• • Associate Director of the Deaconess Formation Programs

Biography

Deaconess Amy (Engelbrecht) Rast has served as associate director of deaconess formation at Concordia
Theological Seminary since 2013.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in social work at St. Francis College in Fort Wayne (1990), a master’s in
social work with concentrations in service to family and children, and community organization at the
University of Michigan (1991), and most recently a Master of Deaconess Studies at Concordia
Theological Seminary (2013).

From 1991 to 1996 she was a social worker for Catholic Charities in Nashville, Tennessee, serving in
child abuse prevention, marriage, family and school counseling, and welfare to work programs. She
served at Lutheran Social Services of Indiana (2000–2008), as counseling services director for seven
years. Most recently she was a marriage and family counselor and lay counselor trainer/coordinator at
Cross Connections Counseling in Fort Wayne (2009–2014).

She is married to the Rev. Dr. Lawrence Rast Jr.; they have three children, Lawrence III, Karl, and
Joanna.