Our Staff
Pastor Monica M. Villarreal
Pastor Monica has been with King of Glory Lutheran Church in Flushing since September of 2020, as well as many roles in the community.
Raised in Genesee County, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the ministry. She was baptized at King of Glory Lutheran and was a member of Our Risen Lord Lutheran for many years.
She is also serving God at Salem Lutheran in Flint, where she has been ministering for nine years.
She attended Michigan State University where she majored in Cultural Anthropology and specialized in Peace and Justice Studies. She attended the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago and received her Master of Divinity in 2011 with a concentration in Urban Ministry.
Pastor Monica oversaw the ELCA's relief efforts during the Flint water crisis while serving at Salem Lutheran. She was named Student of the Year with the Michigan chapter of the National Association of Social Workers for MSU and is now part of the MSU faculty in the School of Social Work.
Locally, she is the co-chair of the Faith Subcommittee of the Genesee County Coronavirus Taskforce. She also served as the ELCA's representative to the Lutheran World Federation Global Young Reformers and as a voting delegate at the 2017 LWF Assembly in Namibia.
Pastor Monica recently married her husband Andy and loves bowling, both recreationally and competitively.
Ben Cunningham - Music Director
Benjamin Cunningham is the Music Teacher and Director of Choirs at Powers Catholic High School in Flint, MI. His groups have performed at Central Michigan University, the University of Michigan-Flint, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, and in Mackinaw City, as well as hosted the annual Mid-Michigan Festival of Choirs.
As a pianist, Mr. Cunningham has been playing for over twenty years. He has studied under a diverse number of teachers, including Dr. Victoria von Arx, Dr. Daniel Stevens, Dr. Ina Yoon, and Mrs. Ida Leschinskaya. He has participated in a multitude of masterclasses with nationally performing artists and has been a featured soloist with multiple performing ensembles.
As a teacher, Mr. Cunningham studied at the University of Michigan-Flint, where he studied with the likes of Dr. Gabriela Hristova, Professor Brian DiBlassio, and Dr. Karen Salvador. Prior to his appointment at Powers Catholic, Mr. Cunningham was the Music Teacher at Kensington Woods Schools, where he built the department of music up to have multiple choirs, bands, percussion ensemble, rock band and drumline.
Mr. Cunningham believes that all students are not only capable of a high level of performance, but deserve to feel that success. Through this and an environment that they feel valued and appreciated, Mr. Cunningham hopes to foster a lifelong love of music. When he is not teaching, Mr. Cunningham enjoys cooking and photography. He can often be found performing with The Kearsley Street Big Band, the Genesee Wind Symphony, with whom he has been a featured soloist, and the East Shore Wind Symphony.
Felicia Cook - Assisting Communion Minister
Church Council
President: Don Stone
Vice President: Gene Macey
Secretary: Felicia Cook
Treasurer: Mike Stanton
Bookkeeper: Mike Stanton
Financial Secretary: Sally Wenk
