Jae Bates

Jae is a queer, trans, Korean adoptee who grew up in MN, was transformed by the good folks of Tacoma, WA, and has returned to live in MN once again. He is a pastor by training, preacher and storyteller by nature, evangelist by calling, and a scholar by necessity. He is currently the Program Manager for the ELCA's Leadership Network, is an approved candidate for rostered ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and a PhD candidate studying the role of storytelling and narrative in spiritual harm and healing for international adoptees. Jae's passion for evangelism, storytelling, and scholarship intersect in his work to promote biblical literacy, nonviolent communication skills, intentional storytelling, and practices that promote lived experiences of forgiveness, reconciliation, and transformative justice.