Michael Schiefelbein

Schiefelbein grew up in Topeka, Kansas.[3]

He spent the first thirty years of his life following Catholicism, including a decade during which he trained to become a Catholic priest.[3] However, he stopped training when he accepted his identity as a gay man.[3]

While in Memphis teaching at Christian Brothers University, Schiefelbein joined the United Church of Christ, a Protestant denomination that was more accepting of Schiefelbein's sexuality.[3]

Schiefelbein later moved to Modesto, California and became the pastor of College Avenue Congregational Church.

Schiefelbein is married to Steve Klinkerman.[4]

Schiefelbein attended a Roman Catholic high school in Topeka, Kansas.[3] After graduation, he studied for a decade to become a Catholic priest, during which time he accepted his identity as a gay man, after which he left his training.[3] Schiefelbein then received a Doctor of Philosophy in English from the University of Maryland.[3]

While in Memphis teaching at Christian Brothers University, Schiefelbein joined the United Church of Christ, a Protestant denomination that was more accepting of Schiefelbein's sexuality.[3] In 2006, he received a Master of Divinity from the Memphis Theological Seminary[4] and became an ordained minister.[3]

In the 1990s, Schiefelbein became a professor of English in the literature and languages department of Christian Brothers University (CBU) in Memphis, Tennessee.

While teaching at CBU, Schiefelbein published his first novel, Vampire Vow, which was later followed by three more vampire novels.[3] The books take place during the time of Jesus's life and have homosexuality as a major theme.[3]

Together with his spouse, Schiefelbein created and led Pilgrim House, "an intentional residential community in Memphis, which practiced simple living and offered shelter to people in need."[4]