Meet our Pastors
Sheri | Dale | Lindsay | Paul | Rita-Lou
Co-Senior Pastor Sheri Edwards Dalton
Sheri Edwards Dalton was born in Seattle and grew up at Bethel Presbyterian Church. After earning her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Washington School of Nursing, Sheri worked at Swedish Hospital for over three years as a Registered Nurse until a very serious back injury sidelined her nursing career. Sheri eventually decided to seek a Master of Arts degree at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. After two medical missions, first to Colombia, and then to Uganda, she changed to the Master of Divinity program with the aim of full-time ministry.
After graduation and ordination, she stayed on at Fuller as a Teaching Assistant in Preaching. Sheri’s first call was to the Scot’s Church of Melbourne, Australia as Assistant Pastor. After several years, Sheri came back to the Pacific Northwest, becoming Pastor of Redmond Presbyterian Church, and leading it through a ten-year period of growth. While at Redmond, Sheri got to know some of MIPC’s staff on a missions trip to Vietnam. Sheri’s sense that it was time to let someone else carry on at Redmond intersected with the creation of the Co-Senior Pastor position at MIPC, which brought her to us. In her ministry, Sheri oversees our major program areas, including Adult Ministries, Children’s Ministries, the Preschool, Music Ministries, and Worship planning.
Sheri and her husband Steve (who she met on a blind date) have one son Jack, born in 2002.
Co-Senior Pastor Dale Sewall
Dale Sewall was born in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. Dale’s family lived on his Grandfather’s farm until he was twelve at which time they moved closer to Westminster College where both his parents worked. Following High School he attended Westminster, earning a BA in English. Dale then entered the English Literature Masters Program at Purdue University. Dale’s emerging call to the ministry, guided him to enter Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He graduated in 1970 Magna Cum Laude with a Masters of Divinity.
Following graduation, Dale was recruited to become Director of North Hills Youth Ministry, a position he held until 1975 when he became Associate Pastor for Youth and Families at the downtown Presbyterian Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1981, Dale became the Senior Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Brainerd, Minnesota, where he pioneered a support program with the Battered Women’s Shelter and a Chaplaincy program in the County Jail. In the Fall of 1987, Dale was called to be Senior Pastor of our Mercer Island Presbyterian Church. In 2002, Dale initiated a reclassification of his position to Co-Senior to divide the many responsibilities of this congregation and to better model the complete image of God in Senior leadership of MIPC.
Dale and his wife Jinny have three daughters including Dana, a High School Choir Director, Sara, a real estate professional, and Katy, a producer of the popular local “Weekday” program on KUOW. Dana’s son Evan is the Sewall’s only grandchild.
Associate Pastor to Students & their Families
Lindsay Harris
Lindsay Harris was born and raised in North Seattle. As a true child of Seattle she learned how to recycle and play in the rain at a young age. She was involved in a wonderful youth program in Shoreline that put high value on discipleship and leadership.
Lindsay attended Westmont college in Santa Barbara where she discovered a love for theology and missions, along with a passion for surfing and warm weather. The hand of God led her back to the Northwest to become an intern at MIPC for two years before she headed off to pursue a call in full time ministry via Princeton Seminary.
Lindsay eagerly returned to Mercer Island July of 2007 and has enjoyed being a part of this community ever since. Lindsay is continually impressed by the youth of our community, the questions they ask, the gifts they posses and their passion to engage in peace and justice in the USA and the world. She is also grateful for the support and partnership of the parents and adults in the community that pour time, money and lots of love into the Student Ministries program.
Associate Pastor for Adult Discipleship & Outreach
Paul Barrett
Paul Barrett was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. Paul’s family were sporadic churchgoers until his parents sent him to a Christian summer camp when he was going into the 4th grade. Paul met many of his closest friends and his wife, Devon, at that same camp where he worked for many summers during his college years. Paul graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas with a Bachelor in Social Work and a minor in English. Later, Paul attended Princeton Seminary and graduated with a Master of Divinity and a MA in Christian Education in May 2000. Paul spent almost 20 years in professional youth & family ministry contexts — seven of those years as the Associate Pastor for Students & their Families at MIPC before transitioning to his current post, Associate Pastor for Adult Discipleship & Outreach.
Parish Associate Rita-Lou Clarke
Rita-Lou Clarke was born in California, but lived in Seattle as a young child, before settling in rural Missouri where she attended a three- room rural school until the beginning of 8th grade. After her parent’s divorce she returned to Seattle and attended Garfield High. Upon graduation Rita-Lou spent a year at Whitworth College in Spokane before graduating from the University of Washington with a BS in Home Economics Education. After raising four children, she went full time to Claremont School of Theology where she graduated with a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry. Rita-Lou’s doctoral project, Pastoral Care of Battered Women was published by Westminster Press in 1986. Rita-Lou served as the first woman pastor in four churches: Associate Pastor in Garden Grove, CA for 4 years; solo Pastor in Williamsburg (Cincinnati) Ohio for 5 years; Interim Pastor in Rutherford, NJ for 2 years; and Stated Supply for a redevelopment church in Brookline (Boston) MA for almost 2 years before she became Parish Associate at MIPC in 2002.
