Craig Mueller

The Rev. Dr. Craig Mueller served as pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago from 1999 - 2026. During this time the congregation initiated a second site in the South Loop, sharing space with Grace Episcopal Church.

Previously he served parishes in Chicago and Saint Paul. Craig has a Doctor of Ministry in liturgy and a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago (LSTC), and a Bachelor of Arts in music education from Gustavus Adolphus College.

Craig’s lifelong passion is liturgy, one of the reasons he has been drawn to the Episcopal church since high school. He is deeply committed to ecumenism and is thrilled to affiliate with Saint James. Craig’s publications include Preparing the Assembly’s Worship: A Handbook for Worship Planning; Any Body There? Worship and Being Human in a Digital Age; Indexes for Evangelical Lutheran Worship and All Creation Sings, sometimes called “Craig’s list,” a compilation of 20 suggested hymns for each Sunday and festival in the church year; and a variety of liturgical texts and essays.

In addition to being a spiritual director, Craig is auxiliary professor of Spiritual Formation at LSTC and co-director of Soul Care, a spiritual director training program, also at LSTC.

Craig and his spouse, Ernest Vasseur, divide their time between their high-rise condo in Edgewater and a log cabin in oak woodland near Woodstock, IL.  He enjoys cooking, hiking, reading, traveling, playing the piano, the choral music of J.S. Bach and the musicals of Stephen Sondheim.