330 Scenic Dr., Clarkdale, AZ 86324, USA
About Us
Rev. Conrad A. Braaten
Rev. Conrad Braaten is the interim Pastor for Spirit of Joy Lutheran Church in Clarkdale, AZ.
Rev. Braaten retired in 2012 as Senior Pastor of Lutheran Church of the Reformation, an historic ELCA congregation on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, A graduate of St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN, and Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, MN, Pastor Braaten has worked in ordained ministry since 1972. During this time, he has served for over 33 years in parish ministry, 4 years as part of the national executive staff of the ELCA, working in the areas of urban ministry and public church, and 5 years as the
Director of various Lutheran church-based educational organizations in south Florida. He was a member of the church-wide Board of Global Mission of the American Lutheran Church for 6 years and has served on the Board of Directors of numerous faith-based community organizations – locally, nationally and internationally. He has been a consultant in the areas of congregational leadership development and conflict resolution. In retirement, Pastor Braaten has worked with two Interim assignments and has chaired the GCS Retirees Retreat for 7 years. In 2015 he co-founded the Forgotten Luther Project, which has published three congregational study- books on dimensions of Martin Luther’s theology and practice that has been largely overlooked in the past 500 years. A fourth book is in process.
Conrad has been married for over 55 years to Dr. Jennifer L. Braaten, President Emeritus of Ferrum College, Ferrum, VA [United Methodist Church affiliation] and former President of Midland Lutheran College, Fremont NE. They have two married children: Kirsten, a former corporate COO in Delray Beach, FL, and Conrad Donald, a Doctor of Osteopathic
Medicine specializing in Internal Medicine in High Point, NC.
Pastor Sharon Brown
Pastor Sharon retired January 15, 2025.
The Rev. Sharon R. Brown was born and raised in Norwalk, Ohio by faithful and loving parents in a family of six children. She married Patrick Brown in 1979 and earned a B.A. in Theatre from Butler University in Indianapolis May 1987, two months before welcoming their third child. Returning to Ohio in 1998 to be closer to both Pat and Sharon’s parents, she worked in administration at Oberlin Conservatory for 13 years.
In January 2008, with the support of her home congregation, St. Peter Lutheran in Norwalk, she entered the pilot Master of Divinity degree program at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota that allowed her to continue working full time during her studies. In addition, she served for three years as Seminarian in Residence at St. John Lutheran Church in Sandusky, Ohio as part of her contextual mentorship requirement. Her internship congregation was Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Congregation in Sandusky. She graduated from Luther in May 2013 and was assigned to the Northeastern Ohio Synod of the ELCA. She was subsequently called to Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wooster, Ohio and was ordained August 2, 2013. Reverend Brown served the faithful people of Salem for five years prior to her call to Spirit of Joy.
She and Patrick have three adult children and nine grandchildren who bless and delight them. They give thanks for the technology that allows them to stay connected to family.
Pastor Sharon retired January 15, 2025.
Organist/Choir Director
Nancy Bright
Nancy has been with Spirit of Joy since our first worship service in 1993
Office Administrator
Rosie West
Rosie handles phone calls, power point presentations, and the newsletter and calendar and everything else that needs doing in the church office.