Kraft Accepts Call to St. Paul's, Suamico

The Rev. Bobbi Kraft has accepted a call to serve as Vicar of St. Paul's, Suamico.

The Rev. Roberta “Bobbi” Kraft has accepted a call to serve as Vicar at St. Paul Episcopal Church, Suamico. She has served as curate at Holy Spirit Episcopal Church, Waco, Texas since 2018 as an assistant to the rector with pastoral responsibility. Ordained to the diaconate by Bishop Matthew Gunter in December 2017, she completed a Masters of Divinity at the Virginia Theological Seminary in May 2018 and was ordained to the priesthood in July 2018.
 
Prior to her discernment of a call to the priesthood, Bobbi was an active member of Grace Episcopal Church, Sheboygan where she served as Senior Warden. She was active in diocesan ministry including volunteering at the diocesan summer camp. She served as a deputy to General Convention in 2015.

St. Paul Episcopal Church is located at 2809 Flintville Road in Suamico, just northwest of Green Bay.

St. Paul's has served the Suamico area for over 135 years from its beginnings when a group of English immigrant ladies met for prayer services.  It is a worshiping community of about 50 people. Located in one of the faster growing areas of Wisconsin, the call of Kraft as Vicar is as a priest developer, missionary and evangelist.  As was noted in the search profile, It is our hope that this person will equip and partner with us to engage in God’s work in our neighborhood. A three funding commitment has been made to the position from an outside grant and a grant from the diocesan Green Bay Area Ministry Fund.

“St. Paul's is in the center of a ripe opportunity for development. With the guidance of Mthr. Bobbi, the commitment of the laity of the church, and the financial support provided through the diocese, it is our hope and prayer that in three years there is a congregation vital and strong enough to consider moving from mission to parish status" Bishop Matthew Gunter shared. "This is part of what I spoke about in a Pastoral Address when I said we, the church, need to be on offense rather than playing defense."

It is hoped that Mthr. Bobbi's first Sunday will be June 23rd. Learn more about St. Paul's , Suamico at stpaulsuamicowi.com.