Our team
Rev RJ Kang
Pastor RJ Kang accepted the call to Presbyterian Church of Palatine and began her ministry here in January of 2018.
RJ received BA in Greek and Theology and her Mdiv from McCormick Seminary and was ordained in 2000. RJ has served in various ministries including youth group, Christian Education, Young Adult Ministry, as well as developing a fitness ministry incorporating fitness with Spirituality. She is both bi-lingual and bi-cultural Korean American.
RJ’s focus and passion have always been the Bible, preaching, teaching, and pastoral care.
Anita Kern
After retiring in 2000 from a 32-year career as a flight attendant with Delta Air Lines, Anita joined the Presbyterian Church of Palatine staff as office coordinator in 2005. She has been an active member of PCOP since 1983 and has served the church as both deacon and ruling elder. Her background as an English and Art major at the University of Oklahoma as well as her years engaging with all types of people in her flying career has been beneficial in serving PCOP.
Ingrid Mikołajczyk
Ingrid joined us as Music Director in March 2015. She studied at Illinois Wesleyan, Arizona State, and in Vienna, Italy, and Alaska. She currently sings with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, works as Lyric Opera's tour manager, teaches both privately and at the college level, and is a freelance classical soprano soloist. She comes from a long line of Presbyterian musicians, and her family has a long connection with Riverside Presbyterian Church in the western suburbs.
In addition to music Ingrid also enjoys hiking, kayaking, sailing, pottery, traveling, and cardamom rolls. Something you wouldn’t know about her: during her first opera role as Micaëla in Carmen, she sang Acts I & III on stage and spent Acts II & IV in the orchestra pit as second bassoonist!
Ingrid works with the choir, as well as having responsibility for engaging the congregation and community in the ministry of music.
Crystalyn Boyer
Crystalyn Boyer joined the Presbyterian Church of Palatine as accompanist in 2016. In addition to her work at PCOP, she also teaches K-5 general music, private piano, and is a freelance musician. Crystalyn holds Bachelor’s Degrees in Music Education and Piano Performance from University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, a Master’s Degree in Piano Performance from DePaul University School of Music, and a Master’s Degree in English as a Second Language and Bilingual Education from American College of Education.
In addition to music, Crystalyn enjoys traveling, baking, and drinking lots of coffee while keeping up with her toddler. Crystalyn’s favorite part about working at PCOP is the community of people that she gets to interact with every week!