Rev. Sharai Jacob ’19 answers call with courage, conviction

The Rev. Sharai Jacob ’19 is in her first year serving as the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chicago, a calling the Carthage College alumna has been “waiting to step into for 12 years.”

“I first felt called into the ministry in ninth grade,” Pastor Jacob says. “I prayed every night for six months before I went to bed and asked God to tell me what to do with my life. Every time I would say ‘Amen,’ the word ‘preach’ would pop into my head.”

Preaching was a familiar vocation, considering her dad was both a pastor and anti-apartheid activist in South Africa, where she spent her childhood. However, she wasn’t as comfortable speaking in public or being in the spotlight.

“I cried into my pillow one Thursday night,” Pastor Jacob remembers. “I said, ‘God, if this is really what you want me to do, I need you to be louder.’”

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At a church gathering that night, a guest preacher prayed over her in front of the congregation.

The Rev. Sharai Jacob ’19, middle, is one of three pastors at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chicago. She serves alongside the Rev. Michelle Sevig, left, and the Rev. Craig Mueller, right.“God saw every tear that fell on your pillow last night,” said the visitor, who then shared a vision of her ministering to people around the world. That moment provided the clarity she’d been seeking.

“I was so elated to have that kind of response to my prayer,” Pastor Jacob says.

Then the dominoes fell into place. Shortly thereafter, she was awarded a Bridges Scholarship, which provided full tuition for both an undergraduate degree at Carthage and a seminary degree at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

“When my family and I looked at Carthage’s campus, I knew it was where I was supposed to be,” Pastor Jacob recalls.

She majored in psychology, met her best friend on the first day of school, joined Japanese Club, and created a close-knit community with international students from Ghana and Kenya.

During her time at Carthage, she also found multiple mentors, including the Rev. Kara Baylor — then the campus pastor. Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the College welcomes students of all faith traditions through its Center for Faith and Spirituality.

“Although we debated a lot, Pastor Kara taught me how to think about what I believed,” says Pastor Jacob.

Another mentor was the Rev. Jens Notstad, an Anglican priest in the area. Rev. Notstad encouraged her to play a pivotal role in creating a campus ministry for students of color.

Primarily at Holy Trinity’s South Loop campus, Pastor Jacob now preaches, works with the church’s reparations team, serves unhoused individuals through the Community Table program, and provides pastoral support on local college campuses.

“A lot of the work that I’m doing now is work that I was trained in at Carthage — in an environment where I felt safe, and where I had communities and professors who were there to give me guidance,” she says.

Pastor Jacob’s commitment to personal faith, family legacy, and Carthage’s Lutheran tradition serves as an inspiration to students as they step into their own callings with courage and conviction.

This profile, part of a series highlighting alumni in faith-based occupations, is written by Lauren Hansen ’10, M.Ed. ’15, an author, podcaster, and former Carthage alumni director.