I am Tom Stempson a Synod Authorized Minister (SAM). As a SAM I am able to fill the role of a Pastor in Word and Sacrament for St Stephen’s. I grew up in Colorado and graduated from Colorado State University. Upon graduation in 1973, I entered the Army as a Lieutenant. Through the Army, I obtained a master’s degree from Boston University in Psychology and Human Resources. I retired from military service after 27 years on active duty and National Guard service as a Lieutenant Colonel. Having always had an interest in theology, I had the opportunity in 2013 to pursue two years of seminary training through the Synod’s Diakonia program. After graduating from the Diakonia program, I completed training as a Stephen Minister and became a Stephen Leader. 

I have been at St Stephen’s since 2022. The current Pastor left for a career as a Navy Chaplain in the Fall of 2023, leaving the church without a Pastor. I felt the calling to be a SAM and was granted that status by the Bishop in Spring of 2024. I live in Avon with my wife Shirley. In my spare time, I volunteer with Meals on Wheels of Hendricks County and Sheltering Wings.