Pastor Dave Asendorf is a 2007 graduate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. After serving his internship at Salem in 2005-2006, he began his ministry here on January 1, 2007. Prior to entering seminary, Pastor Dave worked 25 years for the Federal government. He and his wife Nancy have two married children, Nicholas and Amy.
Pastor Dave was raised in Ellicott City, Maryland, was a member of the first graduating class of Mount Hebron High School in 1971 and a 1975 graduate of Valparaiso University. As part of his discernment process before attending seminary, he did graduate work at the Ecumenical Institute of Theology in Baltimore.
Pastor Dave serves on the Board of Catonsville Emergency Assistance, is Chairman of the Delaware-Maryland Synod’s Candidacy, Committee and has helped lead the Catonsville Ministerium, a fellowship of Catonsville clergy. From 2013-2015 he co-chaired the Synod’s Malaria Campaign which helped raise over $330,000 to eradicate malaria. He served on the Board of the Lutheran Campus Ministry in College Park from 2007 to 2015 and on the Synod’s Forward in Faith campaign team.
As a result of Pastor Dave’s stewardship in both the church and local community, he was presented with the prestigious ELCA Peterman Award in 2019.
Pastor Asendorf has experienced the Salem congregation as a welcoming community grounded in the gospel of Jesus Christ. The people of Salem are generous and seek to share their abundant gifts with those in need. The Salem congregation is healthy and growing and open to newcomers. He says, “I am very privileged to lead such a wonderful group of God’s people in mission.”
Carolyn Lawrence is Salem’s Associate Pastor. Previously, she served as our interim Assistant Pastor. She grew up in the ELCA in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She is a recent graduate of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and also graduated from the University of Michigan. Carolyn was ordained by the Delaware-Maryland Synod at Salem in September 2022. Pastor Carolyn focuses especially on Salem’s confirmation and youth group program. Pastor Carolyn lives in Catonsville with her spouse Hyunmin and their three cats.
Pastor Emeritus Ed Whetstone served as Salem’s pastor from 1977 to 2010. In recognition of his service to Salem, the Church Council voted to name him Pastor Emeritus upon his retirement in June 2010. After early years in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Hagerstown, Maryland, he attended Gettysburg College and the Lutheran seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was ordained in 1971. He and his wife Vicky are parents of two grown children and proud grandparents of two grandsons in St. Paul. Since youth his most cherished bible passage is Micah 6:8, “What does the Lord require of you, but to do justice, and love kindness and walk humbly with your God?”
Mary Miller has been Salem’s Director of Music and Organist since 2001. Previously, she held the same positions at Mt. Hebron Presbyterian Church in Ellicott City. She comes from a musical family where the piano and organ were played constantly. Following in her mother’s and brother’s footsteps, she started piano lessons as a child. In 1989 she began studying piano at the Peabody Preparatory under the direction of Miss Beth Jovich and then at the Conservatory under the direction of Mr. James Warthen. Her organ studies have been under the direction of Michael Britt. She has earned a Certification in Church Music from Colby College in Maine. Mary plays for all Salem’s worship services, as well as directing our music program and three of our five choirs at Salem.
Jeff Tsai became Salem’s Office Manager in January 2024. Jeff is pursuing a Doctorate of Ministry from St. Mary’s Ecumenical institute in Baltimore with a thesis emphasis on Child Protection Policies. He has a masters from Towson University in Experimental Psychology and another from United Lutheran Seminary with a focus on Biblical Studies. His Lutheran faith solidified while an undergraduate at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he became active in Campus Ministry and was baptized. Being a man of many interests, he majored in Psychology, Anthropology, and Economics. Jeff has been a Maryland resident for most of his life and is an active disciple of the Church of the Holy Apostles and Saint Stephen in Arbutus. You probably won’t see Jeff much on Sundays, but welcome him in the office during office hours.
Sid Meier is Salem’s Director of Saturday Music. He has served as the Director of Contemporary Music at Faith Lutheran Church in Cockeysville for over ten years. Sid enjoys singing with the worship team and leading on keyboard or guitar. During the COVID pandemic, Sid has worked with the Salem-Faith Virtual Choir to record, mix, and create music virtual choir videos for our joint online worship services. He also enjoys reading, technology, golf, and designing computer strategy games.
Joey Morgan is Salem’s Worship Technology Manager. He is responsible for live streaming the Saturday evening and Sunday 11:00 a.m. worship services and selected other services, weddings, and funerals. He also video-records the Fourth Monday Bible Study and other events for uploading to YouTube.