The Northwestern Ohio Synod Office is pleased to announce that Pastor Sarah Schaaf has been called to serve as the Director for Community Engagement /Director for Evangelical Mission in the Northwestern Ohio Synod (NWOS) of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
As Director for Community Engagement, Pastor Schaaf will seek to inspire and teach followers of Jesus to engage their neighborhoods and surrounding communities in ways that live out Jesus’ message of love that builds and deepens relationships, serves the vulnerable, witnesses to the Gospel of Jesus, and creates an environment of care, compassion, and community.
Pastor Sarah is married to Jarrod, who is also an ordained minister serving in NWOS. They have two energetic children: Isaac and Zoe. Isaac loves math and swimming. Zoe is an artist who is often seen cartwheeling through their home.
Pastor Schaaf has had the joy of serving as the pastor of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Waldo from 2009-2020. She has served as the Dean of the Southeastern Conference since 2013. She has been an instructor in the Diakonia, a lay education program, since it began in NWOS in 2015.
Pastor Schaaf earned a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Religion at Capital University in Bexley, Ohio. She attended Pacific Lutheran Seminary in Berkeley, California where she received a Master of Divinity. In 2018 she participated in the 7th International Women’s Seminar in Wittenberg, Germany.
Pastor Schaaf is passionate about the art of storytelling, service learning and intergenerational ministry. She loves to explore new places and spend time with her family.
Pastor Sarah Schaaf will be available by email at sarah.schaaf@nwos-elca.org and will be installed at a future date.