SEARCH
MENU
Shawn Stafford, Assistant Professor of the Religion Department, stands in front of a gray textured background.

Shawn Stafford

Assistant Professor
Department: Religion Department
Send Message

Education

  • Master of Arts in Philosophy, Holy Apostles College & Seminary (in progress January 2025-)
  • Master of Divinity, Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary, June 2000
  • Bachelor of Arts, History, Ancient Studies, St. Olaf College, May 1996Associate of Arts, Bethany Lutheran College, May 1994

Academic Interests

  • Reformation History
  • Lutheranism in America
  • Liturgy and worship
  • Philosophy
  • Apologetics

Service

  • Vice-chair, ELS Board for Apologetics, 2023-present
  • ELS Archives and History Committee, 2013- present
  • Co-director, Camp Indianhead, MN, 2012-present

Presentations/Publications

  • “Sermon on 1 John 1:8-2:2,” Lutheran Synod Quarterly, Vol. 60:1, March 2020.
  • “Preaching the Old Testament, Even if You Follow the One-Year Series,” Lutheran Synod Quarterly, Vol. 59:4, December 2019.
  • “Sermon on John 6:66-68,” Lutheran Synod Quarterly, Vol. 56:2-3, June- September 2016.
  • “Luther’s Sense of Humor: Do We Still Have It Today?” Presented at the Congress on the Lutheran Confessions, April 6-8, 2016 in Bloomington, Minnesota.
  • “Lutherans in America: The NALC and LCMC,” Lutheran Synod Quarterly, Vol. 55:4, December 2015.
  • “Perspicuity: The Clarity of Scripture,” Presented at ELS Circuit 7 Pastor’s Conference April and September 2012 and published in Lutheran Synod Quarterly, Vol. 52:4, December 2012.
  • “A Different Spirit: Luther’s Approach Toward the Reformed at Marburg,” Presented at ELS General Pastor’s Conference, October 2009 and published in Lutheran Synod Quarterly, Vol. 50:2-3, June-September 2010.
  • Book Review: “Christianity’s Dangerous Idea: The Protestant Revolution — A History from the Sixteenth Century to the Twenty-First by Alister McGrath”, Logia, Eastertide 2009, Vol. XVIII, number 2.
  • Book Review: “Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics: Law and Gospel and the Means of Grace by David Scaer,” Lutheran Synod Quarterly, Vol. 48:4, December 2008.

Additional Campus Responsibilities

  • Chapel preacher
  • Curriculum Committee

Biography

The Rev. Shawn Stafford was born in 1974. He attended Bethany Lutheran College (A.A., 1993); St. Olaf College (B.A., 1996); and Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary (M.Div., 2000). He was ordained and installed as pastor of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, Bagley, Minnesota, on July 9, 2000. He served Our Savior’s together with St. Paul Lutheran Church, Lengby, Minnesota (2000–2011); Hartland Lutheran Church and Manchester Lutheran Church, Hartland/Manchester, Minnesota (2011–2021); and as a professor of religious studies at Bethany Lutheran College (2021–present). He serves on the synod’s Committee for Archives and History (2013–present) and Board on Apologetics (2023–present). Pastor Stafford and his wife, Amy, have three children: Solveig, Jonah, and Anju.

Hobbies/Interests

  • Choir
  • Playing trumpet
  • Listening to music
  • Fantasy, sci fi, and superhero moviesInformation coming soon.