Eastern District Executive Board

September 2006 - June 2008

 

Back row: Dennis Rohn, Gary Straughan, Gary Bailey, Wilton Grannum.
Seated: Rich Winans, Alma McMahan, Marcia Johnston, Sue Dreydoppel, Leslie McKoy

 

Clergy Members

Gary M. Straughan, Eastern District President

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I am humbled and grateful for the confidence provided by the delegates to the synod in electing me to this leadership position on the Eastern District Executive Board.  Leadership today requires a different kind of personality than in the past.  The roles and responsibilities of leaders in today's world are not about being able to provide the answers or solutions that congregations are seeking.  Leadership does not mean a wise or powerful individual imposing on others a vision or an "answer."  Leaders need to do as much listening as talking.  Hopefully, this results in conclusions that have been arrived at by the congregation itself rather than being imposed "from above."  That is how I see my role and I feel that I have certain gifts and talents that can be used for just such work. I have previous District Board experience in the Western (8 years) and Pacific Southwest (4 years) Districts in addition to the two years I served on the Eastern District Executive Board prior to my election as president and I feel that I bring that experience to this position.  In addition to the administrative and servant leadership that is provided by the District Board, I believe that the work of the Board is also an important pastoral ministry for our district, recognizing always that the real pastoral work is provided by each pastor in each local congregation and by the Bishops for our pastors. The Board is often called upon to provide pastoral leadership in congregations that struggle with discord or with low morale or with pastoral vacancy or with program deficiency. Over my years in the ordained pastoral ministry, I have been seen as being successful in dealing with such issues in local congregations head on and I feel that I can use that experience to assist with some of these very real problems that face several congregations in our district. I want it understood that I am always an advocate for building healthy congregations through affirmation and love and support. I am also an advocate for pastors whom I have sometimes seen abused by their local congregations - it is what Lloyd Rediger calls "clergy abuse" and is often visited upon clergy in ways that we would never allow to happen in any other profession. I love my church and I love my brother and sister colleagues and I will work to build up both.  That does not mean that I will not be ready to take a firm stand with my brothers and sisters in the ministry when they have abused their position or when they have forgotten their ordination vows and when no other avenue appears open.

 

Dennis Rohn, Pastor of Nazareth Moravian Church, Nazareth, PA

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It is humbling to be a part of the leadership of the Eastern District of the Moravian Church, Northern Province.  I bring a combination of experiences to the administrative table.  I have served both rural parishes in the Western and Eastern District, multi-staffed situations, and the urban multi-cultural setting.  I have been involved in the leadership of Sr. High Camps in the Western District, Mid-States Region and Eastern District.  As a member of the Eastern District Christian Education Commission helped establish the Director of Youth Ministries position for the Eastern Region of the District.  Currently I sit as Chairperson of the Management Board of the Hope Conference and Renewal Center.  My experience brings a love for Christ, His Church, and His children.  The Moravian Church is a church which values relationships:  first, our relationship with God through Christ; second, our relationships with our sisters and brothers.  I will be very conscious of respecting these relationship and working to make them stronger.  To support both congregations and clergy in their united ministries.  To prayerfully seek God's guidance in the call process.  It is my hope to help the district vision into the future, provide nurturing experiences for both lay and clergy leadership, and help move us forward into a new millennium.

 

Leslie McKoy, Pastor of United Moravian Church, New York City, NY

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I bring to the Board my experience in Team Teaching, collegiality and shared knowledge from a different perspective. Teamwork is extremely important in the work we do both in the parish as well as on Boards. My essential faith entails a belief in Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, in God as Creator, and in the Holy Spirit as the sustainer and giver of life. My life has been one of service especially serving God’s people where race and color are a fact of congregational life and where I have been forced to look more acutely at myself in this ministry. There have been challenges in my faith journey but challenges will never go away and so I do not hide from the fray when it demands resilience of faith and trust in God through his Son Jesus Christ. Serving God’s people will always be a joy for me knowing that those around me also uphold me in prayer as I do the same for them. The Lord is in everything we do and I know deep within my heart that he will always be there, directing, leading, guiding every step of the way.

