Rev. Stephen Bennett

Steve was born in Red Bank, New Jersey, the second child in a family of five children. His father was employed in civil service for the Department of the Navy. His father's work took the family overseas where they lived for a while in Trinidad and the Panama Canal Zone. When he was ten Steve's family moved to Florida where he finished his public education graduating from Sarasota High School in 1963. It was just two days after graduating that he felt God’s call to ministry.     

He received his preparation for ministry at Asbury University (A.B., 1967) and Asbury Theological Seminary (M.Div, 1971) and later at Yale University Divinity School (S.T.M., 1977). He also completed chaplain residencies at Yale-New Haven Medical Center 1976-77, and Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta, 1984-1985.     

Steve served United Methodist Churches in Aberdeen and Dayton, Ohio, prior to entering the Army Chaplaincy in 1973 at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He was also assigned to the U.S. Army Hospital, Würzburg, Germany, 1977-80; First Cavalry Division, Fort Hood, Texas, 1981-84; U.S. Army Signal Center and School, Fort Gordon, Georgia, 1985-88; Frankfurt Military Community and Fifth Corps, Frankfurt, Germany, 1988-90; and Chief of the Religious Activities Branch, U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas, 1990-93.          

Upon retiring from active military service in 1993 Steve was appointed as pastor of Aley United Methodist Church in the Dayton area and in 2001 to Westwood United Methodist Church in Cincinnati. In 2008 he was appointed District Superintendent of the Northwest Plains District of the United Methodist Church here in Ohio. He retired from active ministry in 2014 and now enjoys volunteering. In his free time Steve enjoys traveling, history and working on his family tree.     

Steve is married to the former Madora Nelson, a retired school teacher. They have two boys. Steve, Jr., married to Emiko, is an oil and gas attorney in Houston. They have two boys. Michael is a pilot with Delta Airlines and a Lt. Col. in the Air Force Reserve. He is married to Anna, and they have seven-year-old twins, a boy and a girl, and live in Ottawa Hills.