Rev. Matthew M. Hummel, M.A., STS
Pastor Hummel began his call at Saint Stephen’s on the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6th) 2003. Before that he served parishes in Hempstead, LI, Port Jefferson Station, LI and Westminster MD.
Pastor Hummel grew up on the South Shore of Long Island where he developed a life-long love of the ocean and bays. He has a B.A. in Environmental Sciences (Virginia 1982) and an M.Div from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (1987) and an M.A. in Spirituality from Saint Mary’s Seminary and University (2004). For Pastor Hummel, there is no contradiction inherent with these three degrees. Methodological naturalism is not the same as metaphysical naturalism. It was while at Seminary that he met his wife Anne. They were married after his ordination and have a daughter and a son. Pastor Hummel is a member of the Society of the Holy Trinity and has been elected Dean of the Delmarva Conference of the Delaware-Maryland Synod.
He is a reading omnivore, with interests in spirituality, history, science and theology, and fiction. As a teen-ager, he discovered the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis and they have helped shape his sense of call. Pastor Hummel also emphatically believes that one can read the Harry Potter novels and not endanger one’s salvation.
The SonRise Service that is held on the 1st Sunday of every month at 2 PM arose out of Pastor Hummel’s experience growing up the youngest of 3 children in a family whose eldest child had autism.