 

Lay Members

Lehigh Valley South Region

Alma McMahan, Member of Calvary Moravian Church, Allentown, PA

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I have been blessed to have been a lay member of the EDEB for the past 6 years representing the South/West sector of the Lehigh Valley. This has been an eye-opening experience, giving me insight into the problems and blessings involved in the work of the Moravian Church at large. I am a lifelong Moravian, baptized, confirmed, and married at Tremont Terrace M.C. in the Bronx and raising my family as members of Calvary Moravian in Allentown for 30 years.  Both my husband Jim and I are graduates of Moravian College and have been active in alumni events. As a active church member I have participated on just about every board or committee at one time or another including: Elders, Dieners, Moravian Women, Sunday School Teacher, Youth leader, choir. I grew up attending camping programs at Hope first as camper then counselor. I’ve been a delegate at District and Provincial Synods numerous times. As a district board member I have served on the HCRC Board of Management and am currently serving on the Evangelism Commission.  I love the Moravian Church and its traditions. As a board member I hope I am able to contribute in the decision making that keeps our denomination strong and growing. Our mission is not easy and we have many obstacles but I pray and have faith that Christ will guide us and the Holy Spirit will lead us into the future.

 

Delaware Valley Region

Richard Winans, Member of First Moravian Church, Riverside, NJ

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Lehigh Valley North Region

Susan Dreydoppel, Member of Schoeneck Moravian Church, Nazareth, PA

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My vision for the Moravian Church is one that makes a difference in people’s lives, both those who are members of a Moravian congregation and also those who belong to another church or to no church. Historically, we Moravians have always done that, through our missions, music, and outreach programs, and we have accepted a wide variety of interpretations, seeking to be inclusive rather than exclusive. We need to continue to find new ways to live out our faith in today’s world and in the future.  Personally, I don’t remember a time when church wasn’t an important part of my life. My father was a Moravian pastor while I was growing up, so I was very involved in Sunday School, youth groups, and church camp. At Moravian College, I was active in local congregations and campus religious activities. As an adult, I continue to be a participating member of my congregation as well as active in community affairs. It seems that I best live out my faith by doing something.

 

Penn-Mar Region

Gary Bailey, Member of the Lititz Moravian Church, Lititz, PA

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New York, Northern New Jersey, Ontario Region

Wilton Grannum, Member of John Hus Moravian Church, Brooklyn, NY

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I served the Moravian Church in Guyana, South America, from my youth, when I assisted in planning and running youth camps. I was a member of the youth steering committee that organized the youth of all Moravian Churches – possibly seven churches in the period of Gordon Sommers and Roger Kimball. I assisted with lay preaching in circumstances of pastoral shortages and served on the Board of Management of the Moravian Churches in Guyana. I am involved in community work in Brooklyn with the East Brooklyn Churches and the Industrial Area Federation. I have served on the Board of Trustees of John Hus Moravian Church and as president of that board. I have worked on several committees. I am a member of our School Board for Grades Pre-K to 6th. I have served one term as a member of the Eastern District Executive Board. I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Business Administration. I am the father of three – one son and two daughters.

 

Ohio Region

Marcia Johnston, Member of The Promise Moravian Church, Lewis Center, OH

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From the beginning the Moravian motto, “In essentials unity, non-essentials liberty, and in all things love,” has been a statement that I fall back to, rely on. Scriptures that have taken root in my heart are “Love casts out fear.” And “God is love.” The motto, combined with those scriptures, reminds me what work is mine to do here on earth and what is God’s. We are living in extremely difficult times. People are pulled in many different directions and they need the touch of God/Jesus in their lives. I look at the heritage that we have been given as Moravians. What a rich heritage it is – a prayer chain that is a model for churches today. The desire of the early Moravians to bring Jesus to the people they were serving/ministering to. It is hard work to grow a church, whether it is a new church or a redevelopment church or a healthy and established church. It takes patience, endurance, faith and I believe the conviction that God has a plan and it is for our good. People need to know the touch of God on their hearts – his healing, his comfort, his forgiveness, his acceptance, his love. And I believe that as we are faithful to being Jesus with flesh on to the people we encounter day to day. God will be faithful and bless us (even if it takes time) with the fruit of the harvest.