Seminary Alumni Recognition

2018 Moufid H. Khoury S’93
2017 Rev. Dean R. Jurgen ’76, S’81, P’07
2016 Rev. John D. Rights S’85 
2015 Rev. Theodore E. McCabe S’73
2014 Rt. Rev. Samuel J. Gray ’80, S’96
2013 Rev. Dr. C. Daniel Crews S’70, P’97
2012 Rt. Rev. Dr. D. Wayne Burkette S’69, H ’05
2011 Rev. Dorothy Osterhout Burcaw S’85, S’91, P’80, P’83, P’88, P’94*
2010 Rt. Rev. Douglas H. Kleintop ’71, S’75, P’00, P’95
2009 Rev. Dr. Robert E. Sawyer S’67
2008 Rev. Dr. Douglas W. Caldwell ’66, S’69*
2007 Rt. Rev. Dr. Kay K. Ward S’80, P’91
2006 Rev. Richard L. Sides S’75
2005 Rev. Charles W. Eichman S’51*
2004 Rev. Dr. Samuel B. Marx ’39, S’42*
2003 Rev. Dr. Gene E. Handwerk S’77, S’85*
2002 Rev. James L. Johnson ’56, S’59*
2001 Rev. Robyn Grigonis Szoke S’87, S’89, P’99
2000 Rev. Dr. Gordon L. Sommers ’57, S’61, P’82, P’83
1999 Rt. Rev. Dr. Edwin A. Sawyer S’38*
1998 Rev. John H. Giesler S’58*
1997 Rt. Rev. Dr. Allen W. Schattschneider S’25*
1996 Rt. Rev. Dr. Arthur J. Freeman Jr. S’52*
1995 Rev. Dr. Mary D. Matz S’75, S’82*
1994 Rev. Dr. George L. Lloyd S’62*
1993 Rt. Rev. Warren A. Sautebin ’43, S’45*
1992 Rev. Dr. Henry E. May ’60, S’63*
1991 Rev. Dr. Earl R. Shay ’41, S’44*
1990 Rev. William E. Gramley S’62
1989 Bishop Edwin W. Kortz ’31, S’34
1988 Rev. Dr. William W. Matz Sr. ’50, S’53*
1987 Rev. Dr. Joseph H. Gray Jr. S’45
1986 Rev. Dr. Mervin C. Weidner ’37, S’40*
1985 Col. Thomas N. Christianson ’61, S’65
1984 Rev. Dr. William H. McElveen S’58, H’94
1983 Rev. Ann Deppen Lutz S’70*
1982 Rt. Rev. Wilbur Behrend ’46, S’49*
1981 Rev. Elmer R. Stelter S’44*
1980 Rt. Rev. Milo A. Loppnow ’37, S’40*
1979 Rev. David M. Henkelmann ’53, S’57, P’77
1978 Rt. Rev. Robert A. Iobst ’36, S’39*
1977 Rt. Rev. George G. Higgins ’31, S’34*
1976 Rev. Gordon A. Stoltz ’35, S’38*    
1975 Rev. Dr. Vernon W. Couillard S’24*
1974 Rev. Dr. Frederick P. Stocker ’20, S’23*

* denotes deceased
 

2017 H. Kyle Borowski ’06, ’08
2016 Mr. Gregory A. Krausz ’95, S’02
2015 Ms. Carol A. Wikerd S’85, S’99
2013 Mr. Bruce D. Bowen S’01, S’03*
2011 Rev. Charles J. Otto S’03*
2010 Rev. Kenneth V. Daniel S’89, S’99
2009 Rev. Dr. F Thomas Lichner S’82, S’99
2008 Rev. Dianne Murray Kareha S’93, S’97, S’99
2007 Ms. Julie Noyes Cook S’87, S’99
2006 Rev. Dr. Janice M. Young S’82, S’91, GP’20
2005 Mrs. Emily B. Wallace S’94, S’99
2004 Ms. Louise H. Young S’90, S’99, P’07

* denotes deceased

Rev. Dr. Kathy Harvey Nelson ’03, ’19 graduated from Lancaster Theological Seminary with an MDiv in 2003 and a DMin in 2019.

Dr. Nelson served two local Pennsylvania congregations, Immanuel UMC in Glen Rock and Salem UMC in Martinsburg. For most of her career, she served in specialized ministries. She was first called to serve as the Assistant Director of Continuing Education for Lancaster Seminary from 2008-2010 and then as Director from 2010-2013. In addition, Dr. Nelson assisted in the development and implementation of the Ministerial Studies program for the Seminary at various times throughout the program.

