About Our Church

Our Staff

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St. Martin’s Church Staff

St. Martin’s Ev Lutheran Church staff is here to help guide you along your journey. We have been blessed by a team of pastoral and ministry staff that reflect a heart for Christ and others. Our team shows excellence in ministry and collectively seeks to live out and implement St. Martin’s Church vision and mission of grace alone.

Austin Haller

Principal Organist

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Hailed as “always remarkable” (Austin Chronicle), Austin Haller serves as organist for the Austin Symphony, and he performs regularly with the Grammy®-winning choir Conspirare and with many choral...Read More ensembles in Central Texas. He has led hymn festivals and presented solo organ concerts throughout the southern United States, and has previously served as organist at St. David’s Episcopal Church and Northwest Hills United Methodist Church in Austin. His musical theatre music direction “produces a gloriously rich choral sound full of exquisite harmonies” (Broadway World), and he is the grateful recipient of Austin Critics’ Table and B. Iden Payne Awards for Music Direction. He is frequently heard performing with Broadway performers at Austin Cabaret Theatre and at Austin Shakespeare’s cabaret series at Parker Jazz Club. He is an avid runner and a passionate advocate for refugees.

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John H. Van Haneghan

Transitional Pastor

512-476-6757 Ext. 1029

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Welcome our new Transitional Pastor Pastor John H. Van Haneghan (pronounced “Van Hanagan”) Pastor John (as he likes to be called) is a native of Rochester, New York. He attended the State...Read More University Colleges of Oswego and Brockport, graduating from Brockport in 1977. He attended Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (South Hamilton, Mass.) Graduating in 1984. He was ordained in 1984 by the Presbytery of Genesee Valley (PCUSA). In 1996 he began to serve in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He has served churches in Ogdensburg, NY (Presbyterian Stone Church 1984-87), Welland, Ontario Canada (Knox Presbyterian 1987-91), and in the Buffalo, New York area (First Church of Evans (Community church) 1991-96, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, North Boston, Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Farnham), 1996-2001, St Stephen Lutheran Church, Syracuse, NY, 2001-2010, St James Lutheran Church, Phillipsburg, NJ from 2010-2015,and Fairbanks Lutheran Church from 2015-2019. He has served the wider church and the communities he served in in a variety of ways. Most notably he has served as Dean in three different ELCA Synods (Upstate New York, New Jersey, and Alaska). He also served as an ELCA trained coach for the Alaska Synod. He received his training for Transitional Ministry from the national Interim Ministry Network in 2018-19. He has been married to the former Pamela Hirschy for 43 years. He and his wife reside in Pflugerville, TX with their daughter Mary, husband Jeff and new grandson Henry. Besides their daughter Mary they also have a son, John James, who resides outside of Buffalo, NY. Pastor John’s other activities include daily workout at a local Gym, playing his keyboard by ear, singing and enjoying his new grandson Henry. Over the last nine years he has sung with the Warren County Singers (New Jersey), and with the Fairbanks Symphony Choir and Orchestra. Show Less

Calla Woodall

Preschool Director

(512) 476-6757 Ext. 1000

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Calla Woodall, began working at St. Martin’s Lutheran Preschool in the spring of 2012. She has taken on many of the roles with in the school, and is very proud...Read More to take the reigns as the Director. Calla has lived in Austin since 2005, where she enjoys live music and spending time with her family. She has a seven year old Shih Tzu named Benny which keeps her pretty busy. Calla is looking forward to many more years at St. Martin’s, helping shape young minds and encouraging teachers from all walks of life.Show Less

Alexis Rau

Assistant Preschool Director

(512) 476-6757 Ext. 1001

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Alexis has worked in our preschool for over 5 years collectively. In her time at St. Martin's, she has has worked in the classroom, as support staff and now in...Read More an Administration role alongside Calla for their third school year. With 9 years in the education profession, she offers support to teachers, students and parents alike. She is a native Texan and has lived in Austin since 2003.Show Less

Mike Kaase

Business Manager

(512) 476-6757 Ext. 1026

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Mike is a lifelong member of St. Martin’s Lutheran Church who recently joined St. Martin’s staff in August 2016. He previously worked as an Investigator at the Texas Department of...Read More Licensing & Regulation for 22 years before taking an early retirement in July 2016. Mike previously served St. Martin’s several times as Treasurer and was educated at Southwest Texas State University earning an Accounting Degree and MBA. Mike enjoys playing hand bells with the St. Martin’s Ringers and is a lifelong fan of the Cowboys, Astros and Spurs.Show Less

Emily McCollum

Membership Secretary

(512) 476-6757 Ext. 1022

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Emily McCollum grew up in San Angelo, Texas and moved to Austin in 2001. She is a graduate of Baylor University and occasionally will cheer for the Texas Longhorns. She...Read More began working at St. Martin’s in October, 2012. Emily enjoys working in a church environment and getting to know the members of St. Martin’s. She is the proud mother of two teenagers, Jackson and Allison. In her spare time she enjoys walking, reading, and making pies.Show Less

Tim O'Brien

Director of Music

(512) 476-6757 Ext. 1035

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Tim O'Brien has sung with Austin Opera, the Minnesota Opera, the Dale Warland Singers, the National Lutheran Choir, and the Rose Ensemble. Recently he performed Bach's B Minor Mass with Portland...Read More Oregon's The Ensemble, where his "vibrant and subtle" singing was praised by Oregon Artswatch. Dr. O'Brien's performances can be heard on eleven commercial recordings, including the Grammy-nominated Walden Pond. Tim is an alumnus of Gustavus Adolphus College, where he taught and conducted before relocating to Austin. He currently on the faculty at St. Edward's University and is artistic director of Living Paper Song Project.Show Less

Cason Miller

Director of Youth Ministry

512-476-6757 Ext. 1024

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Cason brings to St. Martin’s extensive experience working with Lutheran youth programming. Cason worked six years as a high school program coordinator and assistant director for Cross Trails ministries at...Read More Camp Chrysalis in Kerrville Texas. He was also the program director for Lutherhill ministries in La Grange Texas. Cason grew up in New Braunfels ,Texas and graduated from Texas Lutheran University in Seguin Texas. He enjoys hiking, Gardening, drinking coffee and reading books. Cason also has a movie collection of over three thousand DVDs that he enjoys with his Dog Rigby!Show Less

Kathy Edgar

Christian Education Coordinator

(512) 476-6757 Ext. 1032

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Kathy is a retired educator with 27 years in Del Valle ISD. Her experience includes classroom teacher, librarian, and Instructional Technology Director. Kathy, husband Doug, and family moved to Austin...Read More when Doug retired from the Air Force in 1984. Kathy was active as a Sunday School teacher at the Bergstrom AFB chapel until the base closure. Kathy has three grown children and three grandchildren.Show Less

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