Rev. Stanley Lacey serves as the first pastor of St. Thomas Evangelical Lutheran Church (UAC), a new church plant of the English District of the LCMS here in Texas.

Pastor Lacey was born and raised in central Alabama. Though he grew up Roman Catholic, he became Lutheran after meeting his future wife, Payton, at the University of Alabama—and reading the Augsburg Confession for the first time. That encounter with the Lutheran confession of faith proved life-changing.

After graduating from UA with a degree in music and marrying Payton, he worked for a time in a cabinet shop before beginning seminary studies at Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He earned his M.Div. in 2021 and received his first call to serve a mission congregation of the English District in north-central West Virginia—St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church. After three years of pastoral ministry there, he accepted the call to serve at St. Thomas in Texas.

Stanley and Payton have been married nearly ten years and are raising five young children: Andy, James, Myra, Sophia, and John. As a homeschooling family, their life is full—and often loud—with everything from prayer and read-alouds to tea parties, wrestling matches, gardening projects, and the occasional loaf of homemade bread.

Pastor Lacey is passionate about preaching Christ crucified, delivering Christ’s saving and sustaining Sacraments to His people, teaching the faith, and walking alongside families as they strive to live the Christian life in their homes and communities. He considers it a great joy to serve a second church plant—this time in the South—and is excited to see how the Lord will build His Church in Magnolia.