Letter from the Rector: WELCOME ASHLEY HENGST FOR HER YEAR OF DISCERNMENT
- The Rev. Jeffrey D.S. Thornberg
- Sep 17, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 18, 2025
Dear siblings in Christ,
As we begin our fall programming year, I’m pleased to introduce Ashley Hengst, COS’s new diocesan intern. Ashley will be with us for the next eight months as she spends her Diocesan Discernment Year (DDY) at Church of Our Saviour.
You may remember Mike Mischler and Kathryn Nishibayashi, who each previously completed a DDY internship with us. In the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, all who seek ordination to the priesthood are required to spend such a year in a church separate from their home church, as a step in their journey.
Ashley is a Cuban American from Miami, Florida. She spent her young years in the Presbyterian Church USA. As a teenager, Ashley began attending a local evangelical church, where her passion for studying and learning more about Scripture began to form. Also while growing up, she enjoyed playing team sports, working on her school TV broadcasting network, and watching countless Blockbuster movies. In 2011, after earning her English degree from North Carolina Central University, Ashley moved to San Francisco to pursue a master’s degree in filmmaking. For the first ten years of Ashley’s career, she worked for the YMCA in children and youth programs, doing everything from teaching physical education to leading afterschool programs for children with special needs and directing a summer day camp program in Chinatown.
When Ashley moved to Los Angeles in 2015, she answered the call to ministry and earned her Master of Divinity from Claremont School of School of Theology. While in seminary, Ashley spent two years working as a youth pastor at Calvary Presbyterian Church (USA) in South Pasadena. During the pandemic shutdown, Ashley married her beloved wife, Jen Hengst, who works in the entertainment industry. While in seminary, Ashley felt the call to pursue full-time ministry with another denomination. She began to work at All Saints Church in Pasadena as a pastoral care administrative assistant, giving her a chance to visit other denominations on Sundays. She also began “The Unlearning Podcast” geared toward helping former evangelicals find a healthy way to read Scripture and enjoy the Christian life.
While at All Saints, Ashley fell in love with the Episcopal Church, with its wonderful emphasis on liturgy, worship, and the Eucharist. She has been a grateful member of St. Mark’s Altadena since 2022. She is currently a stay-at-home wife and homemaker, raising her two-year-old, Ruth Ellen. Ashley also works part-time at Forest Lawn Memorial Parks as a Celebrant for funerals, leading one to two services a week.
During her free time, Ashley enjoys mastering recipes, reading romance, working on her vegetable garden, and hiking with Ruth Ellen.
Ashley will be with us through this non-stipendiary internship from now (she started last Sunday) through May 2026. In addition to attending all sorts of events at COS, Ashley will be assisting during the 4 pm service on Sundays and helping with our Vestry. We are delighted that Ashley is choosing to spend her time among us! Please help me in welcoming Ashley to our congregation.
Faithfully,
Jeff+
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