Rev. Dr. Stephen M. Cady II

Stephen joined the pastoral staff of Asbury First in 2012 and became the Senior Minister in 2015. A lifelong Methodist, he entered ministry in 2004 in the hope of offering a voice for inclusion and justice. During his tenure, Asbury First has become a reconciling congregation (a network of United Methodist churches clear about LGBTQ inclusion) and has renewed its commitment to racial equity and justice. Regularly preaching and speaking around the country, Stephen has been the keynote speaker for the Rochester Citywide Martin Luther King Jr. celebration and received the Denman Award for Evangelism from the Upper New York Annual Conference.

Prior to his appointment at Asbury First, Stephen served as the minister of Kingston UMC in Kingston, NJ, which was designated during his time as a teaching congregation for young adults. He also served for four years as the associate minister of Park Ridge Community Church in Park Ridge, IL.

Stephen received his PhD in Practical Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary. His dissertation put the rich theology of Howard Thurman in conversation with the worship practices of contemporary youth and young adults. Stephen has been named a Timothy Scholar by the United Methodist Foundation for Evangelism, was twice the recipient of a Dempster Fellowship through the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, and is a John Wesley Fellow. He attended seminary at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary on the campus of Northwestern University and currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School.

Stephen grew up in Olathe, KS and attended Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware, OH) where he received a BA in Theatre. He was active on the stage and in commercials prior to entering seminary. Stephen and his wife, Emily, have three children, Ellie, Charlie and Hannah. Stephen enjoys running, collecting Superman memorabilia, and teaching people how to yo-yo.