Steve began his work as Associate Rector and Coordinator of Pastoral Care Ministries at St. Luke’s in 2004. He hails from Staten Island, New York, where he attended New York City public schools. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Wagner College, a Master of Divinity degree with honors from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Graduate Theological Foundation in Notre Dame, Indiana. Steve was ordained a Lutheran minister in 1975. Following seminary, he served a Lutheran parish in the Washington, D.C. area before entering active duty as a U.S. Air Force chaplain. During his Air Force career, he served bases in Texas, England, Maryland, Colorado, Alabama, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and South Carolina. In the early 1990s, Steve’s spiritual journey led him to seek ordination in the Episcopal Church, in which he was ordained a priest in 1993. Following retirement from the Air Force and prior to arriving at St. Luke’s, Steve served as rector of St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Prattville, Alabama.
An avid sports fan and history buff, Steve enjoys reading, travel, theater, and all kinds of music. Steve has been married to Dawn since 1972. A life-long educator, Dawn is currently an elementary school teacher in the Vestavia Hills system. The DeGwecks are blessed to have two adult sons, Christopher and Benjamin, one daughter-in-law, Ben’s wife Allison, two beautiful granddaughters, Adelaide and Elizabeth, and one badly spoiled King Charles Cavalier named Charlie. The DeGwecks reside in Vestavia Hills.
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” --Colossians 3:17 |
