Our Pastoral Team:
Pastor Charlie Conway
Mother Marta Pena
We have an amazing and interesting clergy couple as our Senior Pastor and Episcopal
Priest, serving us with the blessing of her Bishop. Reverend Charles Conway met his
wife to be Mother Marta Pena in Afghanistan of all places! Now that’s something you
don’t see everyday!
Reverend Conway who prefers to be called “Charlie” and Mother Marta who goes by
“Marty” met at Enduring Faith Chapel, Bagram Afghanistan. Charlie, a Navy Officer, was
serving as the Intelligence Community Commandant for Afghanistan and Marty was an
Army Chaplain serving at the Chapel. It's an interesting story to be sure, but too long to
tell here. You'll have to come and meet them for yourself, anyway we're thrilled to have
them here!
Reverend Mother Marta attended the University of Texas at El Paso graduating with a
Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She specialized in Pediatric Oncology while working as
a lay minister at a Methodist Church. Feeling a call to ministry that started as a little girl,
Mother Marta attended Seminary at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. After
spending 14 years as an ordained minister and U.S. Army Chaplain (including 2 tours in
Afghanistan and a tour with the Old Guard as a Chaplain at Arlington National
Cemetery) she retired in 2003 and came to Parma to serve with her husband Charlie.
With 11 years as a Registered Nurse prior to joining the Army, she has extensive
knowledge in Pediatrics and Child Development and has many years of experience in
Counseling. She has 5 units of Clinical Pastoral Education and in addition to preaching
the Word and offering counseling, she also uses her experience and love of children to
lead our KMCC Kids Worship Team.
Reverend Charlie attended Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA earning a
Bachelor of Arts in Russian and Soviet history. After graduating, he was Commissioned
an Ensign in the US Navy as an Intelligence Officer. Originally intending to serve for 4
years, he finally retired after 27 years of service serving in a myriad of mostly
counter-terrorism roles in Washington, DC, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and
Afghanistan. Upon retirement, he too decided to follow a childhood calling to ministry
and graduated with a Master of Divinity and a Master in Pastoral Psychology and
Spiritual Care from Iliff School of Theology at the campus of the University of Denver in
Denver, Colorado. Charlie also has 5 units of Clinical Pastoral Education and after serving as a
Chaplain at Johns Hopkins University hospital in Baltimore, and a fellowship at
Georgetown University hospital in Washington DC., he found his way to Kirkpatrick
Church in 2019.