Who We Are • 2019-20 • Ecclesia Team
Shannon Baer - Founder and Board Member
Born under grey skies in an Army hospital in Würzburg, Germany, Shannon spent her peripatetic childhood years in Europe and the Middle East. After moving to Atlanta, she went on to earn a BA from Auburn University in mass communications with minors in journalism and visual arts. Shannon has cherished over twenty five years of marriage to Stan Baer, a financial advisor in Pasadena. Together they are the parents to Alex (24), Ruby (21), Holly (18), Lily (16), Graham (15), and David (8). Shannon founded Ecclesia Classes seven years ago in Pasadena where she continues to teach. She is a life-long learner pursuing various educational endeavors including UCLA Extension, Waldorf Education conferences, Education Closet’s STEAM courses, Bethel Women’s Conference, and Hillsdale College online. For over twenty years, Shannon has been envisioning and creating communities where instructors, parents, children, and teens thrive. She is constantly humbled and surprised by the way in which coming alongside others in both education and spirituality brings great meaning and purpose to her soul. She has led, instructed, and served women and children in various capacities at Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene, Sierra Madre Congregational Church, Ecclesia Classes, WISH, Classical Conversations, and SunSeeds. She has also participated in the documentaries Class Dismissed, The Lily Baer Story, and The Other Side. Shannon is a minister with the International Fellowship of Ministries and has a great passion for seeing the transcendence and immanence of Christ through creative processes.
Amy Tang - Board Member
Amy has been married to her husband, Len, for 23 years, and they have three sons, Benjamin (19), Sam (16) and Josh (13). They met at UC Berkeley, where Amy majored in Economics and minored in French. Amy has been homeschooling for the past 10 years. Before having children, Amy taught middle school math, language arts and social studies at both public and private schools for four years and carried her K-8 teaching credential in California. Amy’s three favorite subjects are Math, French, and Dance. She is a certified Liturgical Dance Educator with a passion for equipping believers of all ages and skill levels to use their bodies to worship Jesus. She also loves running, herbal remedies, journaling, and gardening.
Lesley Bain - Board Member and Treasurer
This is Lesley's 4th year at Ecclesia. Lesley has a B.S. from Texas Women's University in Education and attended University of Texas at Arlington for her Social Work Master's with an emphasis in Administration. She enjoys teaching Language Arts and History across grade levels. She has 2 daughters and has homeschooled both of them at different times in their education. Lesley is married to Mike, and together they are missionaries with a ministry called Perspectives. When Lesley is not teaching, she is enjoying her time with family and friends most likely at the beach.
Jill Pam - Board Member
Jill has been teaching one or several of the subjects of Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Math with Ecclesia Classes for the past 6 years. It was her high school chemistry teacher that set her on the course to become a scientist. Shout out to the Mrs. M. She graduated from the University of Illinois Champaign/Urbana with a bachelor of science in Chemistry. She worked as a chemist formulating adhesives with polymers and starch. While living in Chicago, she began work as a technical specialist, reformulating and trouble shooting in the field. She met her husband, Todd Pam at Park Community Church in Chicago. They made a bold move to LA in 1998 to follow job opportunities. God blessed them with three kids in 3 years, Mackenzie (18), Harper (16), and Everett (14). Jill began homeschooling in 2006 with Mackenzie in Kindergarten. She added a student every other year until they were called to adopt. She and Todd prayed for over a year for the right path to their fourth child. Kibru (12) joined the family in 2011 from Ethiopia. Jill has been involved with women’s ministries, kids’ church, homeschool groups, prayer and hospitality at Christian Assembly in Eagle Rock for the last 19 years. Teaching high school students to appreciate the fascinating and orderly world that God created through science is her passion. She also loves the color orange, hiking, games, cooking, decorating, Bible study, books!, and adventuring with her family.
Beverly Cooper - Board Member and Administrator
Trading one coast's sunshine for the other, Beverly moved to LA over 29 years ago. Married to Darin for 21 years, they are parents to Davis (16) and Elliot (13). Homeschooling was a pathway that took much prayer before beginning for Davis in the 2nd grade. The greatest attraction to homeschooling for the Cooper family was to be able to make the space to know their kids, and in turn, be known by them. It has been one of the most challenging things Beverly has ever done but the rewards have been great. Beverly has been attending Christian Assembly for 17 years and serving the body of Christ by leading women's bible study tables, being a part of the women's retreat committee, and serving in kid's church. She has been a practicing massage therapist since 1998. In 2015 she completed her Holy Yoga certification. Beverly currently teaches four Holy Yoga classes per week, and has a passion for continued learning about the body, what helps it function at its best, and the amazing way God has beautifully designed us in His image.