‘An impact wherever he goes’
Senior pastor at All Peoples Church reflects on 10 years in Milwaukee
Rev. Steve Jerbi says goodbye to All Peoples Church
Much like his time as a pastor, Rev. Steve Jerbi’s final sermon in Milwaukee was bittersweet.
In it, he talked about grief and pain caused by gun violence. He highlighted the success of afterschool and meal programs anchored in the church.
“In the good times and the bad, God’s providence was there,” he said to packed pews. “And we can do all things through God.”
Sunday’s service was Jerbi’s last as senior pastor of All Peoples Lutheran Church at 2600 N. 2nd St. in the Harambee neighborhood. In a few days, he and his family will move to Los Angeles where Jerbi will become the pastor at Bethel Encino, another congregation in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
A white pastor in a predominantly African-American congregation, Jerbi has been an outspoken advocate for social justice during his time in Milwaukee, connecting with people and causes all over the city. While his approach sometimes ruffled feathers, friends and community leaders describe Jerbi as a gifted and a passionate leader who isn’t afraid of conflict or to stand up for what he believes is right.
“He’s a pastor who puts his all into what he does,” 17-year-old All Peoples member Devonte Lee said.
Jerbi, 39, has led All Peoples since2007. During his tenure, he emphasized the importance of the church’s youth. The congregation grew and the church opened a second campus.
As pastor, he has been witness to the joys in his congregants’ lives — there for baptisms and confirmations, graduations and weddings.
But his tenure has also been marked by tragedy. In 2012, Darius Simmons, a 13-year-old All Peoples member, was fatally shot by his neighbor. In a city wracked by gun violence, Jerbi recalls countless Sundays when someone in the congregation would ask for prayers because of a family member who had been fatally shot.
“That grief just carries a legacy, and faith is part of the healing and response,” Jerbi said. “But prayers alone won’t heal trauma, and so that consistently weighs heavy on me. “
Jerbi has been a common sight at prayer vigils and rallies sparked by fatal police shootings around the country, including the 2014 killing of Dontre Hamilton in Milwaukee’s Red Arrow Park.
Jerbi’s willingness to listen makes him a supportive ally, said Markasa Tucker, a community activist. Tucker first met Jerbi shortly after the Hamilton shooting. Having a pastor present at rallies and marches was a welcome surprise, Tucker said.
“I had never seen somebody walking alongside me sharing the same beliefs I have as a Christian, and that was amazing to see,” she said.
Jerbi, who counseled the Hamilton family, now counts them among his friends. Dontre’s mother, Maria, said Jerbi has been a constant source of support for the family, even as the rallies and marches have waned.
“I was lost at the point. I was disconnected spiritually,” Maria Hamilton said. “I needed to have the presence of the Lord around me. And Steve and his congregation and their love and their passion for worship kept me afloat.”
All Peoples is home to a young and diverse congregation. Jerbi said he works to make sure his presence in and outside the church is supportive and that he doesn’t override or appropriate other voices.
“The layers of privilege are something that I strive to keep in front of me because I want to lead with integrity,” he said. “But also recognize that with this privilege comes an opportunity to leverage some power.”
A new start
A pastor’s kid, Jerbi spent much of his adolescence in rural Illinois. In summer months, he worked at church camps, which first ignited his desire to be a pastor.
Jerbi studied environmental studies and English literature as an undergrad at the University of Montana. He later graduated from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago with an emphasis in environmental ministry. Jerbi said he originally planned to take to the woods once he was ordained, but an internship at a church similar to All Peoples made clear that he was called to work within urban ministries.
Jerbi said he has loved his time in Milwaukee. But he would often pray about whether he was still called to lead at All Peoples or if it was time to move on and minister elsewhere. A year ago, Jerbi got his first “maybe.” And in early July, he announced that he was leaving.
In some ways, the Los Angeles church will be a big change for Jerbi. Bethel Encino is in an affluent area of Los Angeles and is not as diverse as All Peoples. But there are strong similarities.
“It’s a congregation that’s willing to look outside its walls first, which has been the hallmark of All Peoples,” he said.
Bethel leaders are hoping to diversify and grow the congregation, said Richard Newcomb, chair of the pastoral search committee. The church also wants to emphasize mission-based work, and Newcomb said Jerbi’s creativity and entrepreneurial smarts will work well with those goals.
“He’s the best fit for our congregation. It’s unbelievable,” Newcomb said.
The Rev. Paul D. Erickson, bishop of the ELCA’s Greater Milwaukee Synod, said he expects Jerbi to make as much of a differ on the West Coast as he did in Milwaukee.
“Steve’s going to make an impact wherever he goes,” Erickson said. “Steve leads with his heart, but his head and his hands aren’t far behind.”