Our Staff

The Rev. Nolan Astley, Senior Pastor

email:  astley@holycrosskitchener.org

Phone: 519 742-5812    Ext: 223

On Sunday, September 6th, 2009, Reverend Nolan Astley was installed as Senior Pastor of Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church. Pastor Nolan Astley was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta the oldest of the three children of Douglas and Marlene Astley. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Alberta, majoring in Western Canadian history. During his time at university he worked part-time as a news reporter for the university radio station and in his final year was president of the Student Union. During this time God was also leading him to consider the Holy Ministry as his vocation. Following graduation he enrolled at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. Upon completing seminary in 1985, he was placed at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Kamloops, BC. In the fall of 1990 he accepted the call to serve First Lutheran Church in Lloydminster, Alberta and also served Zion Lutheran Church in McLaughlin, Alberta. In March 2009, Pastor Astley accepted the call to serve as Senior Pastor at Holy Cross.  

Service to the church-at-large has played a large role in Pastor Astley’s work for many years serving as a Circuit Counsellor, Chair of the LCC Commission on Constitutional Matters and Structure, Secretary of the Synod, Chair of the Board of Regents of Concordia Lutheran Seminary and Vice-President of the Synod. Presently he serves as Chair of the Synod’s Task Force on Seminary Education and was recently appointed to the editorial board of the Concordia Pulpit Resource. In 2006 he served as an instructor at the Lutheran School of Evangelism in Tanzania, Africa and in the fall of 2009 he will be a guest instructor at the Lutheran Institute of South Asia seminary programs in Thailand and Cambodia. 

In April 1987 Pastor Astley married Susan (Kromm) at Connaught Hill Lutheran Church in Prince George, BC and they have been blessed by four children and a number of grandchildren.

The Rev. Paul Roggow, Associate Pastor

email:  roggow@holycrosskitchener.org

Phone: 519 742-5812    Ext: 224

On Sunday, March 19th, 2023, Reverend Paul Roggow was installed as Associate Pastor of Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church.  Pastor Paul Roggow was born in Norfolk, Nebraska to Rev. Gerald and Judy Roggow, the fourth of five children. He graduated from West Point High School in West Point, Nebraska and later studied at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska earning Bachelors Degrees in Vocal Music and Human Psychology.   After traveling for a year with Lutheran Youth Encounter sharing music and God’s Word throughout the USA and Europe, he worked for two years at the Evangelische Kirchengemeinde Nierenhof in Germany serving the youth, teaching confirmation, and supporting the music life of the congregation. 

In 2006 Pastor Roggow graduated from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri serving Our Savior Lutheran Church in Cabot, Arkansas and Christ the Rock Lutheran Mission in Beebe, Arkansas, Missionary-at-Large in Denver, Colorado, Missionary-at-Large in Vancouver, B.C., and most recently Trinity Lutheran Church in Duncan, B.C.

Pastor Roggow and his wife, Jackie, were married in 2003 and have been blessed with five children.  When not at church, you may find Pastor Roggow outside walking, running, skiing with family, playing sports with their children, or gardening after embracing the pain of watching his favourite sports teams (Tottenham, Cubs, and Cornhuskers). Since he’s such a glutton for punishment, he has also jumped on the Leafs’ bandwagon. As with all things in life, the best is yet to come!

The Rev. Paul Zabel, Visitation Pastor

email:  zabel@holycrosskitchener.org

Phone: 519 742-5812    Ext: 226

Reverend Paul Zabel was born on June 26, 1953 in Detroit Michigan. He attended Concordia Lutheran Jr. College, Ann Arbor, Michigan; received his B.A. degree from Concordia Senior College in Ft. Wayne, Indiana in 1975. He entered Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, and graduated May 10, 1979 with a Master of Divinity Degree. He served his year of vicarage at Ascension Lutheran Church in Wichita, Kansas in 1977-1978.

On May 20, 1979, he was united in marriage with Judy Richey of Midway, Illinois. The Zabels have four children, two girls and two boys, and ten grandchildren.

He was ordained into the ministry on June 10, 1979 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church of Detroit, Michigan, and subsequently installed as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Knierim, Iowa on July 1, 1979. While in Iowa he also served as Chaplain at Lutheran Family Services located in Ft. Dodge. In early January of 1983, Pastor Zabel received and accepted the divine call to be pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church - Clifford, Ontario. He was installed at St. John’s on June 12, 1983 and served as pastor of this congregation for twenty-six years. On May 11, 2009 Rev. Zabel was elected President of the East District of Lutheran Church-Canada and served in this position as District President until his retirement in May of 2019. Following his retirement Rev. Zabel served as Pastor of Clarington Lutheran Church in Bowmanville, Ontario and in August of 2020 began serving as a pastor in a team ministry at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Kitchener, Ontario.

