Pastoral Leadership Staff
Pastoral Leadership in a Cultural Context
Marquette University
707 Building, Room 422
P.O. Box 1881
Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881
pastoral.leadership@marquette.edu
Stephen Jenks, Ph.D., Director
(414) 288-5049
Stephen comes to the Pastoral Leadership in a Cultural Context program with lay and pastoral ministry experience in virtually every aspect of church ministry. He has provided pastoral training in the US as well as in Russia, Chile, and Honduras. Recently he returned from six years living in Tegucigalpa, Honduras where he pastored Union Christian Church, an interdenominational and international congregation. In that role he collaborated with a wide range of NGOs and religious organizations engaged in education, poverty relief, medical care, economic development, etc. He is bilingual and works regularly with Spanish-speaking congregations here in Wisconsin.
Stephen received a Master of Divinity and Master of Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL and a Doctorate in Religious Studies-Systematic Theology from Marquette. His research and teaching interests concern theological interpretation of Scripture, intellectual history, and the revitalization of biblical and theological language in the modern context.
He currently lives in Racine with his wife and two daughters.
Stephen also serves as the Director of Marquette's newest Lilly Endowment Inc. initiative, "The Examen(ed) Church," established January 1, 2021. Watch for more on this program in the months ahead.
Susan Mountin, Ph.D., Senior Advisor
(414) 288-3693
Susan is a long-time member of the Marquette community. She served as a campus minister and an adjunct faculty member since 1977, teaching at various times in the College of Journalism, the Diederich College of Communication, the College of Education, the Honors Program, and the Theology Department.
She holds a master's degree in theological studies from St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee and a doctorate in Philosophy and History of Education from Marquette University. In addition to directing the Pastoral Leadership program, Susan is the Director of Manresa for Faculty, an initiative which supports the exploration and deepening of the role of faculty in a Jesuit, Catholic institution. She regularly gives workshops and presentations on Ignatian pedagogy and the use of reflection in the classroom at conferences around the country.
Ellen Blonski, Office Associate
(414) 288-4709
Ellen also is a long-time member of the Marquette community, retiring from full time work in June 2017 after almost 31 years at Marquette. She served in a support staff role for 23 years in Campus Ministry and then in a similar role at the Faber Center for Ignatian Spirituality. These two positions have given her the opportunity to interact in various capacities with the faculty, staff and students at Marquette, as well as many faith-filled institutions throughout the Milwaukee community, other Jesuit institutions of higher education, and notable speakers from around the country. She has been blessed to return again to Marquette to work in a part time role in the Pastoral Leadership program.