Meet the Members of the

2010 LAMPa Policy Council . . .  

Members are appointed to 3-year terms and have the opportunity to be reappointed

for a second 3-year term.  Bishops serve one year only on a rotating basis.  

The Rev. Claire S. Burkat, Bishop of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, represents the Pennsylvania Lutheran Bishops.

Paula Ford represents the Allegheny Synod and serves on the Grassroots Advocacy Committee.  She lives in Altoona and is a member of Trinity Lutheran.  She is the coordinator of the Learning Resources Center at Penn State Altoona.  Paula has been actively involved in church, peace, and environmental organizations for her entire life. As a college student, she volunteered at the State College Peace Center to help draft-eligible young men write their petitions for conscientious objector status.  She was the founding president of the Audubon Council of PA.  Paula recently attended the Equipping for Peacemaking-II training given by the ELCA.

Rev. Edward J. Robbins, LAMPa Policy Council Secretary, represents the Lower Susquehanna Synod and serves on the Personnel Committee.  He is pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran, Glen Rock. 

Rev. Matthew J. Lenahan represents the Lower Susquehanna Synod and serves on the Grassroots Advocacy Committee.  Three areas of public advocacy that he is interested in are prison, education, and health care reform.  Matt has drafted a resolution on creation care and economic sustainability for consideration by the Lower Susquehanna Assembly in 2009.  A graduate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary, he was ordained in Lower Susquehanna Synod in 2001.  He has served as pastor of  Zion Lutheran, Akron since May 2005.  He is married to Cherie, and they have three sons. 

Rev. Jay R. Wetzel represents the Northeastern PA Synod and is beginning his first term on the Policy Council.  He has served as pastor of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Bath, PA for 29 years.  His home is in Latrobe.  In the Southeastern PA Synod (his first call), he served on a Social Justice Committee. Pastor Wetzel served on and led the Justice & Social Change Committee of the Northeastern PA Synod.  He currently serves on a Micah 6:8 group and is involved in planning an advocacy worship called "Jesus Calls Us II," set for Fall 2010 in Coyningham, PA. 

Christine M. Adams has recently been appointed to represent the Northwestern PA Synod.  Her home is in Mayport.

The Rev. Karen D. Parsh has recently been appointed to represent the Northwestern PA Synod.  She serves as pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church, Knox.

Robert Fisher represents the Southeastern PA Synod and is beginning his first term on the Policy Council. He is also on the staff of the synod as Assistant to the Bishop for Mission Interpretation and Communications.   He resides in Quakertown.

Rev. Serena Sellers, LAMPa Policy Council Treasurer, represents the Southeastern PA Synod.  She also serves as a member of the Policy Council Development Committee.  Serena is pastor of Peace-Tohickon Lutheran, Perkasie.  Prior to this call, she served as Assistant to the Bishop of the Southeastern PA Synod.  Serena is married to the Rev. Raymond A. Miller and is mother to Matt, Lydia and Evelyn. The family includes a whippet, DaVinci, who might be described as a many elbowed lap dog. Serena loves the outdoors, making music, and doing puzzles. Her experience with constant transition in the church has given her an unshakable faith that God is good ALL the time.
 

Rev. William Hower represents the Southwestern PA Synod.  He serves as chair of the Grassroots Advocacy Committee and Executive Committee member-at-large.  Bill is a retired pastor, living in Moon Township. He currently serves as interim pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church, Pittsburgh. 

Rev. Christina A. Ingold represents the Southwestern PA Synod and is beginning her first term on Policy Council.  She currently serves as Pastor at St. Marks Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brookline (Pittsburgh). A graduate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, she studied one year at Yale Divinity in New Haven, CT.  Pastor Ingold has always had a passion for social ministry and fighting for social justice and change, and currently serves on the synod's Church and Society Committee. At the heart of advocacy for her are issues around hunger, poverty and health care.  At St. Paul's, Monessen (her last congregation) Christina was very active in the Communities Initiative to End Poverty as a member of the Communities that Care board and founding guiding Coalition Member and Ally for the Circles Program, both in Monessen. While on internship, she served as a director of community ministries for an ecumenical center in New Bedford, MA, overseeing many community ministries and advocacy groups.

