Pastor Taylor Berdahl was nurtured in faith by her home congregation, Christ Lutheran Church in Georgetown, and from a young age she recognized that God was calling her to become a pastor. A self-proclaimed “church nerd,” she read the memoirs of a couple of retired pastors in her congregation when she was only 13 years old, and those stories spoke to her about ministry and stirred something within her. At the time she dismissed the feelings thinking that she did not have any challenging life experiences that would allow her to care pastorally for people who are grieving. Then in high school, she lost two of her grandparents within a year, and God nudged her towards ministry a bit more.
She went to college at UT-Austin and was involved in Lutheran Campus Ministry (LuMin) there, but her relationship with LuMin “started in the womb,” as her parents met in college and found a home together at LuMin. Because of her parents’ involvement, Pastor Taylor said she “practically grew up there,” being part of campus ministry even before she started attending as a student. She saw God at work in LuMin, because it was a safe space to express her faith and to have a real sense of belonging. Campus Pastor Brad Fuerst invited her to preach at a LuMin gathering, and the experience moved her to tears.
She spent her college breaks visiting seminaries to find a good fit and ended up at United Lutheran Seminary in Gettysburg, PA. While home from college in the summer, she was a camp counselor with Cross Trails where she developed her leadership skills and grew her experience with young people. Pastor Taylor shared that through LuMin and Cross Trails Ministry – both ministries of the Southwestern Texas Synod – she had opportunities to both experience and share God’s presence and love with others. She is deeply grateful for the synod’s investment in and encouragement of young people which have prepared her for her call as Associate Pastor of Faith Formation at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Hanover, PA.
Your generous Mission Support makes it possible for the work of the synod to strengthen congregations and ministries like Lutheran Campus Ministries and Cross Trails Outdoor Ministries. Thank you for your continued generosity to this ministry we all share.
