Our Team

Rev Julie Reuning-Scherer

Senior Pastor ext. 110

Greetings, People of Epiphany!

My name is Pastor Julie Reuning-Scherer, and I am looking forward to meeting you! What a privilege to be considered for the role of your next senior pastor. As I get to know you, I hope I can jump-start you knowing a bit more about me. I grew up on the northwest side of Columbus and was a member of Gethsemane Lutheran Church. I studied music and religion at Oberlin College where I met my husband Jonathan of 29 years in the French horn section of the orchestra. We married after graduation and moved to Connecticut for graduate school and seminary at Yale. My internship brought us to Manchester, CT, where Jonathan served as a church musician, and I eventually became the associate pastor. Our children Joel and Stephanie were born during those years, and Jonathan began teaching statistics at Yale, where he continues as a senior lecturer today.

For the past twenty-six years, I have served four very different congregations in Connecticut, ranging from being an associate pastor among a staff of ten in a small city to being a solo pastor of a small church in a middle-class suburb, to being lead pastor in my current parish where a number of parishioners serve at executive levels in finance, government, and manufacturing. I am naturally curious about new people and ministry settings, so I have enjoyed the challenge of figuring out how to speak the Good News of Jesus in a variety of contexts. Scripture is the word of life for me, and I love sharing it with others through preaching and teaching. In my preaching, I often share stories of real people to introduce the text and connect to the listener’s experience. When teaching adults, I alternate short presentations with facilitated discussion among the participants, so that they can make connections to their own lives. I enjoy planning worship utilizing the gifts of the community, including music, art, or experiential learning. I love to be creative when giving children’s sermons and teaching confirmation; I typically draw inspiration from a prop and add in a little goofiness for fun. I am passionate about including children in ministry. By virtue of baptism, they are full members of the Body of Christ, with gifts to share and insights to contribute. Indeed, at my core, I believe in Jesus’ radical welcome for all
people, and God’s grace means that people of all ages abilities, and backgrounds are treasured. I want to embody God’s acceptance in my ministry by being fully human myself and welcoming the humanity of others.

Beyond my ministry, the greatest joy of my life is my family. My son Joel is a junior studying engineering at Valparaiso University. He is also a percussionist who loves jazz, contemporary Christian music, and musical theater. My daughter Stephanie is a freshman studying musical theatre at the University of Michigan and owns a five-foot ball python named Tina. Our family loves to make music together and enjoys hosting dinners with friends. My parents brother and sister-in-law live in the Columbus area; being closer to them would be a gift. I enjoy cooking, gardening, yoga, biking, and hiking. I hope to check out the trails and get to know the arts scene in Dayton – Jonathan and Joel are excited
Epiphany is so close to the National Air Force Museum! I am turning 52 next month, and with my children in college, have both a desire and a greater opportunity to dig deeper into my energy and enthusiasm for ministry. I am excited that Epiphany supports such a wide variety of ministries and promises to be a place to address some of the perennial questions about the church in the modern era: how do churches remain relevant in busy 21st-century life?

How do we connect with people on the go? How do church forms change over time, and what remains the same? I am eager to partner with church leadership to carry the mission of Epiphany forward in this new chapter of its life and to cheer on the excellent ministry of its members. I am especially excited to support the varied ministries of Epiphany for families and children, as well as music and worship! Through prayer and leadership, may the Spirit unleash a new wave of creativity and hope as we love Jesus by serving others in the world around us.

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