Pastor Becker & Family
Pastor Stephen-Heinrich Becker was born and raised in Sacramento, California. His parents were immigrants from Germany, having escaped communist East Germany, later immigrating via Lutheran World Federation to the United States. Proud Americans, they taught their children to cherish the incredible freedoms we enjoy in our country!
He graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in Sacramento, and then five years later received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and German at California State University Sacramento. He attended the American Lutheran Theological Seminary, and then later transferred to an innovative, competitive joint-study program of Trinity Theological Seminary (Indiana, USA) and Canterbury Christ Church University (Kent, UK), receiving his Master of Divinity in Pastoral Ministry in 2007. Later, Pr. Becker also completed a Ph.D. in Christian Education, with an emphasis on Reformation History, through this same Trinity/Canterbury program. His doctoral dissertation title is "Martin Luther and the Role of Anfechtung in the Twenty-First Century Christian Education of the Youth of the Church."
With his German background and native-level fluency in German, Pr. Becker has traveled extensively throughout the German Luther Lands, and frequently shares the Good News as a guest preacher during his times in the "old country," preaching in both English and German in local Lutheran congregations throughout Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony.
Pastor Becker also served as a Chaplain with the California Military Department, serving the soldiers of the California Army National Guard's 749th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, in Benicia, CA. After accepting the Call to serve us here at Trinity Wahiawa, Pastor Becker joined the Hawaii Air National Guard as a Chaplain with the 154th Fighter Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. He currently holds the rank of O3/Captain.
Pr. Becker and his sweetheart Vanessa have been married for 32 years. Mrs. Becker is a teacher specializing in moderate/severe special education, with an emphasis on Autism. Pastor and Mrs. Becker are parents to three 26-year olds! ~ their twins, Stephen and Ingrid, and their son Ryan. Ingrid, just like Mom, is an elementary school teacher, while son Stephen Jr loves computers and gaming and is a licensed California Phlebotomist. Son Ryan, just like Dad, loves fitness, travel, cars, aviation and the military. In fact, Ryan also serves as an aviation mechanic with the California Army National Guard.
Pastor Becker came to us here at Trinity Lutheran Church and School in February of 2021 after having served a congregation in Sacramento for eleven years. With his background in Christian Education and Military Chaplaincy, Pastor Becker is very active in our school, Trinity Lutheran School, and is also passionate about TLC's Ministry to the Armed Forces of Oahu.
Family is the #1 priority of the Becker's.
a favorite bible verse:
“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” –1 Timothy 1:15
