(Portions of this article are from a recent press release from Sioux Falls Seminary)

Sioux Falls Seminary is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Steve Trefz as the Director of the Wesley House of Study at Sioux Falls Seminary.  The Wesley House of Study exists to serve students who attend the seminary and seek to serve or be ordained in a denomination within the Wesleyan faith tradition.

Photo courtesy of Sioux Falls Seminary.

In addition to helping the seminary in its work with students from the Methodist and Wesleyan faith traditions, Trefz teaches in the Doctor of Ministry program and has walked alongside students in the Kairos Project as an affiliate faculty member since October of 2015.

Of his work in education, Trefz said, "I hope to be a bridge to theological education for Dakotans (and surrounding states) who feel called to ministry in various forms.  By using my spiritual gifts, I hope to connect persons to the pathways that will help them intentionally lead in their ministries.  This involves communicating those calls with Dakotas UMC ordination boards/committees and conference leaders, and communicating opportunities for ministry back to the students at SF Seminary, where there are many avenues to receiving your MDiv and other related Christian leadership degrees. Some are extremely well-suited for those who believe moving away from where they feel called to serve might not be a feasible pathway."

"We are excited to have Steve join our team.  He has a passion for the local church and for equipping individuals to participate in God's work in this world," said President Greg Henson.  “The Wesley House of Study fits nicely alongside our Luther House of Study. Together they enable the seminary to maintain a strong Baptist identity and curriculum while, at the same time, serving well students whom God is calling to serve outside of the Baptist tradition."

In his role as Director of the Wesley House of Study, Trefz will provide guidance to students of a Wesleyan theological heritage. In doing so, he will help students foster a professional ethos compatible with their denominational connections and local congregations or ministry settings. 

Trefz is an ordained elder of the Dakotas Conference of The United Methodist Church, a member of Fusion United Methodist Church in Mitchell, SD, and an adjunct faculty member at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Dakota Wesleyan University, and the United Methodist Church Course of Study. Since 2012, Trefz has also been serving as the Equipper for Lay Servant Ministries for the Dakotas Conference as well as working with the Minnesota Conference in the area of Lay Leadership Development.  He will be transitioning out of those two roles this spring. Leaving his duties behind is easier for Trefz, knowing his tasks involving Certified Lay Ministry oversight and Lay Servant Ministries leadership will be in the capable hands of Deb Kjerstad, Director of Leadership Development, and Taya Swanson, Administrative Assistant to the Director of Leadership Development, as well as the Lay Servant Executive Team. Trefz said, "It’s been a blessing to help initiate our Ministry Discernment Days and the CLM program over the past 4 years, and I am more excited than ever about the people God has placed as trainers and facilitators for the continuation of that journey."

He has a passion for the church, for helping people discern their calls, and for leadership development.  As a scholar, his interests and expertise include congregational leadership, a Wesleyan view of theology and ecclesiology, spiritual gifts and the ministry of all persons, and social research methodologies.