Synod Staff and Deans

The bishop, Synod staff and deans provide pastoral care, support and resources for our rostered and lay leaders and more than 140 congregations and worshipping communities with approximately 70,000 baptized members.

The Synod office is located at the Philadelphia campus of United Lutheran Seminary:

Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, ELCA
7241 Germantown Avenue
Brossman Center
Philadelphia, PA 19119-1723

Phone: 267.323.3737
Fax: 267.323.3777

Email:

Scroll down for contact information for Synod staff members and conference deans.


Office of the Bishop

 

The Rev. Patricia A. Davenport
Bishop
Phone: 267.323.3747
Email

The Rev. Patricia A. Davenport was elected the fifth bishop of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) on May 5, 2018 and assumed office Aug. 1, 2018. She serves as spiritual leader of the 70,000 members and 154 congregations and worshipping communities of the synod. The bishop oversees and administers the work of our Synod, provides pastoral care and leadership to the Synod, our congregations, and professional leaders: pastors, associates in ministry, deaconesses and diaconal ministers.

 

Yvonne Curtis
Director of Operations and Executive Assistant to the Bishop
Phone: 267.323.3747
Email

Mrs. Curtis manages office operations and staff and is executive assistant and scheduler for the bishop. Contact her for all requests to the office of the bishop, including appointments with and visits by the bishop.


Business Office

 

The Business Office oversees the fiscal operations of the synod and resource development, and provides programs to assist congregation treasurers and pastors manage congreation finances.

Martin Schwab
Senior Accountant
Phone: 267.323.3754
Email


Candidacy, Mobility and Interim Ministry, Mission Advancement

 

Vocations and Leadership works to identify, raise up, and support leaders for the Church through the candidacy and mobility functions and interim ministry.

Mission Advancement cultivates generosity and ongoing support of the ministries of the Synod.

The Rev. Karen M. Sease
Assistant to the Bishop for Vocations and Leadership/Mission Advancement
Phone: 267-323-3744
Email

 

The Rev. Paul Neff
Chair, Candidacy Committee
Email

 

The Rev. Wayne Shelor
Director for Interim Ministry
Email

 

The Rev. Marcia Bell
Director for Mobility
Email

 


Communications

 

Communications tells the story of the work we are doing together in congregations, as a synod, and through the ELCA and global Lutheran agencies, and equips congregations and leaders to make that story relevant in their context.

 

The Rev. Bob Fisher
Assistant to the Bishop for Communications and Mission Interpretation
Phone: 267.323.3743
Email

Bob manages mission interpretation and communications, including our Synod’s website, email newsletter, videos, and media relations. He assists congregations with crisis communications and equipping congregations to improve their communications. Contact Bob with stories of your congregation’s newsworthy activities or for consultation with worship media, emerging worship, outreach, and crisis communications issues.

 

Cynta Outterbridge
Communications Assistant and Database Manager
Phone: 267.323.3742
Email

Mrs. Outterbridge handles day-to-day updates to the Synod website, ministrylink.org, and compiles the bi-weekly SEPANews e-mail updates. She also manages the Synod databases of rostered leaders, congregations, congregational contacts and other constituents and is the statistician for the Synod. Contact her with changes to your contact information. She is assistant to Mr. Fisher and provides computer support for Synod staff.


Congregational Vitality/Evangelical Mission

 

The directors work with new mission starts and re-development congregations as deployed ELCA staff for our synod, working with new church starts as well as the Congregational Vitality Team.

The Rev. Dr. Moses Suah-Dennis
Co-Director for Evangelical Mission
Phone: 267.323.3746
Email

 

 

The Rev. Bryan Penman
Co-Director for Evangelical Mission
Phone: 267.323.3756
Email

 


Faith Formation and Discipleship

The Rev. Stacey-Kyle (Skyle) Rea
Assistant to the Bishop for Youth and Young Adult Discipleship
Phone: 267.323.3762
Email

Pastor Rea equips and supports the youth and young adults of our synod and their adult leaders.


Synod Assembly

Carrie Schwab
Assembly Coordinator
Email

Cynta Outterbridge
Assembly Registrar
Phone: 267.323.3742
Email

In addition to communications and database duties, Mrs. Outterbridge is assistant to the event planner(s) and registrar for Assembly and Convocation.


Conference Deans

 

Conference Dean
   
Central Philadelphia The Rev. Noah Hepler
Atonement, Fishtown
919.609.1258
Email
   
Chester The Rev. Chris Franz
Advent, West Chester
610.436.0807
Email
   
Delaware The Rev. Marie Sager
St. Timothy, Aston
Email
   
Lower Bucks The Rev. Nathan Krause
Redeemer, Jamison
Email
   
Lower Montgomery The Rev. Julie DeWerth
Good Shepherd, King of Prussia
610.308.2675
Email
   
Northeast/Northwest Philadelphia The Rev. Joey Klinger
Redemption Lutheran Church, Philadelphia
(724) 996-1627
Email
   
Upper Bucks The Rev. Erika Wesch
Little Zion, Telford
215.723.7404
Email
   
Upper Montgomery The Rev. Chris McKinstry
St. James’, Limerick
610.287.7231
Email
   
Director of Interim Ministry The Rev. Wayne Shelor
571.5503229
Email
   
Director of Mobility The Rev. Marcia G. Bell
267.640.5642
Email

Updated March 12, 2024