Staff

Pastor Karla Morton

Karla Morton (she/her), SMC’s new pastor, completed a church planting/emerging church pastorate of 26 years with her husband, Craig, in 2025. She was a bi-vocational pastor, which means that she pastored the church but earned a living as a teacher. She taught for 19 years and retired at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.

Karla has been married to Craig for 44 years. They have four children and two grandchildren. Two of their children live in large cities in the Midwest and East, while two live in the Boise, Idaho area.

Karla was born in Tucson, Arizona and has wanted to live in Oregon since she was in high school! She is excited to be in Salem – finally! She graduated from Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff) and earned her Master of Arts in Christian Ministry from Friends University (Wichita, Kansas). Karla has had further training through Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, and a variety of parachurch organizations.

Karla has engaged in ministry beginning in college where she was a Young Life leader. During her years in the Mennonite Church, she has been involved at the church level as pastor, Sunday School teacher, and small group leader. She was ordained in Mennonite Church USA while in Idaho. On the conference level (Western District Mennonite, Franconia – now Mosaic – Mennonite, and the Pacific Northwest Mennonite) she has been involved in Peace and Justice, executive board, church planting, and currently serves as the Moderator of the Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference (2025 – 2027). She was able to travel to Washington, D.C. as a member of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee of the WDC to lobby senators and representatives of member churches regarding The Peace Tax Fund. In 2024 she traveled with Mennonite Disaster Service to see the work of MDS in Louisiana after Hurricane Ida.

As an educator, Karla became a leader of teachers through the Boise State Writing Project (an affiliate of the National Writing Project), where she was asked to help lead “Indigenous Voices: Bringing Idaho’s Tribes into Idaho Classrooms” for five years. During that time, she became more aware of Indigenous’ ways of knowing and caring for Earth. She hopes to bring that awareness into her ministry.

Karla is excited to pastor the people of Salem Mennonite Church, as well as become better acquainted with the people in and around the Salem/Keizer area!

Administrative Assistant Trudy McKinnell

Trudy retired after nearly 30 years as a self-employed graphic designer, and transitioned to part-time work serving SMC as the administrative assistant. Trudy and her husband moved to Oregon in 1992 and are long-time members of Salem Mennonite Church and raised their family of three daughters here. Trudy loves outdoor adventures involving camping, hiking and quiet water kayaking. She's also a home-body, loving to work in her garden and host family gatherings. A real joy in her life is singing with a 100-voice choir in Salem and with a Victorian caroling group. Stop by the church office and say hello!

Janitor Ninet Olvera

Youth Ministry Leader