Vicar Ryan Paetzold will begin his internship year at Saint Matthew on August 12. Below is a brief autobiography.
I am a South Jersey native. I grew up Shamong, NJ in a Roman Catholic family and attended grade school at St. Mary of the Lakes in Medford, NJ. After graduating from Shawnee High School, I attended Eastern University where I double majored in Youth Ministry and Biblical Studies. During my time at Eastern, I worked at a United Methodist Church, an independent congregation, an American Baptist Church, an independent Lutheran congregation in Royersford, PA, as well as an ELCA church. I served as the Youth Pastor at an American Baptist church for over two years. I’ve also worked with Mennonite Central Committee as a delegate to a peace conference in Amman, Jordan. Following my years at Eastern University, I developed a strong concern for social justice. During my time in seminary, I worked with a small media company in Philadelphia to produce and associate produce two social justice related films (one of which was an official selection at nine film festivals, the other was narrated by Martin Sheen). Another unusual job I have had was working for a national touring band that dabbled in Celtic, Christian, and secular markets.
My home congregation is Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Tabernacle where I’ve been a member since 2004. My previous fieldwork during seminary has been at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Marlton (2011-2012), as well as St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Oaklyn (2012-2013). I appreciate a variety of worship styles, but am currently drawn towards traditional liturgies, and I am currently interested in liturgies that attempt to incorporate contemporary symbols. Having worked in a variety of Christian traditions, I often feel comfortable relating to people from different denominations.
In 2007, my wife, Katie, and I were married. Katie is the art teacher at Baker Elementary. We currently live in Marlton, with two occasionally adorable parrots. Our families also live in the area. We enjoy art events including exhibits, concerts, and musicals, and we also like to explore restaurants in Philadelphia. I also confess that I am a significant Disney fan.
Ryan Paetzold