Lent 5: The Rev. Chelsea Stanton

The Reverend Chelsea Stanton is currently serving in her first placement as a deacon at St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church in Saint Paul. Chelsea is clergy liaison for St. John’s Faith in Action ministries and their lay leaders, in addition to preaching and writing regularly.  She was ordained to the sacred order of deacons on December 9, 2022. 

Chelsea earned a Master of Arts in Social Transformation from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities in 2016. Her formation for the diaconate was through the School for Formation. She served as a diaconal intern at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Minneapolis from 2021-2022. During the week, Chelsea works full-time as an Admin Specialist with Minnesota Council of Churches Refugee Services in Minneapolis, the local affiliate for Episcopal Migration Ministries.  

Prior to coming to Minnesota in 2014, she spent three years in Atlanta, GA as a full-time volunteer, two of them as a fellow with The Road Episcopal Service Corps. Chelsea grew up in a working-class family in central Iowa. She attended Northwestern College in Orange City, IA where she graduated in 2011 with a degree in Music Ministry.

Chelsea enjoys traveling, exploring coffee shops and bookstores, cuddling with her two adorable cats Star and Guster, and re-watching Jane the Virgin. She lives with her spouse, Jeb Rach, in the Battle Creek neighborhood of St. Paul.

Find a written copy of Chelsea's sermon here, and see a video below.