Embarking on a journey of faith and service, Glen Schrieber’s story is a testament to the transformative power of divine calling and relentless dedication. For Glen Schrieber, a 1985 Master of Divinity graduate, time spent learning and developing in the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (TEDS) was “a great foundation for how I think about God, ministry and myself.”
TEDS was the perfect environment to gain confidence in myself and find greater faith in God. The relationships and networks I established there have been lifelong and life-giving.
Glen shares that Dr. John Woodbridge’s tutelage concerning The Problem of Evil, watching Dr. Grant Osborne work the Hermeneutical Circle, and Dr. Kenneth Kantzer’s discussions addressing theology and contemporary issues were all wonderful examples for him, as he’s attempted to live and lead biblically and relevantly.
Born and raised in Nebraska to a teacher and a carpenter, Glen’s upbringing included regular church attendance. It was during a challenging period of depression in his senior year of high school that he experienced a profound connection with Christ.
During this period, he encountered Christ through the witness of teachers and coaches from the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA), marking the beginning of Glen’s personal relationship with God. These same people also encouraged and challenged Glen to consider full-time ministry — a calling he followed.
While a student at the Moody Bible Institute, Glen met his wife, Karen. The two worked as on-campus staff with Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ) in Wisconsin for five years before deciding they wanted to do evangelism and discipleship through local church ministry instead.
To prepare for this new direction in ministry, Glen decided to pursue further seminary studies. After graduating, he joined a church planting team in Kentucky and helped plant a couple EFCA churches before moving to New Orleans to do more church planting and urban ministry.
Glen’s time at TEDS helped prepare him for this work, as attending an EFCA-associated school “offered me an inside track to the networks and resources that the EFCA offers and gave me opportunity to find my prized career track.”
After 15 years in New Orleans, Glen accepted the position of superintendent of the EFCA Southeast District, through which he helped lead and develop pastors in the region. This new role required his family to relocate to Jacksonville, Florida, where they have lived since.
“Now, taking advantage of turning 70, I am happily relinquishing this role to someone younger, fresher, and more creative than myself,” Glen says.
While he has many career highlights, the ones that stand out most revolve around people and his continual Christlike formation.
“My partnership with the EFCA over a lifetime of ministry has by far been my greatest joy, and to have encountered so many stories of so many people in such significant ways is such a privilege,” Glen says. “I’ve also had the blessing of a true ministry partnership with my Karen; I shudder to think of the what’s and where’s of Glen without her by my side.”
Glen feels his education at TEDS continues to influence his ministry, too. He tries to get back on campus each year and is always looking for younger pastors to offer churches in his region when they have positions to fill.
“Our district has been blessed with some amazing church planters that have joined us upon graduation from TEDS,” he shares. “When on campus, Dr. John Woodbridge regularly challenges me with, ‘Are our pastors doing evangelism?’ Dr. Peter Cha’s leadership with the Mosaic ministry has been a helpful model for me to glean from, and I so appreciated Dr. Dana Harris joining me with other TEDS students on a racial justice pilgrimage to the Deep South.”
Glen adds that current Trinity president Nick Perrin and his wife, Camie, are regular sources of encouragement to him and the pastors in his district when they visit the southeast.
Glen also feels immense gratitude for his kids “who have endured all the challenging situations I placed them in year after year.” Today, he sees them each flourishing in their own way.
“Words can’t express my gratefulness to God and to the many ministry leaders that inspired them over those same years,” he says.
Throughout his career, Glen also felt the impact of his time at TEDS, where he enjoyed building relationships with his professors and spending time with his mentor, Jim Westgate.
My foundational Trinity experience will always be leaned into as I continue to minister in whatever setting God places me. The relationships, the networks, the resources that continue to be available to me through my Trinity times will remain a constant encouragement and guide.
Glen’s last day as district superintendent for the EFCA will be December 31. And although he’s technically entering retirement age, he’s viewing his next chapter as a “reassignment.”
“I hope to leverage my experience and networks to come alongside younger pastors and ministry leaders in any encouraging way I can,” he says.
Glen started a non-profit called Twenty-24 Initiatives, through which he hopes to achieve this goal.