Mary Sue Dreier joined Luther Seminary as Associate Professor of Congregational Mission and Leadership in 2008. She is co-director of Luther Seminary’s Center for Missional Leadership and is features editor of the journal Word & World: Theology for Christian Ministry published by Luther Seminary.

She was ordained a Lutheran pastor in 1981, and served 25 years with her co-pastor husband in ALC/ELCA Lutheran congregations (1981-2006). Her experience includes calls in rural, large multi-staff, and new church development congregations, as well as serving as rural minister on a synod staff.

Mary Sue’s teaching and research interests include church planting, transforming congregations for mission, evangelism, and missional leadership development (both lay and clergy) in rural, urban, and suburban congregations. She is a frequent speaker for congregations, synods, and national missional leadership training events.

She is editor of Created and Led by the Spirit: Planting Missional Congregations (2013)in Eerdman’s Missional Church Series. She has written a variety of book chapters, journal articles, and church resources, including a book of sermons, The Home Stretch, on lessons from Matthew for Cycle A.

A Christ College graduate of Valparaiso University in English and Theology, Valparaiso, Indiana (1974), Mary Sue received the M.Div. degree from Luther Northwestern Seminary (1979) and the Ph.D. degree from Luther Seminary (2008).