Heather Swearingen

Heather feels like Dorothy from Wizard of Oz, searching for home, only to realize it was right in front of her all along. She just had to walk through those beautiful red doors. Trinity has always been a part of her life but not actually in her life. She was baptized at Trinity, her grandmother, Marion Peterson, worked at Trinity and she and Wade did their pre-marital counseling at Trinity but she wasn’t actually a parishioner. It wasn’t until around 2006, when she came seeking solace, that she recognized how special Trinity was. 

The transcendent music, liturgy and rituals, the radical hospitality of open communion, the intellectual stimulation, freedom of belief and messages of love, acceptance and inclusion for ALL God’s children coming from the pulpit kept her coming back.  The vibrant community and commitment to social and racial justice, the cherry on top! If only she’d known that there was actually a church that aligned so closely with her personal values. 

It took a while for the introverted skeptic of organized religion to get her bearings but her granddaughter, Adia, joining the children’s choir and gentle invitations from Charissa to help with some Family Ministry activities were the keys to the kingdom. Now, her three grandchildren have grown up in this beautifully supportive community. They’ve been given music, art, camp, friendships, belonging, mentorship and opportunities like manna from heaven. They’ve been enriched by all that Trinity offers and she’s so very grateful.

Heather has served on the Family Commission and various search and nominating committees. She’s helped support the Choir School, facilitating activities, meals and robe care. She teaches Godly Play in the pre-k class, serves as a Lay Eucharistic Minister and on Altar Guild for Church of the Commons. 

Heather comes from a family of Scandinavian Lutherans. She grew up in and around Portland, Lake Oswego and rural Hillsboro. She dabbled in college at PCC, PSU and Marylhurst. She has a background in printing and has been a self employed hairstylist most of her adult life. Heather and Wade found kindred spirits in each other and were married in 1998 by Father John Bright, who they both coincidentally knew from attending Christ Episcopal Church in Lake Oswego in childhood. Their family consists of their daughter, Amber, her husband, Micah, their grandchildren, Adia, Lily and Gabriel (and Adia’s partner, Isaiah). They are her greatest joy. 

She owned Headtrip Salon on NW 23rd for 20 years and now enjoys working out of her salon in their home in NE Portland. Wade is a buyer/technical specialist for NW Natural Appliance Center. They share a love of music, the arts, animals and communing with Mother Nature in all the beautiful places Wade’s photography takes them.