The Rev. Robert G. Schaefer was ordained for the Metropolitan New York Synod in The Bronx, New York, in June of 1984. Schaefer earned his M.Div. from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. He has served parishes in Metropolitan New York and later in the Florida-Bahamas Synod.  In 2004 he was called as Assistant to the Bishop of the Florida-Bahamas Synod based in Tampa, where he served until 2009. From 2009 to 2011 he served as Executive for Worship and Liturgical Resources in the Office of Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in Chicago.  After returning to Florida and serving in a parish for 22 months, in 2013 Pr. Schaefer was called to be Bishop of the Florida-Bahamas Synod and served until his resignation in 2017.  He then served as “bishop-in-residence” at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Boca Grande and then as pastor of St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Pompano Beach, until his retirement from full time ministry in April of 2023.   Since then, he has supplied and assisted in several congregations in Southeast Florida.  He lives in Fort Lauderdale with his wife, Mary, and has three grown daughters and one stepdaughter. Together they have 6 grandchildren. 

 “I am really excited about the bishop’s appointment to serve as Vice-Pastor of Ascension. I have loved supplying here over the past months and getting to know this beautiful congregation. I am excited to start this new chapter to partner in a deeper way with the people of Ascension as together we discern the next chapter for this family of faith.”