Rev. Lamar Bailey

Raised in Lancaster, PA and the son of an evangelical non-denominational pastor, Rev. Lamar Bailey found his church home in the ELCA after unintentionally entering a Lutheran church in Denver, CO and discovering grace and the good news!  Because of these and other formational experiences, Pr. Bailey is now passionate about sharing the good news of God in Jesus Christ to all people and welcoming new people into the faith. Pr. Bailey joined the synod staff in September of 2019 as Assistant to the Bishop and Director of Evangelical Mission.

Pr. Bailey is a second career pastor. A passion for peace, nonviolence, and economic justice guided him into his first career with several high profile and impactful public policy and service organizations. Prior to attending seminary, he earned a Master of Arts degree in Politics and Public Policy from the University of Colorado Denver. At the American Friends Service Committee’s Office of Public Policy and Advocacy, he was a Policy Impact Coordinator; at Share Our Strength, he was a Program Manager for the No Kid Hungry Campaign; at the National Conference of State Legislatures, he was a Policy Associate; and at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, he was a Housing Counselor.

Pr. Bailey earned a Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and served as pastor at Saint Stephen Lutheran Church in Silver Spring, MD, a multiethnic congregation.

Pr. Bailey is married to his high school sweetheart, Elise. Together they are the proud parents of two spirited girls, Cora (10 years old) and Celeste (9 years old). In his free time, Pr. Bailey enjoys football, traveling, hiking, fishing, and spending time with his family.