Tricia Payne

Tricia A. Payne, MDiv, MS, BS

Tricia A. Payne is a commissioned pastor, endorsed chaplain, and conference leader with more than 15 years of pastoral leadership and a preaching ministry spanning more than 25 years.

Before entering full-time pastoral ministry, Payne practiced as a physical therapist in Canada and the United States, serving patients across diverse healthcare settings. She later transitioned from her career in healthcare to embrace God’s call to full-time pastoral ministry—a journey that continues to shape her commitment to holistic care, spiritual formation, and the well-being of those who serve others.

Payne has served congregations throughout the Lake Region Conference in both lead and associate pastoral roles, ministering in settings ranging from small congregations to large urban churches. Her ministry has included pastoral care, preaching and worship, discipleship, evangelism, community engagement, and leading congregations through seasons of transition and growth. She currently serves as an Associate Ministerial Director for the Lake Region Conference and lead pastor of the Ecorse Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Her broader church leadership has included service as Women’s Ministries Director for the Lake Region Conference, as well as membership on the Lake Region Conference Executive Committee, North American Division Executive Committee, NAD Ministerial Advisory, and NAD Women Clergy Advisory.

Payne has a particular passion for clergy well-being and the cultivation of spiritually healthy and sustainable ministry. She approaches ministry as participation in God’s redemptive work and is passionate about embracing, encouraging, equipping, and empowering clergy to flourish in their God-given calling as they serve Christ, His church, and their communities.

Payne holds a Master of Divinity from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University, a Master of Science in Physical Therapy, and a Bachelor of Science in Anatomy and Physiology, summa cum laude, from Andrews University.

Payne and her husband, Shawn, make their home in Michigan. Among the Scriptures that have guided her ministry is 1 Corinthians 12:11, with its affirmation that the Spirit gives to each person “individually as He wills”—a truth that has deeply shaped her understanding of God’s call and the gifts He entrusts to His people.