Moravian Church, Eastern District Elects President and Executive Board
The Eastern District of the Moravian Church in North America elected the Rev. David E. Bennett, of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, as its President during the 41st Eastern District Synod, held in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on June 18-21, 2008. A synod is an assembly of church delegates, including clergy and lay people, who are called together every four years for discussion, decision, and policy-making regarding church matters. The Eastern District of the Moravian Church in North America consists of 54 recognized Moravian Congregations throughout Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Ontario, Canada.
The position of Eastern District President, along with an executive board of elected lay and clergy, has supervisory responsibility for the congregations and clergy of the District, works with congregations in calling pastors, addressing conflict, establishing quotas, managing finances, and determining budgets for the various ministries that congregations do together. The Board and the President are concerned with all aspects of congregational life and ministry. They represent the entire District and not geographic areas.
In order to be elected as Eastern District President, a person must be ordained clergy serving on call to the Northern Province and is elected by Synod vote without nomination. A two-thirds majority vote is required for election. On the eleventh ballot, Bennett received 136 out of 167 legally cast votes electing him to the position, following the past president, Rev. Gary M. Straughan. Each term is four years long. In commenting on being elected to the position, Bennett stated, “It was a humbling and unexpected honor to be entrusted with this leadership position. I take great comfort in knowing I will be working in partnership with such experienced and dedicated lay and clergy leaders as are found on the Eastern District Executive Board. Together with them, I look forward to working in support of the ministry efforts of the many congregations.” Upon commenting on his acceptance to this position following his job as Chaplain at Moravian College and Theological Seminary, Rev. Bennett stated, “I will greatly miss the campus of Moravian College and Theological Seminary, but feel a great sense of privilege in being able to join in the work and mission of serving Christ, the many communities where our churches call home, and the global village of the worldwide Moravian Church.”
Raised in West Salem, Illinois, Bennett graduated from Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois, in 1985, and received a Master’s of Divinity degree from Moravian Theological Seminary, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1988. He was ordained a Deacon of the Moravian Church in 1988 and Presbyter in 1993. He has served as the pastoral leader at Millwoods Moravian Church, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (1988-1993); Rio Terrace Moravian Church, also in Edmonton (1993-1998); and Hope Moravian Church, Hope, Indiana (1998-2002). In conjunction with the time that he served as pastor of various congregations, Rev. Bennett also served as Chaplain at Moravian College and Moravian Theological Seminary (2002-2008), Member of 2004 and 2008 Synod Planning Committee, Program Director for Tar Hallow Camp, Ohio, in 2008, and is the Chair of the Provincial New Church Strategy Committee, 2020 Vision, whose goal is to have 20 new church plants in the Moravian Church, Northern Province by 2020. To find out more information about this church planting ministry, visit the website at www.moravian2020vision.org.
Rev. Bennett is married to Constance (Connie) nee Kinsey. Rev. Bennett and Connie reside in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
The newly elected members of the Executive Board include: The Rev. Michael Johnson of Brooklyn, New York, Ralph Wanamaker, Jr. of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Gary Bailey of Lititz, Pennsylvania, Richard Winans of Palmyra, New Jersey, Susan Dreydoppel of Nazareth, Pennsylvania, Blondel Jones-Grant of the Bronx, New York, Marcia Johnston of Dublin, Ohio, and the Rev. Dennis Rohn of Nazareth, Pennsylvania.
Gary Bailey
Gary Bailey is a member of Lititz Moravian Church, Lititz, Pennsylvania. He serves as Vice-chair of the Board of Elders, as well as an usher, greeter, and Diener at his local congregation. Bailey also serves as a counselor for the District Senior High Retreat at Camp Hope Conference and Renewal Center. In addition to his work for the church he has taught middle-school English for the past thirty years in the public school system.
Susan Dreydoppel
Susan Dreydoppel is a member of Schoeneck Moravian Church, Nazareth, Pennsylvania. She has served on the Eastern District Executive Board since 2002. In addition, Ms. Dreydoppel is involved in the community as a member of the Nazareth Rotary Club, has served on task forces and committees for the Nazareth Area Chamber of Commerce, and sits on the board of Moravian Hall Square and the Moravian Hall Square Historic District. She recently retired as Executive Director of the Moravian Historical Society after 18 years.
The Rev. Dr. Michael Johnson
Dr. Johnson graduated from the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica and received his Master’s of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia. He also received a post-graduate Doctorate in Ministry from Columbia Theological Seminary. Dr. Johnson has previously served under call to the Moravian Church in Jamaica. He and his wife, Carole, are the parents of two daughters, Jhonelle and Danielle.
Marcia Johnston
Marcia Johnston is a member of The Promise Moravian Church, Lewis Center, Ohio. In her service to the church, Johnston has served on the Eastern District Evangelism Commission and is the Ohio Regional Volunteer Coordinator for the Board of World Mission, as well as serving as Administrative Assistant and on the Educational Ministry Team and Care Team Ministry at her home church of The Promise Moravian. In addition to her service to the church, she serves the community as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), where she is a guardian for children in the court system usually abused or neglected and advocates for their best interests in court.
Blondel Jones-Grant
Blondel Jones-Grant is a member of United Moravian Church, New York, New York. In addition to serving on the Synod Planning Committee, she serves as Vice Chair on the Board of Elders at United Moravian, is Vice President of the Antigua and Barbuda Group United, and is a member of the Justice and Advocacy Committee with the National Council of Churches.
The Rev. Dennis Rohn
Born in Easton, Pennsylvania, Rev. Rohn graduated from Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1967, and received a Master’s of Divinity degree from Moravian Theological Seminary, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1970. He was ordained a Deacon in 1970 and consecrated a Presbyter in 1977. Prior to being called to Nazareth Moravian Church his previous pastorates included Canaan/Casselton Moravian Churches, Davenport, North Dakota (1970-1975), Kellner/Saratoga Moravian Churches, Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin (1975-1979), Associate Pastor at Lititz Moravian Church, Lititz, Pennsylvania (1979-1981), Gnadenhutten Moravian Church, Gnadenhutten, Ohio (1981-1989), West Side Moravian Church, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (1989-1997), part-time Interim Chaplain of Moravian College and Theological Seminary, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (1992-1993), and Castleton Hill Moravian Church, Staten Island, New York (1997-2002). Additional offices held in the Moravian Church include the Hope Conference and Renewal Center Board of Management (2000-present) and the Eastern District Christian Education Commission (1992-present).
Ralph J. Wanamaker, Jr.
Ralph Wanamaker is a member of West Side Moravian Church, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In addition to serving as a Synod representative in the past, he also serves on the Leadership Committee and is the Chairman of the Stewardship Committee, and President of the Board of Trustees at West Side Moravian. He also serves as a Sacristan and an Adult Sunday School teacher. He resides in Bethlehem with his wife, Audrey and two children, Julie, 13, and Ralph, 10.
Richard Winans
Richard Winans is a member of First Moravian Church, Riverside, New Jersey. In addition to serving on the Eastern District Executive Board since 2000, he also serves on the Board of Trustees at his local church, is a member of the Financial Planning Committee at First Moravian, Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee, a Hope Center Avon Fund Raiser Coordinator, a member of the Choir at First Moravian and a member of the Unitas Chorale.
