The Rev. Paul W. Egertson graduated with a B.A. from Pepperdine College in 1955 and received his Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary in 1960. He spent the following years serving as a pastor of the former American Lutheran Church and received his Ph.D. from the Claremont School of Theology in 1976. He served as Bishop of the Southwest California Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America from 1995 until 2001. He resigned one month before the end of his term after ordaining a lesbian as a Pastor and taking a public stand for justice in opposition to the official policy of his denomination. He currently serves as a Senior Lecturer at the California Lutheran University where he has taught full time or part time since 1984. He has published numerous articles and book chapters and earned awards from multiple organizations for his steadfast support of the LGBT community. He and his wife, Shirley, have been married since 1956 and have six children, twelve grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.