Dr. Nelson’s last ministerial appointment in the UMC was as Director of The Center for Spiritual Formation from 2017-2021, where she served as Director Emeritus and Consultant.

Dr. Nelson also facilitated classes for the PATHWAYS program of the Southeast Conference of the UCC, and she continues an active Spiritual Direction practice. She has served Lancaster Seminary since 2019 as Coordinator of the Ministerial Studies program and Adjunct Professor. She is grateful to Lancaster Theological Seminary for equipping her for various leadership roles in ministry.

Dr. Harvey Nelson states, “I’ll never forget the first day that I walked on campus in 1999. I was surrounded by a feeling of standing on holy ground. I still feel that today as I’ve been deeply connected to the Seminary ever since that day, it’s not only part of my educational journey, it’s part of my heart, life, and faith story.”

Rev. Dr. Lucas Lindon ’10 serves as the senior pastor of United Church of Christ Congregational in Medina, Ohio. Prior to coming to Medina in April 2017, he was the associate pastor of Faith Formation and Families at Sylvania UCC in northwest Ohio. While there, he won a grant from the John Templeton Foundation for a lecture series about the intersection of faith and science. The series featured local scientists speaking about their faith and culminated in a weekend with the late Marcus Borg. This series was made into a confirmation curriculum for Sylvania UCC. While at Sylvania, he was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered for his congregation’s work with Syrian refugees through US Together.

Upon arriving at Medina, the congregation was faced with paying off a loan for new construction and saving the church bell. He challenged the congregation to raise $8,500 by Thanksgiving, in which case he would spend the night in the bell tower. The congregation and community raised the funds in under two months. He is active in the Medina community through Leadership Medina County, working on The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day city-wide worship service, helping strategize passage of LGBTQ+ housing and employment protections through Medina City Council with Equality Ohio, and starting a Dungeons and Dragons group for teens at the library. His latest project, Medina Interfaith Coalition for Affordable Housing (MICAH), is a coalition of seven area churches with the sole purpose of building affordable housing in Medina County. He serves as the Vice President.

In the wider UCC, Rev. Dr. Lindon was most recently the Living Water Association Committee on Ministry Discernment Working Group Co-Chair. He was also a member of the UCC Next Generation Leadership Initiative, class 2. Rev. Dr. Lindon earned his Doctor of Ministry through the Methodist Theological School in Ohio with an emphasis on transformational leadership in 2022. His thesis was on adaptive leadership and ecclesiology, entitled “Belonging at the End of the Aberrant Time: Adaptive Leadership as Discernment for the Church.”

He received his Master of Divinity degree from Lancaster Theological Seminary in 2010. While at LTS he loved making “Reformation: the Sitcom” for his church history final project, setting up poetry nights, and helping plan the first Lancaster Pride Fest at Buchanan Park.

Prior to ministry, Luke worked as a tool and fastener sales representative and store manager for Capitol Building Supply in Washington, D.C. He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University. Rev. Dr. Lindon and his wife, Kate, have two children.

Rev. Curtis Zemencik ’87 received a Master of Divinity in 1987 from Lancaster Theological Seminary. He graduated from Lycoming College with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology/anthropology and from Williamsport Area Community College in 1982 with an applied science degree in computer programming.

Rev. Zemencik has been pastoring rural congregations since 1987. He began his career at St. Paul’s UCC, Sacramento, from 1987 until 1991. Curtis served from 1988-1990 on the UCC National Council for Youth and Young Adult Ministries. He then pastored at St. Matthew’s United Church of Christ, Spring Glen, from 1993 until 2011. While at St. Matthew’s, Rev. Zemencik and the Rev. Carl D. Shankweiler formed a partnership and combined St. Matthew’s UCC and Trinity Lutheran Church, Valley View, as associate pastors.

Rev. Zemencik is currently pastoring the Stone Valley Parish, which includes Salem-Zion Church, Pillow, and Zion Stone Valley, Dalmatia. While at Salem, he was instrumental in forming the Carpenter’s Hands Outreach Ministry which is still a vital, active ministry of that church. Rev. Zemencik resides in Sacramento, with his wife, Rebecca, and their 14-year-old daughter Rose. He is also the father to 26-year-old Jericho, who resides in Valley View.