Profile -- Pastor Sjauken

Copyright (C) 2010 by Kevin L. O'Brien

John Edward Sjauken was born in 1908 in New York state. He graduated from Concordia College in 1929, then went to the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, graduating with a Master of Sacred Theology. His first church posting was to a mission church in the Bronx, New York City. Being during the Great Depression, he joined the Army Reserve to supplement his income. When the US entered World War II in 1941, his unit was called up, but he decided to serve, and he went with the Second Army Corp to Africa as a chaplain. He later served in Sicily and Italy under Gen. Patton, and participated in the D-Day invasion, coming ashore at Omaha Beach. In France he received the Bronze Star and the Chaplain's Medal for Heroism, and was promoted to Major before retiring in 1945. Upon his return to the States, he went back to the seminary and received a Doctor of Ministry with an emphasis on education, and taught Religion at Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY. In 1949 he took a church in Syracuse, NY, and became the Fire Department chaplain. In 1956 he came to Denver to found the Sunday School Wing of the Denver Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, and acted as its director until he retired in 1978. Yet he remained active in the church, conducting visitations with seniors and shut-ins. In 1987 he left the church entirely to start a homeless shelter, catering to families and single parents with children. Though there was no shortage of people needing assistance, he has been able to help a large number of them turn their lives around and get off the streets.

Pastor Sjauken first met Medb hErenn in Europe and he helped her stop the Fomorians from using the war to reclaim their rule over the world. She was instrumental in helping him get his shelter started, and continues to fund it to this day, and she is the primary benefactor behind his efforts to rehabilitate his patrons. He first met the Girls when Sunny came to Denver looking for Eile, hoping she could protect her from the people trying to kidnap her. She hid out among the homeless for a time, and one of the few places where she felt safe was his mission. Later, the Girls hid out there together, but left when they thought he would betray them. However, he had alerted Medb they were there, and that made it possible for her to rescue them later. Since then, he has helped and advised them on a number of occasions, and they contribute time and money to his shelter whenever they can.

Pastor Sjauken is a kind, gentle, patient man, understanding, compassionate, and tolerant, but uncompromising in his belief and faith. He is pious and devout, but he does have some unorthodox ideas, and he is somewhat liberal in his outlook. For example, he is not bothered by the fact that Sunny and Eile are lovers, even though they are both girls, but he has explained that it is because he believes they are in love, not lust, and where there is true love there is no act that is inappropriate. Besides, in the end, he believes it is a matter between themselves and God, and they are the only ones who can know whether their actions are truly right. What really amazes the Girls, though, is that despite being over a hundred years old, he is still energetic and spry and shows no signs of slowing down.