Board Bios 2010

Angela Ying

Angela Ying is Senior and Founding Pastor at Bethany United Church of Christ. She is the first Taiwanese American to ever be ordained as a minister in the United States. Before serving at Bethany, she served as the Associate Executive Presbyter in Seattle.

A graduate of Princeton, where she received the Preaching Award, Reverend Ying has been a national keynote speaker and preacher. Reverend Ying has served on the Board of Directors of the Congregational Leadership Northwest, the Church Council of Greater Seattle, the Washington Association of Churches, and as a delegate to the World Council of Churches.

She works locally, nationally and internationally for peace and justice with organizations of men, women and children of numerous cultures and backgrounds from around the world, seeking in all things to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God.

Laureen France

Laureen France grew up in Missoula, Montana, raised in the Catholic tradition. She spent a decade in Washington, DC before she and her longtime partner decided to make the Emerald City their home.

This is Laureen’s second year on the Bethany Board. She has also worked with the Children’s Faith Formation Ministry and has volunteered as a teacher in the Bethany Sunday school classroom.

Laureen continues to find much to celebrate, struggle with, and critique in the Christian tradition. She has been drawn to the authenticity of Bethany, a congregation of oddly wonderful individuals and families that make community a reality most of the time.

Bruce Jackson

Bruce Jackson is a father, educator and author. He has been a Bethany Board member since 2003. Born in Minneapolis MN raised in Danbury, WI, Chicago, IL, and North Chicago, IL., Bruce attended Northern Illinois University.

Bruce decided to move west to Los Angeles, CA, where he became an advocate for the rights of the disabled and created four small businesses for several Developmentally Disabled adults.

Bruce eventually moved to San Fransisco, CA and organized an annual March of the Disabled.  He participated in anti-death penalty rallies, anti-war demonstrations, and anti anything rallies all over America.

He moved to Seattle in 2001 and has been a member of Bethany UCC since 2002.  He is a strong advocate for Health-care, Political Reform and Immigrant Rights.

Paul Binneboese

Paul Binneboese grew up as an Iowa farm boy, in a staunch Lutheran family of seven. He has always been a church member (Lutheran, Methodist, and now UCC), and very active in church affairs at each one.

This is Paul’s first year on both the Bethany Board and the Buildings & Grounds Ministry Team. He serves on the Bethany House Task Force as work-party organizer and general go-to guy.

By trade, Paul is a software engineer/manager currently between jobs. He has spent the last 25 years building software for products in the telecom, broadband, and computer-peripherals industries.

His real passion is to help our nation reduce global warming by cutting back on its energy usage and waste. He hopes to land his next job doing just that, using the tech experience and people skills that God has given him.

Jack Cornwall

Jack was born and raised in the north end of Seattle.  He graduated from Bothell High in 1952, and from Stanford in 1957 with a degree in Architecture. He spent the next five years in Germany; first as a student at the Technical University of Berlin, then as an industrial architect.

Jack  is a husband and father.  He and his wife Judy enjoy friends from all over the world.

Jack retired at age 75 last September. Instead of finally getting to spend time in his garden, he jumped immediately into the role of President of the Northshore Perfroming Arts Center Foundation, working to bring community, education and performing arts together.

Rebecca Cate

Rebecca Cate is a mother, wife, homemaker and sometimes attorney. She has been an active member of Bethany since 2001.

Rebecca was raised in the Methodist Church and an activist family.  Her entire family was exposed to a variety of faith traditions and was surrounded by a community of culturally diverse and progressive friends.

After graduating from Willamette University, Rebecca spent a year living and travelling throughout India and Sri Lanka. She also graduated from the Willamette University Law School and then spent 8 years as a criminal defense attorney with the Seattle-King County Public Defenders Office.

Currently, she is serving her second year on the Bethany Board.  She also loves to garden, sew, bake, hike/backpack, cross-country ski, listen to classical music and make annual family pilgrimages to Holden Village.

Bob Embrey

Bob Embrey has attended Bethany since 2008 and is married to Jane McBride.

He races sailboats, enjoys tinkering, hiking, camping, working with others, and spending time as a college director creating and managing training programs.

He grew up Presbyterian and became a card carrying Lutheran.  One morning inside Bethany was all it took for them to get hooked on Bethany’s thriving and diverse congregation, its music, community, genuine message of seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God.

Eric Artzt

Eric Artzt has attended Bethany since 2007. He’s married to Michelle McKelvey and has four children.

Eric grew up in the Episcopal tradition and so is well versed in an intellectually founded and questioning faith. Eric tries to live according to the example of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and occasionally feels like he’s succeeding in that.

Eric enjoys Bethany’s unique combination of Christian fundamentals (not fundamentalism!) and Northwest progressivism. Eric is a software developer and would love to talk to you about the joys of Ruby and JavaScript. He is an instructor with Seattle Escrima Club, and is an avid cyclist.