Our Staff

Rev. Valarie Englert
Senior Pastor

Valarie Englert is lead pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in Dallas, TX.  She has served churches in the North Texas Conference since early 2000, both as an associate pastor and lead pastor.  Her ministry is characterized by meeting challenges when and where they present themselves, whether those challenges originate in the current climate of “being church,” or in the week-in-week-out activities of life in community.

Valarie has been married to Rick for 35 years and they have one daughter, Eva, who is an ordained deacon serving in the Little Rock, AR area.  Eva’s spouse, Chris, is a pediatric nurse in Little Rock.  Valarie is an animal lover, garden and nature lover, foodie-cook and avid reader.  Music is one of her greatest joys, whether it is singing hymns in the congregation on a Sunday morning or jammin’ to rock-n-roll (maybe just a little too loudly).

Hyung Seop Kim
Associate Pastor

Hyung Seop Kim joined Grace Church as associate pastor in 2023 after serving at Grace as a Perkins intern this academic year. He is a graduate of Methodist Theological University in Korea and is ordained in the Korean Methodist Church. He served in Karachi, Pakistan as a missionary for six and a half years. He was a school director trying to build a peaceful and respectful community regardless of their religion and gender.

Hyung Seop has an experience of living in diverse cultures such as South Africa, Pakistan, Malaysia, Korea and now in the U.S. This has led him to seek the opportunity to serve a multi-cultural church, and is interested in building relationships across cultures. He is married to JAE Eun and has three beautiful daughters at the ages of 3, 9 and 11.

Kenton Kravig
Music Minister

Kenton Kravig was led to Grace Church in August 2024 after 40 years of Music Ministry in the Catholic Church. Raised in a family of Church Musicians, the songs of our faith have always played an integral role in his life and his journey of faith. Kenton is passionate about creating powerful worship experiences in which music and language work together to change hearts and minds, and even save lives through the divine gift of music.

Kenton spent his childhood in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada, and Caldwell, Idaho, before his collegiate studies in Walla Walla College, WA (Piano Performance), and Southern Methodist University (Organ Performance). He sang with and managed Orpheus Chamber Singers for 22 Seasons and now manages Voices of Change Modern Music Ensemble in his spare time. Kenton has been married to David Williams from Fort Worth since August 1988 and counts him as his greatest earthly blessing.

Paul Ott
Administrative Assistant

Paul and his wife Janan joined Grace in 2016 and have been active members ever since. Paul frequently helps as an usher and Janan is a member of our Leadership Board. Paul’s career was primarily in the financial services industry, including senior management positions at several institutions. He works part-time in our office creating newsletters and bulletins and generally doing what needs done. Paul has six children, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild…so far. He was born in Kansas and grew up in California, and he loves visits with family, dogs, playing golf and Janan’s homemade pies. 

Alan Kernell
Church Administrator