Pastor Susan Williamson

Rev. Susan J. Williamson began leading worship with Our Saviour's Lutheran Church on April 7, 2024. A graduate of Salem College in West Virginia with a double major in Human Relations and Oral Communications. Susan attended the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, received a Masters of Divinity, and was ordained in February of 2007. While attending Seminary, she had two daughters attending universities as well. Her oldest daughter Ruth was at Susquehanna University, and her youngest daughter Sarah, was at Penn State University. Susan was married for 43 years to her husband George who died in February of 2019. 

Susan served as a per diem Chaplain at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center before accepting her first call in congregational ministry. Susan holds a certificate in Transitional Ministry and Training from the Lutheran Transitional Ministry Association (LuTMA). She currently serves on the Board of Directors and as the Chair of the Education Committee of LuTMA. Before ordination, Susan served in various church positions in her local congregation and at the synodical level. She had the opportunity to attend two church-wide assemblies as a voting member as well as the 10th Lutheran World Federation (LWF) assembly in Winnipeg, Canada. 

Ecumenical and community relations have always been important to Susan. Her community involvement has included serving on the American Heart Association Local Board, Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries Home Board, and the Penn State University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee as the community and ethics representative. She is also active with the community Interfaith Human Services Board and the Ecumenical Leaders Table. 

Before Seminary, Susan worked for various nonprofit organizations including the YMCA and the Boy Scouts of America. She was a substitute teacher in public and private schools, and she worked in sales for both radio and television. She also did contract work in fundraising for a local hospital and children’s aid society. Susan has always had a love for the water, and one of her fondest memories is crewing for her father on a small sailboat with the local sailing club. 

Susan hails from Pennsylvania and has also lived in West Virginia and New Jersey. She and her late husband owned a dog-breeding kennel in the past, raised and competed field trial English Setters, and enjoyed participating in the American Field Trials with their dogs and horses. Susan has always loved animals, and currently has a 5-year-old Labrador Retriever named Isabella. Susan enjoys the craft of storytelling and belongs to the Network of International Biblical Storytellers and the MOTH nonprofit storytelling group based out of New York City. 

Susan has served in a two-point church model in Central Pennsylvania for 17 years. She is passionate about empowering discipleship and supporting God’s people as we actively live out our faith in an ever-changing world.