Pastor Ashley speaking at Prayers Across the Ville in the Sumner Pavilion
Rev. Richard E. Ashley
Rev. Richard E. Ashley is a native St. Louisan. He and his lovely wife Gwendolyn Sykes-Ashley came to St. Philip's in the fall of 2019. Pastor Ashley, in collaboration with the church council, is working to position St. Philip’s Evangelical Lutheran Church as a beacon of light, hope, and love in the Ville community. His mission is to make St. Philip’s a safe space for those who have been rejected and neglected by the broader society. Under his leadership, our church practices radical love and hospitality to all who come to this house of worship.
As a community leader and representative, Pastor Ashley seeks coalitions with the political leadership of our community, opening our church for townhalls, job fairs, and other activities which bless our neighborhood. He forged a relationship with the urban league of Metropolitan St. louis to ensure that hand sanitizer, face masks, and covid-19 shots were available in our underserved community. In addition, St. Philip's joined the Urban League’s Grill to Glory initiative, providing free grilled hot dogs soda and chips. Pastor Ashley and our Grill Master Deacon Gerald Hutchinson are committed to provide additional food stuffs, clothing, and NARCAN to our impoverished community.
Pastor Ashley originally comes from a Baptist background, holding a Master of Divinity Degree from Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Shawnee, KS. He believes firmly in the ecumenical message of the ELCA, and is always looking for opportunities to collaborate with our non-Lutheran siblings in the Ville community. He has forged alliances with many social justice and outreach organizations, such as God's Helping Hands, the Restorative Justice Movement, the St. Louis Clergy Coalson, and The Ville Collaborative. In 2021, he was recognized for his work in the community by the Empowerment Network, a community-based organization that supplies advice and support to the survivors of prostate cancer.
On December 18, 2021, Sister Gwendolyn Ashley went from labor to reward. Pastor Ashley was married to this brilliant, lovely woman of God for thirty-seven years. Her love continues to fuel and inform the ministry
that Pastor Ashley shares with St. Philip’s Evangelical Lutheran Church.
​