The Rev. Dr. Stephanie Jaeger
Biographical Information
Current Position:
Pastor
Congregation Membership:
Trinity Lutheran Church--Staten Island
Date and Year of Birth:
05/27/1963
Date and Year of Ordination:
08/05/2007
Previous Positions:
Adj. Prof. and Chaplain, Wagner College, Staten Island, NY (9/2024-present)
Pastor/Redeveloper, St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, North Hollywood, CA (9/2014-6/2023)
Senior Pastor, Augustana Lutheran Church in Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois (8/2012 - 8/2014)
Pastor, Mt. Olive Lutheran Church, Santa Monica, California (8/2007 - 8/2012)
Visiting Assistant Professor, University of Illinois--Urbana, Department of German (9/2003 - 6/2004)
Assistant Professor (tenured), Queen’s University, Department of Germanics, Kingston, Ontario (7/1991 - 6/1998)
Education and Earned Degrees (with institutions and years, most recent first):
Concordia University–Irvine, MA in Counseling, 8/2021-present
Antioch University—Los Angeles, MFA in Creative Writing, 6/2017 - 12/2019
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, M.Div., 9/2001 - 12/2006
Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, Ph.D. in German Studies (Reformation literature and culture) 5/1986 - 12/1991
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, MA, 9/1985 - 5/1986
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, BA, 9/1981 - 12/1985
List up to five (5) current or past community-related activities that would inform your
service as bishop of this synod:
* Founder, TICT Clinic (immigration legal clinic of Trinity--Staten Island) 5/01/2025
* Founder/Executive Director, NoHo Home Alliance, homeless services/ housing advocacy (2/2018-11/2022)
* Faith Rep (2017-2022) / VP (2018-2020) /Planning and Land Use Vice Chair (2021 - 2022), NoHo Neighborhood Council, City of Los Angeles
* Treasurer and Trustee, Goethe International Charter School, Board of Trustees (2010 - 12, 2015 - 16)
Board Chair (2015 - 17) and Board Member (2018), New City Parish
What do you see as the principal challenge to this synod in the next six (6) years, and how
would you address it? (1,000 characters maximum):
How do we, as the Church, have our love for Jesus rekindled, our hope for God’s kingdom revived, and increase the impact of our congregational ministries and our public witness in the face of anxiety-escalating internal and external realities? It takes spiritual renewal, courageous assessment of our congregational ministries, and claiming the power of the Gospel to speak and act boldly in public.
As bishop I will:
* Seek to inspire you to be transformed anew by the love of Jesus;
* Expand Biblical, theological and spiritual formation for new leaders and our whole Body of Christ;
* Implement practices to support the holistic wellness of leaders;
* Engage with congregations as they work to revitalize or creatively plan the legacy they want to leave to the future church;
* Expand the development of a synodical mission plan that leverages synod real estate to provide funding for strategic and innovative ministries;
* Expand practices & processes in our synod to achieve broad engagement of our diverse population; and
* Organize us to boldly advocate for God’s vision of justice.
List up to five (5) current or past synod or churchwide activities that would inform your
service as bishop of this synod:
* SWCA Synod Property Assessment Committee, Member (2018-2019, 2021-2022)
* Dean, Twin Valley’s Conference (2016-2022) and LA Metro Conference (2010-12), Southwest CA Synod
* Candidacy Committee, Metro Chicago Synod, Member (2012-2014)
* Consultation Committee, Southwest California Synod, Member (2010-2012)
*Churchwide Voting Member (2011)
Describe your leadership style. (1,000 characters maximum):
I am a joyful and caring leader. I lead by listening, asking questions, observing, and then articulating a shared vision. I strive to be present, accessible, and communicative. Although I am a strong pastoral leader who takes responsibility for her decisions and actions, I believe that many impactful outcomes come through collaboration. I look forward to working with a broad team of leaders—church council, staff, deans, advisors & others—to embody the Gospel in our synod. I have learned to build a staff by calling together passionate, gifted people and maximizing the alignment of their gifts with the responsibilities and needs of the organization. I strive to communicate expectations and articulate vision clearly, empowering collaborators to use their gifts to achieve our shared Gospel vision. Thanks to my background in non-profit leadership, I am experienced in staff oversight, evaluation, and accountability.
What gifts would you bring to the office of bishop of this synod? (1,000 characters
maximum):
My gift as a religious leader is to renew faith communities so that people may experience God and witness boldly to the Gospel of Jesus through vital ministries, shared purpose, inclusiveness, sustainability, transparency, and public action, making God’s Biblical vision of healing and justice real in the lives of people. Through my experience as a non-profit executive, I am adept at setting up transparent processes in organizations, creating pathways for new leadership and engagement, and leveraging assets to create life-giving and impactful change. As a professor of Reformation literature and cultural history, and now religious studies, I bring gifts for teaching, the formation of leaders, and building community through study and theological reflection. I am an experienced community organizer and advocate who can lead us to strengthen our collective impact around pressing issues such as the sins of poverty, the denial of human dignity and rights, and violence. I have a profound love for the church and you, its people. I believe our synod can—and should--lead the ELCA into a future of vitality through a commitment to Jesus’ call to healing and justice.