Staff
Craig grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and was educated for his pastoral work at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. His wife Joyce is a Chinese and a native of Hong Kong, and the two met in university and were married when they were both only 20 years old! They have three grown sons, all living in California. Upon completing his seminary studies in 1986, Craig was sent as a missionary to the Chinese people in Asia, serving for 18 years among people in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. Upon returning to the States in 2004, he taught New Testament and Mission courses at Concordia University in Irvine, CA. He was called to serve as Pastor at Mt. Olive in 2010. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, with books, with music, and with his crazy dog.
Pastor Hjulberg is from Riverside, California. He is the youngest of four boys.He is engaged to his fiancée Sarah. Pastor Hjulberg graduated with aBachelor’s Degree from California Baptist University and graduated fromConcordia Seminary in St. Louis. He was called to serve at Mt. Olive in 2024.Pastor Hjulberg enjoys bonsai and calligraphy.
Originally from the Midwest, Julie has called California home for the past 25 years. She is a devoted wife and mother to two wonderful adult children. In 1991, she earned a BS in Psychology and Biology from Valparaiso University in Indiana, followed by a Master's Degree in Theology and Ministry with a concentration in Youth Ministry from Luther Seminary in Minnesota in 1994. With 34 years of experience in Youth Ministry, she has had the pleasure of serving at Mt. Olive for the last 9 years. In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Emma is originally from Springfield, Illinois, and has resided in Southern California for the past four years. She is the youngest of two brothers, Berkeley and Bennett, daughter to Blake and Heather, and fiancée to Travis Reynolds. Emma graduated from Pepperdine with her BS in Business Administration and Applied Mathematics Minor justbefore starting at Mount Olive in June of 2024. Emma loves being outside in the California sun, staying active, and reading in her free time--andshe will always buy something just because it is pink.
Seong-Ok received herMasters of Music in Organ Performance at USC. Since then, she has served Mt.Olive Lutheran Church for 23 years as their lead organist.Outside of Mt. Olive, Seong-Okhas been working as a real estate agent for Keller Williams Palos Verdes Realty for the last 13 years. Her husband is an ordained pastor, and received his Ph.D. in Christian Education at Clairemont School of Theology. Today, he is a retired professor.Their oldest son serves as a senior pastor at a church in Honolulu, and their second son is a Tik Tok influencer who focuses on skincare.
David has been married for over 25 years and has two grown children. He recently earned his master's degree in child development, and he aims to offer a safe, nurturing, and culturally diverse environment that promotes physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development. He believes that children play to learn; through their play, each child will learn about themselves, others, and the world around them. Mount Olive is where a hands-on learning environment sets the stage for children to explore, learn, grow, and become responsible humans.
