The Rev. Stephen Holmgren has served as Rector of Grace Church since November of 2007. Prior to his call to Grand Rapids, he served as Rector of Grace Church, St. Francisville, Louisiana, and as Canon Theologian for the Diocese of Louisiana, for seven years.

Stephen began his ordained ministry in 1983, when he served as Curate at Calvary Church in Memphis, Tennessee. He was called to be Rector of Grace Church, Paris, Tennessee in 1985, where he served for three years. In 1988, he and his family returned to Oxford, England, where he had earlier completed the BA/MA degree. His Oxford doctoral studies focussed on Christian Ethics and Moral Theology, with a thesis on contemporary Christian sexual ethics. This led to his call as a professor at Nashotah House, where he taught from 1992 to 2000, having been granted tenure in 1999.

Stephen grew up primarily in Japan, where his parents served as missionaries. He went to high school at Northfield Mt. Hermon School, and college at St. Olaf and at Pacific Lutheran University, where he completed a BA in Classics and Medieval Studies.

He enjoys reading about art and architecture, and sailing his Nimble 24 sailboat whenever he can.