Rev. Ricky A. Phillips represents the Upper Susquehanna Synod in his first term on Policy Council.  He is pastor of Mazeppa Lutheran Church and resides in New Columbia. Pastor Phillips has a degree in Political Science from Penn State and graduated from the Gettysburg Seminary, where he currently is an STM student in Systematic Theology. He served in law enforcement as a SGT at Bucknell Univ. and 12 yrs. in the Army National Guard. In his last year of Seminary, he was called to active duty under the PA Division Chaplain for 14 months and ran a Family Action Center helping military families during their unit's activations to Germany and Bosnia. Ricky is a Yokefellow Prison volunteer, teaching weekly classes in the prisons, the Hospice Chaplain at Evangelical Hospital, Lewisburg and likes to serve as Guest Chaplain at the PA House when he gets the chance. On March 25, 2010, he'll be the Guest Chaplain at the US Senate, nominated by Sen. Casey and Rep. "Bud" George. He also serves as the Ecumenical Officer to the Episcopal Church for the synod.  Since he has two Union Churches, he also has ministry status in the United Church of Christ and Chairs the Central Association Planning committee. Ricky's wife teaches fourth grade, and they have "three wonderful children": Seth and Peyton, both14, and Zachary, 8.

J. Mark Elliott represents the Upper Susquehanna Synod and is beginning his first term on Policy Council.  Mark "grew up in the mountains in northeast Tennessee and went to college and grad school in experimental psychology at Furman University (1978) and the University of North Carolina – Greensboro, respectively."  Mark has "lived in Lewisburg since moving to Pennsylvania in 1984 for his job as senior fund raiser at Bucknell University, responsible for coordinating funding sources and programs and projects, especially for financial aid and faculty support."  He is married to Adelyn N. Elliott, a public middle school language arts teacher; and they have two daughters, "both graduated (or nearly graduated) from college.  They belong to Christ’s Evangelical Lutheran, Lewisburg.  Mark serves "on the board of Suncom Industries, a sheltered workshop and employment/life skills training program for mentally handicapped adults."  His "primary advocacy interests are in just distribution of and access to medical care and food, as well as tax policy effects on poverty."  Finally, he is "an avid cyclist, riding over 6,000 miles per year in all weather!" 

Marc Q. Bloomingdale is beginning his first term on the policy council as a representative of the Pennsylvania Lutheran Network (PLN) Lutheran Services in America-PA (LSA-PA) Caucus.  He currently serves as President and CEO of Lutheran Service Society of Western Pennsylvania.  Marc earned a Master in Science degree from Iowa State University in Human Development and Family Studies.  He has been active in Lutheran social ministry for nearly 20 years.  His career has been dedicated to assisting people in improving the quality of their lives and promoting human dignity.  Programs of particular interest are in the area of food, housing, and family stability. 

Rev. John Richter also represents the PLN LSA-PA Caucus and is serving as chair of the Personnel Committee.  He is the Vice President for Church Relations for Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries, with his office located in Allentown.  John also is currently serving as the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, and as a member of the PLN Planning Council. He is married to Patricia, the Director of  Disability Services at Kutztown University.  They live in the bustling metropolis of Gouglersville, in southwest Berks County, and are members of Trinity Lutheran Church in the city of Reading.

Dr. Pat Savage, LAMPa Chair, represents the PLN LSA-PA Caucus and serves on the Personnel Committee.  Pat is President and CEO of Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries.  A lifelong resident of PA, Besides chairing the Policy Council, Pat serves as the Chair of the Lutheran Services in America board, a member of the PLN Planning Council, a member of the Northeastern PA Planning Giving Council, as well as a member of the board of directors of PA Not-for-Profit Home and Services for the Aging.  She also currently serves as the President of the Rotary Club of Altoona.  Pat works and lives in Hollidaysburg with her husband, Roger, who recently retired as the Provost of Lock Haven University.

Dr. Robin Steinke represents the PLN Seminaries.  She is chair of the Policy Council Development Committee.  Dr. Steinke is Dean of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, where she lives on campus.

Photo Gallery

under construction

Past and Present Members

(Click on photos below to enlarge)

Bishop Burkat (l) and

Rev. Serena Sellers (r)

Rev. Dennis Smith (l) and

Rev. Ed Robbins (r)

(l-r) Rev. Betty Landis, and Dr. Robin Steinke