1ST ANNUAL REV. JOHN STEINBRUCK LEADERSHIP AWARD RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED

Pastors Kelly Chatman of Redeemer Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, MN and Yehiel Curry of Shekinah Chapel in Riverdale, IL have been selected as the first recipients of the Rev. John Steinbruck Leadership Award. This award honors their faithful commitment to youth development, bold leadership, and power building within community.

The Steinbruck Award honors the late Pastor John Steinbruck who led Luther Place Memorial Church in prophetic work to create social justice in Washington, D.C. John Steinbruck was also one of the founders of the Lutheran Volunteer Corps.

The award honors individuals who demonstrate visionary leadership expressed through an ability to imagine how church can build community that acts for the sake of the world; effective leadership that leads to impact within the community; and courageous leadership marked by innovate thinking and a willingness to take risks to achieve results.

“By these standards, no two leaders in the ELCA are more deserving of this award,” said Pastor Karen Brau, of Luther Place Church. “Not only have these two accomplished so much in the communities that their churches are in, but they have also provided an example for the ELCA to follow as its churches struggle for participation by diverse communities and young people.”

The Steinbruck Award was initiated by Luther Place Memorial Church (where Steinbruck served as Pastor between 1970 and 1997), the Lutheran Volunteer Corps (LVC), and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia where Steinbruck received his Master’s in Divinity degree. During Steinbruck’s tenure at Luther Place, the congregation founded several ministries including LVC, N Street Village, and Bread for the City which together serve thousands of people across the United States annually and continue embodiments of “acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with one’s God”.

Rev. Yehiel Curry received his award on October 16th.

Pastor Kelly Chatman will receive his award at Redeemer in Minneapolis on December 11th at the 10:30 am service. A reception will follow. The Twin Cities community is invited to attend and join in the celebration.

“We are inviting members from all of our respective communities to attend these ceremonies if they can,” said Sam Collins, President of LVC. “Too often we hear of examples of how religion divides us. It is important to visit places of worship like Redeemer and Shekinah Chapel to get a true understanding of how faith in action can bring us together to accomplish amazing things. The communities that these two leaders represent will inspire you in ways you cannot foresee.”