The Rev. Suzanne Stierwalt
Pastor
Hey friends! I'm Pastor Suzanne (that's The Rev. Suzanne Michelle Stierwalt when the
occasion calls for it), and I've been thrilled to serve Pastor at St. Andrew Lutheran
Church in Portsmouth, Virginia, since 2016—yep, that means we're heading into year
ten of this beautiful adventure together!
My journey started with hospital chaplaincy, a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at
Riverside Hospital in Newport News where I volunteered for two years, I earned my BA
in Religious Studies, graduating with honors in 2012 from Virginia Wesleyan College,
where I was part of Omicron Delta Kappa. From there, I dove into seminary
life—studying at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria while also soaking up
Lutheran theology at Gettysburg Seminary. It was quite the balancing act: full-time mom
duties, cheering on my husband's Navy career, and living out that exciting Lutheran-
Episcopal (Luthopalian) partnership in ministry. We made it work, one chaotic day at a
time!
After graduation and an exciting vicar year at St. Mark’s Lutheran in Yorktown, God led
me straight here to St. Andrew, where I got to jump in with both feet. Loving this
community has been one of the biggest blessings of my life.
At home, I'm married to my amazing husband, CDR Joseph Stierwalt, USN (retired),
and we're the proud parents of two wonderful daughters: Elaina (son-in-law, Nick) and
Jillian. But let's be real—the true VIPs are our sweet granddaughter Zara Belle and our
precious grandson Zaiden Nicholas. Our house is never quiet, thanks to our furry crew:
Freyja Fiona (the hippo) and Roscoe P. Soultrain (the dynamic dog duo), plus CeCe the
Cat, who thinks she’s a dog.
Fun fact: Joe and I are novice ballroom dancers, and our favorite style is East Coast
Swing! We love to travel; our favorite spots are New Orleans and Tuscany with
Budapest falling close behind. When we snag a minute of "spare time" you’ll find us
listening to albums while tackling massive jigsaw puzzles (the 1,000-piece ones that test
our patience and our marriage—in the best way possible!).
Deep down, I live by this truth: We're all beloved children of one gracious God, saved
purely by grace through Jesus Christ—no earning required. Every person deserves
God's love and basic human dignity, and a safe space to worship, full stop. I especially
light up around the kids here at St. Andrew—our Littles, Middles, and Bigs. I love when
they run in and get settled into our praygroud.
As a proud military daughter, sister, and spouse, I'm passionate about mental health
awareness, walking alongside folks experiencing homelessness, and advocating for
anyone living on the edges of society. If you're looking for a church that says, "Come as
you are—God loves all y'all, and so do we," pull up a chair. I'm here with open arms, a
listening ear, and probably a stash of extra chocolate, oh…and a great cup of coffee.
Blessings of peace, abundance and all the love,
Pastor Suzanne
occasion calls for it), and I've been thrilled to serve Pastor at St. Andrew Lutheran
Church in Portsmouth, Virginia, since 2016—yep, that means we're heading into year
ten of this beautiful adventure together!
My journey started with hospital chaplaincy, a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at
Riverside Hospital in Newport News where I volunteered for two years, I earned my BA
in Religious Studies, graduating with honors in 2012 from Virginia Wesleyan College,
where I was part of Omicron Delta Kappa. From there, I dove into seminary
life—studying at Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria while also soaking up
Lutheran theology at Gettysburg Seminary. It was quite the balancing act: full-time mom
duties, cheering on my husband's Navy career, and living out that exciting Lutheran-
Episcopal (Luthopalian) partnership in ministry. We made it work, one chaotic day at a
time!
After graduation and an exciting vicar year at St. Mark’s Lutheran in Yorktown, God led
me straight here to St. Andrew, where I got to jump in with both feet. Loving this
community has been one of the biggest blessings of my life.
At home, I'm married to my amazing husband, CDR Joseph Stierwalt, USN (retired),
and we're the proud parents of two wonderful daughters: Elaina (son-in-law, Nick) and
Jillian. But let's be real—the true VIPs are our sweet granddaughter Zara Belle and our
precious grandson Zaiden Nicholas. Our house is never quiet, thanks to our furry crew:
Freyja Fiona (the hippo) and Roscoe P. Soultrain (the dynamic dog duo), plus CeCe the
Cat, who thinks she’s a dog.
Fun fact: Joe and I are novice ballroom dancers, and our favorite style is East Coast
Swing! We love to travel; our favorite spots are New Orleans and Tuscany with
Budapest falling close behind. When we snag a minute of "spare time" you’ll find us
listening to albums while tackling massive jigsaw puzzles (the 1,000-piece ones that test
our patience and our marriage—in the best way possible!).
Deep down, I live by this truth: We're all beloved children of one gracious God, saved
purely by grace through Jesus Christ—no earning required. Every person deserves
God's love and basic human dignity, and a safe space to worship, full stop. I especially
light up around the kids here at St. Andrew—our Littles, Middles, and Bigs. I love when
they run in and get settled into our praygroud.
As a proud military daughter, sister, and spouse, I'm passionate about mental health
awareness, walking alongside folks experiencing homelessness, and advocating for
anyone living on the edges of society. If you're looking for a church that says, "Come as
you are—God loves all y'all, and so do we," pull up a chair. I'm here with open arms, a
listening ear, and probably a stash of extra chocolate, oh…and a great cup of coffee.
Blessings of peace, abundance and all the love,
Pastor Suzanne
Mrs. Alyssa Harney
Communications Director
and
Music Director
Hi! My name is Alyssa and I am the Music Minister and Communications Director here at St. Andrew! I help shape the sound and spirit of weekly worship. I LOVE collaborating with others musicians and finding meaningful ways music can enhance worship. I believe that music has a unique way of bringing people together helps point our hearts and attention toward Jesus, creating space to encounter God in worship.
Outside of church, I'm married to my best friend, and fellow musician, Tyler. Together we have two daughters; Kennedy and Scarlett. We love spending time together going to places like the Norfolk Botanical Gardens and Busch Gardens. Additionally, I am a private voice and piano instructor as well as Assistant Program Director with a performing art school.
Isaiah 43:2
Outside of church, I'm married to my best friend, and fellow musician, Tyler. Together we have two daughters; Kennedy and Scarlett. We love spending time together going to places like the Norfolk Botanical Gardens and Busch Gardens. Additionally, I am a private voice and piano instructor as well as Assistant Program Director with a performing art school.
Isaiah 43:2
Mrs. Alex Reid
Sexton
Hello! I'm Alex and I have made it my mission to help keep St Andrew a clean and welcoming environment where our Church family can worship but also outside groups meet and special events can be held. Recently I have also started providing services to the Brave New School that is located in the same building and have been working at another organization since 2019. My "spare time" is spent with my family which consists of my husband and better half, Victor and our daughter Julianna (Juju). Last but not least there is our Zoo, which consists of: 2 dogs, Sparky the ( napoleon syndrome chihuahua), Echo ( gentle giant husky/pit), Coco the ( neurotic Cockatoo), 7 chickens, Juju's Ferret (Livvy) and Jessica the Hermit crab. As you can imagine, life gets hectic but I can honestly say that St Andrew has become my home away from home and I have enjoyed working with everyone in this Church family.