You are Invited

SEPA Synod

Fall Synod Learning Day


November 21, 2026

8:30 am - 1:00 pm


Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd

132 E Valley Forge Rd, King of Prussia, PA 19406


Schedule


8:30 am. Check In/Breakfast


9:00 am. Welcome and Worship


10:00 am Keynote Presentation


11:00 am BREAK


11:15 am Panel Discussion

Loving our neighbors from an advocacy perspective, social ministry perspective and loving the neighbors we often overlook.


12 noon LUNCH*



1:00 pm Heading home


*Lunch will be provided for those who register for lunch

Keynote Speaker

Jaime Bruesehoff

Jamie Bruesehoff (she/they) is an award-winning advocate, speaker, and writer. Rooted in her queer identity, her experiences raising a transgender child, and over two decades of working with youth and families, Jamie brings honesty, compassion, and hope to conversations often marked by fear and misinformation.


Jamie’s advocacy began at home, as she and her family navigated the realities of raising a young transgender child. That lived experience quickly evolved into a national commitment to education, storytelling, and advocacy. Jamie has spent the last decade equipping leaders across education, business, healthcare, and faith communities to create safer, more inclusive spaces for LGBTQIA people of all ages.



Her approach to this work is holistic, leveraging visibility, education, policy advocacy, and community organizing alongside direct family support. Working collaboratively with policymakers and organizations, Jamie advocates for inclusive, evidence-based protections on the local, state, and federal levels. She also serves as a curator for parents in New Jersey and across the country, connecting them to resources and equipping them to be their child’s best advocate.


Jamie graduated Magna Cum Laude from Gettysburg College with a Bachelors of Arts in Religion. She went on to receive her Masters of Arts in Religion from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (now United Lutheran Seminary).



Through all of these experiences and her ongoing national leadership roles within the church, Jamie sits at a one-of-a-kind intersection of advocacy, media, and identity. Leading with grace and kindness, Jamie challenges communities to choose courage, love, and belonging, especially in moments when it matters most.


Preacher


Bishop Bryan Penman

Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod


The Rev. Bryan J. Penman earned his Master of Divinity with a concentration in Metro Urban Studies from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary) in 2012. He was called to serve as Pastor of St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Conshohocken, PA, in 2013, where he faithfully ministered until his election as Bishop of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod in 2024.


In addition to his parish work, Bishop Penman joined the synod staff in 2022 as a Director of Evangelical Mission, focusing on congregational vitality. He chaired the synod’s Vitality Team, playing a crucial role in developing and sustaining vital ministries throughout the synod.


Originally from Virginia, Bishop Penman grew up as a lifelong Lutheran at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in Stafford, VA. His formative years in the Virginia Synod’s youth ministry programs inspired him to attend Lenoir-Rhyne University, an ELCA institution in Hickory, NC, where he graduated with a degree in English and Religious Studies in 2004.



Before discerning a call to ministry, Bishop Penman worked with his mother in real estate, where they built an award-winning business. Bishop Penman currently resides in Conshohocken, PA, with his devoted husband, Matt, and their adopted son.

Panelists

Along with our Keynote Speaker and Bishop Penman, we are pleased to have these panelists with us for the day

Tracey DePasquale


Tracey DePasquale became the director of Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) in May, 2016, after serving three years as associate director. She brings experience in journalism, education, community development, farming and ministry to her post.


In her role at LAMPa, DePasquale provides an advocacy presence in the state Capitol on behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and leads and equips non-partisan advocacy by Pennsylvania ELCA Lutherans to further human dignity, freedom, justice, and peace, with a special focus on hunger and its root causes.


A lifelong Lutheran, she is a member of St. Matthew Evangelical Lutheran Church in York, and studied at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg.

She enjoys kayaking with friends and hiking almost anywhere with her two young adult children, but especially in our National Parks.

Deacon Alison Clark


Deacon Ali was ordained as a deacon in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)  in December 2025 and accepted her call from the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod as KenCrest’s Faith Engagement and Outreach Coordinator in January 2026.


In this role, she connects ELCA churches and other faith communities with the individuals KenCrest supports, helping create relationships rooted in care, inclusion, and shared purpose. 


Ali travels throughout the five counties KenCrest serves in Pennsylvania, meeting with congregations and helping turn compassion into action. This might look like assisting church groups with assembling thank-you bags for Direct Service Providers, facilitating pastors visits to group homes, or walking with congregations as they increase the accessibility and inclusivity of their worship and community life for people with IDD. 



Through her work, Ali continues to live out her ordination promise by sharing God’s love through both word and deed and strengthening the bonds between faith communities and the people KenCrest serves. 


 
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