Pastor Elam was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. He went to Concordia College, St. Paul, Minnesota and then to seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. His third year of seminary he went to Corvallis, Oregon for his Vicarage. After graduating from seminary, he was called to his first church, Emmanuel Lutheran in Tell City, Indiana where he spent five years from 1985-1990.
He also served as a Naval Reserve Chaplain during that time. In August 1990 he was called to active duty with the Navy. While serving in Japan he met his wonderful wife, Terry, who was teaching at the school on base. They married in 1992 and in 1993 their only child, Kathryn, was born. In 1996 he was called to St. Paul Lutheran Church and began ministry in August that year.
Pastor Elam loves to fish, walk, and exercise and hopes to finish getting his pilot’s license one day (he’s half way there!).
Pastor Elam has a hard time picking a favorite Bible verse because there are so many great verses, but he has always liked John 3:16, Psalm 23 and Matthew 24:35 which says: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.”
Pastor Steve is a native of Montgomery and attended Robert E. Lee High School. He met his wife Ginger while working at K-mart (now Publix on the Atlanta Highway). His career began as an interior designer with Harbin’s Office Supply and Furniture in downtown Montgomery. He then owned several businesses and worked as a locksmith for some years.
In the early 2000’s The Lord began to call him into public ministry so, at the urging of Pastor Elam and the Board of Elders, Pastor Steve attended Lay Ministry Training Institute (LMTI). This was a two-year course conducted one weekend a month. After completion, Pastor Steve received his Certificate as a Licensed Deacon in the LCMS. Some years later District President Shultz encouraged him to look into a new online class offered by the Seminaries that would lead to ordination. So, in 2009 having been called by St. Paul, he entered the SMP program at Concordia Seminary St. Louis. Together he and his mentor (Pastor Elam) attended seminary until his graduation in 2012.
Pastor Steve is passionate about anything having to do with outreach and BBQ and has developed a BBQ ministry with the aid of a grant from the Southern District. Together, he and Ginger have started a BBQ sauce business which is bottled in Mississippi. Portions of the proceeds go to help feed the homeless and fund other mission-related opportunities. He also serves as a volunteer firefighter with the Pike Road Fire Department and was named Fire Fighter of the year for 2017.
Pastor Steve’s favorite Bible verse is Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”
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