Rev. Erik Koepnick

Rev. Erik J. Koepnick is passionate about providing spiritual care and wellness coaching to folks seeking to connect with the divine spark within. They hold a Master of Divinity degree from Chicago Theological Seminary where they began their ministry of care with youth and young adults experiencing homelessness. Erik was ordained to community outreach and social justice ministry in the United Church of Christ while serving as the Manager of Volunteers at the Guest House of Milwaukee, an agency providing life-giving services to people recovering from homelessness, addiction, and mental illness.

In 2014, Erik’s LGBTQ+ advocacy provided them the privilege of presiding over the first same-sex marriage in Wisconsin, when it became legalized during Obergefell v. Hodges. Through a commitment to continued education and personal growth, Erik has developed an open-hearted pastoral approach that is person-centered, trauma-informed, and diversity-affirming. Erik believes that more people and communities can thrive through engaging spiritual wellness, no matter if they are religious or not, and that all people may benefit from spiritual care. Erik recently founded Beloved Spirit, a nonprofit empowering spiritual wellness especially for burned-out activists, community change agents, and caregivers of all sorts. They live in Milwaukee, WI with their beloved, Ryan.