Who is the Priest?
The Very Rev. Laurie A. Lewis
Mother Laurie was born in Denver and raised in Wichita. She graduated from Goddard High School in 1993. Attending the University of Kansas for one year, she realized she needed to work full-time while attending college and transferred to Wichita State University. Over the next four years, she worked for Koch Industries, WSU Human Resources, and finally WSU University Computing before graduating in 1998 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, majoring in Marketing and minoring in Management. After graduation, she continued working in University Computing as a Cobol programmer through Y2K, eventually becoming a web programmer and software trainer for university staff and faculty.
In 1999, while getting certified as a SCUBA diver, Mtr. Laurie met Tom Lewis. This relationship, between an Evangelical Protestant and a Roman Catholic brought them to The Episcopal Church. Mtr. Laurie and Tom were married at St. James Episcopal Church, Wichita, in August 2000. In 2005, they packed up their family that included 3-month-old baby and two dogs and moved to seminary were she graduated from Virginia Theology Seminary (VTS) in May 2008. Mtr. Laurie was ordained to the priesthood in December 2008.
In her ordained life, she served one year as a curate at Trinity Episcopal Church in El Dorado, served four years as Associate Rector here at St. Stephen’s, and accepted the call to be Priest-in-Charge at Grace Episcopal Church, Winfield, and Trinity Episcopal Church, Arkansas City, in 2013. Then she was called to stay as Rector in 2015. To her it was an honor to be called to return to St. Stephen’s as Rector.
She has served on the Council of Trustees for the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, the nominations chair for Diocesan Convention and was privileged to be a deputy to General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2022. Mtr. Laurie currently serves as Dean of the Southwest Convocation of the Diocese. All these greater church roles are part of her ordination vows to take part in the councils of the Church. Beyond that vow, however, these roles serve to fire up and fuel her for visioning with our parish. Mtr. Laurie chose The Episcopal Church as her practice of Christian faith, and holds dear the structure of local, state, national and global connection that is part of this church.
Mtr. Laurie, Tom, daughter, Evy, and son, Alexander live in the same house since returning from seminary in 2008. Tom is an electrician and loves being a part of the Young Electric, Inc. family. Evy attends WSU and Alexander attends Independent School. Our family includes two dogs and one cat: Carmen San Diego, a German Shepherd, Carlos Santana, a rescue pup from the streets of Wichita and Oreo Ignatius, tuxedo cat. Our hobbies include bicycling, beekeeping, and the rare SCUBA diving adventure.
Ever living God, whose will it is that all should come to you through your Son Jesus Christ: Inspire our witness to him, that all may know the power of his forgiveness and the hope of his resurrection, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
In the peace of Christ, ~Mother Laurie
The Very Rev. Laurie A. Lewis
Mother Laurie was born in Denver and raised in Wichita. She graduated from Goddard High School in 1993. Attending the University of Kansas for one year, she realized she needed to work full-time while attending college and transferred to Wichita State University. Over the next four years, she worked for Koch Industries, WSU Human Resources, and finally WSU University Computing before graduating in 1998 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree, majoring in Marketing and minoring in Management. After graduation, she continued working in University Computing as a Cobol programmer through Y2K, eventually becoming a web programmer and software trainer for university staff and faculty.
In 1999, while getting certified as a SCUBA diver, Mtr. Laurie met Tom Lewis. This relationship, between an Evangelical Protestant and a Roman Catholic brought them to The Episcopal Church. Mtr. Laurie and Tom were married at St. James Episcopal Church, Wichita, in August 2000. In 2005, they packed up their family that included 3-month-old baby and two dogs and moved to seminary were she graduated from Virginia Theology Seminary (VTS) in May 2008. Mtr. Laurie was ordained to the priesthood in December 2008.
In her ordained life, she served one year as a curate at Trinity Episcopal Church in El Dorado, served four years as Associate Rector here at St. Stephen’s, and accepted the call to be Priest-in-Charge at Grace Episcopal Church, Winfield, and Trinity Episcopal Church, Arkansas City, in 2013. Then she was called to stay as Rector in 2015. To her it was an honor to be called to return to St. Stephen’s as Rector.
She has served on the Council of Trustees for the Episcopal Diocese of Kansas, the nominations chair for Diocesan Convention and was privileged to be a deputy to General Convention of The Episcopal Church in 2022. Mtr. Laurie currently serves as Dean of the Southwest Convocation of the Diocese. All these greater church roles are part of her ordination vows to take part in the councils of the Church. Beyond that vow, however, these roles serve to fire up and fuel her for visioning with our parish. Mtr. Laurie chose The Episcopal Church as her practice of Christian faith, and holds dear the structure of local, state, national and global connection that is part of this church.
Mtr. Laurie, Tom, daughter, Evy, and son, Alexander live in the same house since returning from seminary in 2008. Tom is an electrician and loves being a part of the Young Electric, Inc. family. Evy attends WSU and Alexander attends Independent School. Our family includes two dogs and one cat: Carmen San Diego, a German Shepherd, Carlos Santana, a rescue pup from the streets of Wichita and Oreo Ignatius, tuxedo cat. Our hobbies include bicycling, beekeeping, and the rare SCUBA diving adventure.
Ever living God, whose will it is that all should come to you through your Son Jesus Christ: Inspire our witness to him, that all may know the power of his forgiveness and the hope of his resurrection, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
In the peace of Christ, ~Mother Laurie