Our Staff

hope Leadership

The staff and leadership here at HOPE is comprised of people who love, care, and pray for every single person in the church. If you have any questions for any of our staff, feel free to reach out and email them at the addresses below, or call our church office 630-922-0940 to speak with them. You can email the church office at hope@sharehope.org.

  • rev. Walter Carlson

    Settled pastor - pastor@sharehope.org

    HOPE called Rev. Walter Carlson to be our settled pastor in July of 2024. Pastor Wally graduated from Illinois Wesleyan with an emphasis on speech and theatre and received his Masters of Divinity from Vanderbilt University. He is married to Debby, who is a retired teacher, and is a proud father of five and proud grandfather of four. He previously worked within the United Methodist Church as an associate pastor, a pastor, and a campus minister, eventually becoming a deacon and an elder. He has worked within large churches and small churches, churches in their nascent stages and churches with long histories. He has been known to sing a few bars of a Tom Waits song during service, and enjoys baseball, boating, golf, and time spent with his family.

  • YU ling castillo

    music ministry - music@sharehope.org

    Mrs. Ling is a music lover and has been playing piano since she was a little girl. She is a believer in the power of music and passionate about sharing music with others. She also has a good sense of humor, but beware, laughter can be contagious around her.

  • Mrs. Beatriz Q Manchester, C.P.A. 

    Office Manager & Bookkeeper

    Mrs. Beatriz Q Manchester, C.P.A. is thrilled to join the Hope United Church of Christ effective August 16,2023. She has been following Christ since 1990. She is originally from Puerto Rico but has been living in Illinois for 27 years. Currently, she lives with her husband and son in Bolingbrook. She enjoys reading and listening to music.