a varied and eclectic background. After growing up in Asheville, NC, I attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, graduating in 1993. I served as an officer in the U.S. Army from 1993-2001, stationed at Fort Bragg, NC and Fort Hood, TX. While at Fort Bragg, I met my wife Amy at a church retreat, and we have two children: our daughter Gracen is in college at IUPUI, and our son Drew is at Ball State.
After leaving the Army in 2001, I attended graduate school at Georgia Tech in Operations Research, completing an M.S. in 2004 and Ph.D. in 2005. While there, I discerned that God was calling me to ordained ministry. With my congregation’s blessing and support, I went to seminary in 2006 at Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, OH. I graduated and was ordained in 2010. I then served for six years as the pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in Bluffton, IN before coming to Muncie in August 2016.
In addition to my work at Holy Trinity, I serve part-time as the Director for Stewardship for the Indiana-Kentucky Synod, ELCA. In this role, I provide workshops and retreats on stewardship to congregations and leaders throughout Indiana and Kentucky. In my spare time, I enjoy being with my family, reading, playing music (piano and guitar), playing Sudoku, and watching sports.
My personal mission statement is this:
Drawn by the love of the crucified and risen Christ, I am called to lead others in passionate and holistic discipleship which places Jesus at the very center of our lives. This discipleship includes faithful stewardship of all that God has entrusted to us - our time, talents, and material possessions.
May God bless our ministry together at Holy Trinity!