While in Clifford, Pastor Zabel served on the Department of Evangelism of the Ontario District, Circuit Counselor for the Hanover Circuit, LWML Circuit Counselor, Chairman of the Ontario District Youth Department, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Cedar Rail Lutheran Camp, and as First Vice-President of the East District.

The Rev. William Chuol, Nuer Pastor 

email:  chuol@holycrosskitchener.org

Phone: 519 742-5812    Ext: 230

Pastor Chuol joined our ministry team on Sunday, November 18, 2018 as Pastor to the Nuer speaking members.  God chose Pastor William at an early age to do His work, sharing God's Word in services to his fellow South Sudanese Christians for many years while he lived in Sudan and continued doing so while in the refugee camps where life was tedious and challenging.  Pasto Chuol continues this good work here now in Canada at Holy Cross as he serves the Nuer people in our congregation and Ontario.

The Rev. Lloyd E. Wentzlaff, Pastor Emeritus

Pastor Wentzlaff, a native of Normanby Township, Ontario, came to Holy Cross in 1954 after his graduation from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. He devoted his entire working career of 40 years to our church, retiring at the end of 1993. The next year he was declared "Pastor Emeritus" by our congregation and has served as communion assistant, preacher, resource person, wise spiritual counselor and friend to many.

Lenora Simpson, Director of Parish Services 

email:  lenora@holycrosskitchener.org

Phone: 519 742-5812    Ext: 231

On Sunday, September 11th, 2018, Lenora Simpson was installed as the Director of Parish Services of Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church. Lenora was born and raised in Chilliwack, British Columbia the youngest of the three children of Lynn and Kerry Wallden. After high school she worked as an office assistant and parish life coordinator at her home congregation of St. Paul’s, Chilliwack. While working and traveling God urged her to pursue a career in church work. She completed her undergrad degree in church work at Concordia University Edmonton. Upon the completion of her undergraduate degree Lenora continued to expand her academics through Master’s level coursework. In August of 2017 Lenora began her internship at Holy Cross. After serving her year as an intern and emerging a fully qualified Director of Parish Services Lenora took the call to serve Holy Cross in a full time capacity.

Lenora is serving the church at large through her work as a board member of the BC Mission Boat Society. 

In January 2020 Lenora married her husband Cameron Simpson. The two occasionally talk about getting a dog.

Debbie Pritchard, Ministry Administrator 

email:  debbie@holycrosskitchener.org

Phone: 519 742-5812    Ext: 221

Raised just two blocks from Holy Cross, Debbie attended our Vacation Bible School as a child and returned as a full adult member in 1983. After her high school graduation, she worked in the information systems department of Electrohome in Kitchener for 10 years before joining our church staff in 1989. She felt then that the Lord was moving her to put her gifts and talents to work to assist more directly with the ministry of the Gospel. She and her husband, Bill, are the parents of two daughters, Caitlin (Jonathan) and Emily (Nathanael), and 3 grandchildren. Debbie oversees the day-to-day operations in our church office, provides support to our financial officers, manages our computer system, and is also the staff person responsible for privacy and copyright issues. In her own words, she sums up her work like this, "This is an exciting time to be a part of the team here at Holy Cross and I thank God for the opportunity to serve in this capacity."

Stephanie Ziegler, Business Administrator 

email:  stephanie@holycrosskitchener.org

Phone: 519 742-5812    Ext: 222

Jennifer Massicotte, Director of Music

Phone: 519 742-5812 

Jennifer has assisted with choir and organ since the early 1980's. She officially became the organist in 1989, and was given the title Director of Music in 1993. She is the primary organist, director of the senior and youth choir, and coordinates all music for our Divine Services. Jennifer has an A.Mus. designation from the Western Ontario Conservatory of Music, and a B.Mus. (honours) from Wilfrid Laurier University. She is a Registered music teacher (piano) with the Ontario Registered Music Teachers' Association.

Kyle Shaffer, Sexton 

email:  kyle@holycrosskitchener.org

Phone: 519 742-5812    Ext: 229

Kyle joined our staff in February of 2018.  Kyle has lived in Kitchener most of his life and enjoyed playing quite a bit of competitive hockey growing up.  He likes to golf and boating and being at the lake is his passion.