Over the past 15 years, the impact of Pastor Sue Ericsson at Saint Luke has been undeniable. It is felt every Sunday during worship services that radiate with joy, happiness, and beloved community. It is felt as those same worship services provide space to encounter God’s grace in prayer, sacraments, and good news proclaimed. It is heard in the words “Wherever you are in your faith journey, you are welcome here. No exceptions.”
Pastor Sue’s legacy at Saint Luke goes beyond her excellent preaching, teaching, and worship leadership. It also goes beyond her excellent leadership as the first female lead pastor of a faith community on the Main Line. All of her success as a pastor and a community leader has been rooted in her skilled dedication to connecting with people one-on-one. Through countless conversations, she inspired, comforted, gained trust, and motivated people into greater love for God and neighbor. Her words of encouragement and persistence in helping people discover God’s calling in their lives has played a role in countless life decisions, career and life changes, and opportunities to serve at and beyond Saint Luke. The number of people who trace God’s work in their lives back to a conversation with Pastor Sue Ericsson cannot be contained in a sanctuary, or even a stadium!
Saint Luke was blessed beyond our wildest hopes when we called Pastor Sue to be our lead pastor in 2006. The gifts, experience, and calling that she brought with her are undeniable. They go back to the faith and confidence of a young girl who declared she would be a pastor when she grew up, even at a time that women were not yet permitted to pursue ordained ministry. Her gifts and calling were undeniable throughout her youth and by the age of 26 she graduated from Yale Divinity School and was ordained. She served for 11 years as a parish pastor in Detroit and then came to Southeastern Pennsylvania and served for 13 years as an assistant to 2 bishops with dedicated focus upon urban congregations. This distinguished background enabled Pastor Sue to equip the people and ministries of Saint Luke to change the world by proclaiming God’s amazing grace. A female student in Saint Luke’s 2021 confirmation class shared in her faith statement that she appreciates having a strong female pastor and role model to look up throughout her life—words that made Pastor Sue’s heart sing and stand as testimony to the future of her impact on our lives.
Saint Luke gives thanks to God for Pastor Sue Ericsson and pledges our ongoing prayer as she enters retirement. We are thankful for her leadership, her creativity, her kindness and faithfulness to God and God’s people. We are thankful for her conversations, smile, laughter, and presence beside us over that past 15 years. We are thankful for her family and the relationships Saint Luke cherishes with Chase, Amani, Gabe, and June.
May God journey beside her as she discovers and enjoys retirement. May God continue to bless her to be a blessing to others and to this world that God loves.
Thank you, Pastor Sue. We love you and appreciate you. As your time as lead pastor ends, we are confident that God will continue to lead Saint Luke into new ways of being the church that are now possible because of your faithfulness.
May God bless you and keep you.