About Us

Our Mission...

We are an exciting, welcoming, and growing community of Christians sharing in God’s love with one another, the Chattanooga area, & the world.

Our Vision...

is to be a thriving and continually growing community of believers, serving God with passion, love and understanding.

MEET OUR TEAM

Pastor Stan Combs

The Reverend Stanley W. Combs, has been pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in the Hixson area of Chattanooga, Tennessee since May of 2014. Born in Daytona Beach, Florida, he was raised in the mountains of Western North Carolina. He graduated from Swain County High School in Bryson City, N.C. in 1980. He was selected to Who’s Who Among American High School Students. He graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C. in 1984 with a BA in religious studies and a minor in psychology. He served as Chief Justice of the student body, Inter-fraternity Council President and Vice-President of Theta Xi Fraternity. He was selected to Who’s Who Among American University and College Students. During his summers in college Stan worked at Lutheridge as a camp counselor and area director. In 1989 Stan received his Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, PA. He was ordained the same year and served as pastor of St. James Lutheran Church in Hallam, PA for 4½ years. Prior to coming to Trinity, Stan served 20 years as the Lead Pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in York, PA. During that time the congregation grew from 90 to over 1300 members.

Over the course of his years in ministry, Stan has served as a volunteer hospice chaplain and a police chaplain. He has also served as the Vice-chair of the Board of Directors of Lutheran Social Services of South Central Pennsylvania. In 2000 Stan received The Servant of Youth Award from the Lutheran Committee on Civic Affairs.

His wife, Susan, is in the nursing field having both her nurse practitioner degree and certified school nursing certification. They have two young adult children, David and Rachel. While in Pennsylvania Stan and Sue were therapeutic foster care parents and over the years fostered a number of children in their home. They have two cats – Sweet Potatoes and Grace. Stan enjoys running, traveling, cooking and cheering on the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Orioles and the Chattanooga Lookouts.

Pastor Elise Anderson

Elise is a graduate of the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. She received her Bachelor of Science at Florida State University. In addition to her Master of Divinity degree, Elise also has a Master of Science degree in medical science from Georgia State University. She did her internship at Nativity Lutheran Church in Bend, Oregon. She has served as chaplain at Camp Lutherock in North Carolina. She also spent a year in South Africa with the ELCA’s Young Adult in Global Missions program. Prior to her pursuit of ordination, Elise was a teacher and athletic trainer. Both her parents are ELCA pastors serving in South Carolina.