Staff
Ralen Robinson, Pastor email
Pastor Ralen is a native Philadelphian, but don't let that make you think that she only spent time in Pennsylvania. Over a near-decade in ministry, she has worked in the woods of New Jersey, New York's big apple, the metropolis of Boston, the rainforest of Costa Rica, and has even spent a year in the old cities of Jerusalem.
Ralen received her BA in Anthropology and Sociology from Wagner College, where she thrived as a leader in many on-campus and off-campus organizations. Following graduation, Ralen participated in Young Adults in Global Mission (YAGM), spending a year volunteering and immersing herself in the culture and religious history of Jerusalem and the West Bank. After her year of service, she traveled back to Philadelphia to continue her call to ministry by attending seminary.
While in seminary, Ralen worked as a contract chaplain for an inner-city hospital. She also wrote for ELCA magazines, which she still does today. In the spring of 2020, Ralen graduated from United Lutheran Seminary with a Master of Divinity and a certificate for Black Church studies. Then, in the spring of 2025, she graduated with her Doctorate in Homiletics from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. She believes her faith and a good pair of shoes can take you a long way.