Steve Pankey was born in Harvey, Illinois, in 1980. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Millersville University in Millsersville, Pennsylvania, in 2002 before earning his Master of Divinity from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2007; shortly thereafter he was ordained a priest. He served as Associate Rector of St. Paul’s Church in Foley, Alabama, from 2007 to 2016. In 2017, he earned his Doctor of Ministry from the University of the South School of Theology at Sewanee. That same year, he began serving as Rector of Christ Church in Bowling Green, Kentucky, a position he still holds.
Prior to his election as the 16th Vice President of the House of Deputies at the 2024 General Convention in Louisville, Kentucky, Pankey served in multiple positions at the diocesan and national levels, including on the Executive Council from 2020 to 2022 and as a deputy to General Convention.