
Based in Chicago, Kevin works in the Global Mission unit of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) as Manager for Relationships to East and Southern Africa. Kevin's main responsibility is facilitating and strengthening existing relationships between various Lutheran churches across the East and Southern Africa region with different expressions of the ELCA: congregations, synods, colleges/universities and seminaries. He is involved in strategic planning for the relationships, conducting orientation programs and seminars for travelers and visitors, establishing dynamic networks, and producing resources.
After graduating from CIE Kevin worked as Director for Global Mission Education also in the Global Mission unit of the ELCA for 11 years. In 2007 he was asked to work in Leadership Training and Development and as a Parish Pastor in Suriname, South America. He lived and worked in Suriname, learning Dutch and teaching theology at the Moravian Seminary, from 2008 – 2017 when he left and began his new position in Chicago. He also studied at Loyola University-Chicago in Comparative and International Education.
Before studying at CIE, Kevin served as an ELCA missionary for eight years in the country of Papua New Guinea. For six years he was chair of the Religious Education Department at the University of Goroka in Papua New Guinea. His primary responsibility was to train future secondary school teachers in religious studies. Kevin also spent two years at Balob Teachers College in Lae, Papua New Guinea working as assistant to the chaplain and teaching Christian Religious Education.
Prior to his ordination Pr. Jacobson was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Liberia teaching at ZorZor Rural Teacher Training Institute. Originally from Blair, Wisconsin he grew up in a family with four sisters and five brothers, all of whom are in the field of education.[9-18]
Email: kevinjacobson23@gmail.com