Getting to know ... Ted Steinwender

An interview with Ted Steinwender, St Thomas' vestry member
By Mary Hochadel

I met with Ted to talk about his spiritual journey.
His early childhood experience with Church is from his youth in North Benton Ohio, a farming community in Northeast Ohio. He remembers being in the youth choir and recalls a picture of him in his robe. Ted’s fraternal Grandmother was a devout Christian and schooled him and his sister in the Christian faith while living with the family.
He spoke of how his father had bad feelings about the church. Ted was surprised to learn after his father grew much older how well he knew the bible. He had literally memorized it and could quote chapter and verse, especially when he was upset or wanted to make a strong point.
Ted’s grandparents were immigrants from Germany. His grandfather had served in the Prussian Cavalry for three years and later became a merchant sailor and on his third crossing to the United States he stayed. None of the grandfather’s family ever immigrated to the US.
He told how his grandmother had related stories of the hardships they had suffered in Germany that drove their decision to come to the US. One of the more interesting points was their decision to leave the Catholic Faith. They were living in the shadow of the Catholic Church and City.

Teds Mother and Father were members of the Presbyterian Church in North Benton, and while he attended as often as his parents could go, he remembers attendance being intermittent, as the family farm demanded daily effort from the family.Later, the family sold the farm and relocated to Florida, where they eventually joined the Presbyterian Church in Deland, Florida.
Ted enlisted in the Navy after high school and after his discharge, he went to college. During that time, Ted didn’t attend church.

After graduating from college, Ted relocated to Atlanta, Georgia. There he met his wife, Vicky and they were married at the Cathedral of St. Phillip where they were both members.

In 1971, Ted and Vicky moved to Sarasota, Florida, where they became members of the Church of the Redeemer. Both of their daughters were baptized in this church. After a number of relocations due to work, Ted and Vicky settled in St. Petersburg and joined St. Thomas. Their daughters attended Sunday school here.
Ted said he had a real awakening when his youngest daughter went to an evangelical church camp in Colorado and she came back a markedly changed person. She now has a daughter (aged 2) and a son (aged 1) she and her Husband are raising them in the church and she is a very devout young woman resembling her Great-grandmother from Germany.
Teds oldest daughter has a daughter named Sara (age 8) and a son (age 11). They had not been active church going members. When Ted’s daughter asked what he would like to have for Father’s Day, he asked for her children to be baptized. For a while no action was taken, but after Granddaughter Sara noted her younger cousin had been baptized at 1 year old, she asked, “Why haven’t I been baptized? When can I be baptized?” That year, Father Chris and Father John baptized both of the Children here at St. Thomas
I was very inspired by this story, for it is said, “A little child shall lead them”.

Submitted by Mary Hochadel