Deaconess Gillian Bond was born in England. She was baptized and confirmed in the Church of England, but drifted away from church during her college years. Meanwhile, she earned bachelors and masters degrees in materials science from Imperial College, London University, followed by a Ph.D. from the University of Bath in 1981. After three years working at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell, she moved to the U.S. in 1984 on a research contract at the University of Illinois in Urbana.

Shortly after her arrival in Urbana, God led Deaconess Gillian back to church and to reading the Bible. In 1988 she moved to Socorro, New Mexico, to take a faculty position in materials engineering at New Mexico Tech. There she attended Hope Lutheran Church where she first heard the sweet words of the Gospel — that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ.

Knowing that Jesus Christ died even for her and that she has eternal life with Him has changed Deaconess Gillian’s life in many ways. In 2001, desiring to be better prepared to share God’s love with others, she enrolled part-time in the M.A. program at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne. Eventually God led her to leave her full-time work at New Mexico Tech.

She completed her studies and an internship at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Los Lunas, New Mexico, in 2010, and started serving as deaconess at Mt. Calvary in January 2011. She helps with visitations, Sunday School, evangelism, outreach and the Food Pantry, and works with the women of Mt. Calvary.

Deaconess Gillian is blessed with one son, Alexander, and his wife, Eileen, who were joined in holy matrimony in 2010. They live in New Mexico. Alex is studying electrical engineering and Eileen is working as a medical assistant.