Staff
Lainey Kabat, Office Administrator
lainey@waccelyria.org
Lainey joined the staff of Washington Avenue in December 2023. She moved from Sheffield Lake to Elyria in September of 2014 after retiring from the Sheffield-Sheffield CSD. Lainey then worked 6 years as a Ministry Assistant at Westlake Christian Church, nesting in the building with Dover UCC.
Lainey enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren who live in Avon and Amherst. Favorite activities include working in her yard and attending school activities of her grandchildren as they participate in band and various sports. Her only granddaughter, Cassidy, plays softball for Indiana University.
Sol Rizzato, Director of Worship & the Arts
sol@waccelyria.org
Sol (They/He) was first introduced to Washington Avenue Christian Church as a guest organist in June of 2023. After briefly serving as the Interim Director of Worship and the Arts, Sol officially joined the staff as the Director of Worship and the Arts in January 2024. They graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Music with a Master of Music (Organ Performance) in May 2023, where they studied with Todd Wilson. Prior to their time in Ohio, Sol received a Bachelor of Music (2020, Organ Performance) and Bachelor of Musical Arts (2019, Viola Performance) from the University of Oklahoma. Sol previously served in Roman Catholic, United Methodist, Episcopal, Lutheran (ELCA), Presbyterian Church (USA), and United Church of Christ congregations. Due to their background as a violist, they have a particular love for orchestral transcriptions and the theatre organ.
Outside of Washington Avenue, Sol works full-time as a lead service technician, designer, and voicer at the Muller Pipe Organ Company in Croton, Ohio. Their work as an organ technician has taken them to nearly 550 instruments across 18 states and 9 countries. Sol continues to lead workshops on pipe organ maintenance at the state and national levels, and while in the Muller shop, they work with training new technicians in tuning and service techniques. Sol holds full, Regular membership in the American Institute of Organbuilders and the Colleague certification with the American Guild of Organists.
In January 2024, Sol began part-time coursework at the Methodist Theological School in Ohio towards a Master of Divinity with the goal of pursuing ordination in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Coming from a family of social workers, Sol has a particular passion for pastoral counseling and ministry in the queer community. They enjoy spending time with friends, weightlifting, the sport of fencing, painting, studying queer theology, and visiting their home city of Chicago, IL.
Rev. Nathan A. Russell, Senior Pastor
nathan@waccelyria.org
Rev. Nathan A. Russell (He/Him) joined the staff of Washington Avenue Christian Church on September 1, 2018. He graduated from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University with a Master of Divinity (Biblical Studies) in May 2014 and was ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In March 2016, Morehouse College in Atlanta inducted Rev. Russell into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers. In April 2024, he was elected to the Board of Trustees at Brite Divinity School.
Prior to attending seminary, Rev. Russell earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at West Texas A&M University and completed post-graduate work in choral conducting and music education at Michigan State University. He taught choral music at the high school and collegiate levels for seven years. In August 2012, Rev. Russell participated in the summer theological program at Christ Church, Oxford University. He also completed coursework toward a Ph.D. in Curriculum Studies at Texas Christian University. Apart from his ministerial work, Pastor Nathan enjoys an active life of music, exercise, and travel. He sings with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and serves as the Vice Chair of the Chorus’ Operating Committee.
In November 2021, Nathan and his partner, Chad, became dog-parents to a German Shepherd named Thunder, who takes her name from the protagonist in Sue Monk Kidd’s novel The Book of Longings.
Phil Smith, Custodian
Debbie Walker, Director of Advocacy and Christian Education
debbie@waccelyria.org
Debbie has been an active member of Washington Avenue Christian Church since 1973 when her family moved from Grosse Isle, Michigan, to Oberlin. As a young person at Washington Avenue, Debbie was active as an officer of CYF and attended Hiram Conference at Camp Christian. In 1979 Debbie and Wayne were married at Washington Ave. by her grandfather the Rev. E. Lee Neal and Rev. Ken Evans. With the exception of a few years at college and two years living in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Debbie has attended Washington Avenue with Wayne and their family, including son, John; daughter, Ashley; and grandchildren: Romeo, Nautica, Janiah, Aveon, Oliviya, and JJ (John Jr.).
As an adult, Debbie has been a church school teacher for 32 years, former Chair of the Hospitality Committee for 5 years, and was an Elder for two terms. In August of 2004, Debbie joined the staff as Director of Church School Education. In 2005 she attended a Children Worship & Wonder Training to become a storyteller and implemented the program at Washington Avenue in 2006. The following year Debbie received further training and became a Regional Trainer for Children Worship & Wonder to train others as storytellers. Debbie loves working as Director of Advocacy and Christian Education, and feels blessed to be a part of such a loving and supportive church family.