Meet our Associate Pastor

Pastor Sarah Sumner-Eisenbraun

I grew up in Rapid City, SD, the middle of three children. My older brother, Adam, is earning his doctorate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Minnesota. My younger sister, Laura, manages a pet store and has the best job: being mom to my nephew Henry. My dad, Scott, is a lawyer and is married to my stepmom, Bobbi. My mom, Candy, works in retail and is a three time cancer survivor. She’s married to my stepdad Bruce. I also have a step-sister, Kim, and three step-brothers: Keith, Barry, and Eric. My sister, parents, step-sister, grandma, and all of Kevin’s family still live in Rapid City, which makes trips home pretty busy. Kevin and I are also the proud auntie and uncle of 12 nieces and nephews with another one on the way. We love our big sprawling family!

I first started attending youth group in the 8th grade at a local Methodist congregation. My interest in God grew, so I continued to attend youth group both there and at a nearby Wesleyan congregation throughout high school. During my senior year I decided I was ready to be baptized, and so I was. Also during my senior year of high school I went on a college tour in Minnesota and fell madly in love with St. Olaf College in Northfield. I started out at St. Olaf one hundred percent sure that I was going to be a high school Math Teacher, but I ended up taking majors in both Religion and English. I spent my extra time singing in the Chapel Choir and dancing in the modern dance troupe Company- Dance. I also had the amazing opportunity to spend a J-Term studying Spanish and Indigenous Culture in Ecuador.

My husband Kevin and I started dating during my sophomore year at St. Olaf, though we had known each other for years before that. Kevin and I were actually born in the same hospital on the exact same day, about 20 minutes apart. But we didn’t meet until high school. Kevin grew up Missouri- Synod and attended Concordia University in St. Paul. We got engaged before our senior year of college and decided to try out several different denominations, eventually landing in the ELCA. In March of 2003 we joined University Lutheran Church of Hope in Minneapolis. That summer we were married in Rapid City and a few weeks later we both began our studies at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. As seminary students, Kevin and I spent our 2nd year as “exchange students” at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley. I did my internship in campus ministry at Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD. I graduated from Luther in 2007 with an M.Div, concentrating in Children, Youth, and Family Ministry. For my first call, I served as Youth and Family Pastor at Saint John’s in Arroyo Grande, CA for a little over three years. Kevin is a diaconal minister in the ELCA, specializing in chaplaincy.

I really had absolutely no idea that I was going to end up being a pastor, pretty much up until it actually happened. And so I often tell people that my call to ministry must be from the Holy Spirit, because I didn’t have a clue that pastoral ministry would be something I would enjoy. But I do enjoy being a pastor. Very much. I have a passion for encouraging all ages, but especially children and teenagers, as they seek authentic relationship with God in Christ Jesus, which is why I am thrilled to have this opportunity to join the people of Salem as partners in ministry!

Kevin Sumner-Eisenbraun, Diaconal Minister

I was also born and raised in Rapid City, SD. I have two older brothers, Sean and Mark, and a younger sister Katy. As a child I played baseball and loved music. My father, Fred, served on the local police force and my mother, Patti, was a homemaker. In high school I participated in the percussion section of the marching band and concert band. I also played guitar in jazz band.

When I graduated from high school I attended the University of South Dakota in Vermillion for a semester before transferring to Concordia University in St. Paul, MN. At Concordia I changed majors a few times before ending up in the pre-seminary program, majoring in theology. As Sarah mentioned, when we got engaged we decided to seek out a denominational home that was a better fit for both of us, so I left the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and became an ELCA Lutheran.

After we got married, Sarah and I both began our studies at Luther Seminary. However, I figured out pretty quickly that though I felt called to ministry, pastoral ministry was not the best fit for me. While Sarah did her internship, I did a residency in hospital chaplaincy at the Sioux Falls Veterans Hospital in Sioux Falls, SD. I graduated with an M.Div from Luther in 2007.

When Sarah received her first call in Arroyo Grande, I worked for awhile for a foster care organization as an in-home behavioral counselor. Then in February of 2008 I was hired as chaplain for the Arroyo Grande Community Hospital. In June of 2009 I was consecrated as a diaconal minister in the ELCA. Diaconal Ministry is a lay-roster that emphasizes ministry at the intersection of church and society. Most diaconal ministers work in social services related fields like I do. In my spare time I enjoy being outside, traveling, taking classes at the gym, playing guitar, and being uncle to all my nieces and nephews.