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Seminary Award

Seminary Alumni Recognition

We are so proud of all of our Seminary alumni for their incredible work serving others, as leaders in their communities, and beyond. We honor select members of our community with several awards, distributed annually.

Moravian Theological Seminary Alumni Recognition 

The John Hus Alumni Award and The Bishop Edwin W. Kortz Award in Pastoral Counseling are two awards that recognize alumni for their service and passion after graduating from Moravian Theological Seminary. Seminary alumni are invited to nominate fellow alumni for either award . All nominations are due by Friday, October 3. The awards will be presented at the MTS Alumni Day on Friday, December 5.

John Hus Alumni Award

Initiated in 1974, the John Hus Alumni Award was created to recognize an alumnus or alumna who, through outstanding service and loyalty to ministry, has brought distinction to the work of the ministry and to Moravian Theological Seminary. It is appropriately named for John Hus, one of the great leaders of the Christian Church, who is revered as a pastor, preacher, scholar, and martyr for his faith.

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

* denotes deceased
 

Bishop Edwin W. Kortz Award in Pastoral Counseling

The Bishop Edwin W. Kortz Award in Pastoral Counseling was established in 2004. The award honors a Master of Arts in Pastoral Counseling (MAPC) or Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling (MACC) graduate who has achieved excellence in the field of pastoral counseling ministry and who has brought distinction to the work and ministry of the Seminary.

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

* denotes deceased


Lancaster Theological Seminary Alumni Recognition

The Meck Award and Moss Award are two awards that recognize alumni of any denomination. The LTS Alumni Council awards these special honors annually.

Meck Award

The Meck Award honors the memory of Allan S. Meck, class of 1911 and Seminary president from 1947-1957. It is presented for distinguished service in the practice of pastoral ministry.

Rev. Laura Baker L鈥05 an ordained clergy person in the United Church of Christ, is passionate about creating safe space and fruitful opportunities for disciples to discover, explore, and use their unique gifts for sharing the Gospel. For 19 years, Rev. Baker has served Starview United Church of Christ in Mount Wolf, Pennsylvania. In the span of two decades, Rev. Baker has helped church members initiate such lay-led ministries as Called to Care, Safe Sanctuary, and JAM (Jesus and Me) which is a mid-week intergenerational, faith development ministry with a special focus to children and youth. 

Rev. Baker finds great joy and meaning as an active member of the larger community, fostering ecumenism and interreligious relationships.  For example, these past 5 years she has acted as Chaplain to Eagle Fire Company and over many years, has served multiple terms as a board member on organizations like the NE Senior Center and York County Council of Churches and on planning committees for historic charity events like the York County Heritage Trust Festival of Trees and Four Chaplains Prayer Breakfast (York).

To better serve the EMS community and local school district when experiencing a crisis or trauma such as child suicide, she earned her certification in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) for Individuals and Groups. CISM teams are commonly known as 鈥減sychological first aid teams.鈥 As a certified National Academy Sports Medicine (NASM)  personal trainer, she combined those skills with those for pastoral care and offered personalized ministry to those embarking on a journey towards wholeness: body, mind, and spirit.  

Prior to entering LTS, Laura worked for two decades as a board certified technologist in the field of radiology, specializing in CT and MRI. For multiple years, she also worked as an adjunct professor at Hagerstown Community College teaching a cross-sectional anatomy course.In her personal time, she relishes life as a wife to Scott, mother to two adult children, Jessica and Cory, and as 鈥淵a-Ya鈥 to her grandsons, Landyn, Bradyn, Gavin, and Owen. She also enjoys cooking and aspires to 鈥渁ge faithfully,鈥 as healthy and whole as possible

Rev. Dr. Frederick Young L鈥04, L鈥15 began his ministry as a  Chaplain Resident at York Hospital (WellSpan Health) as the Chaplain for the Behavioral Health and Oncology Service Lines. While serving in this capacity, he began working as the Youth Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, York.  Pastor Young left these positions to become the Chaplain of the Margaret E. Moul Home of York.

Upon graduation from LTS, he was ordained in March of 2005 and began his parish ministry as the Associate Pastor of Christ Church UCC in Elizabethtown, PA.  Throughout his 13 years as Christ Church鈥檚 pastor of Faith Formation and Outreach, Pastor Young led 7 intergenerational mission trips, wrote several summer youth programs, and adult studies.  He later created a comprehensive intergenerational Confirmation curriculum, entitled, 鈥淎 Ministry of Presence,鈥 which was showcased alongside a few other faith formation programs during a Confirmation summit at the UCC National Offices in Cleveland.  Rev. Young served as the Chair of the Lancaster Association鈥檚 Parish Life Committee and eventually as the President of the Association.  Pastor Fred was thrilled to have been a member of the UCC鈥檚 Board of Local Church Ministries.

Dr. Young began serving as the Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ, Gettysburg, PA in the Summer of 2018.  The following year he became the moderator of the Gettysburg Ecumenical Ministerium.  Pastor Young enjoys facilitating a small community of practice for clergy of the Penn Central Conference and was trained as a clergy/church coach with the PCC Church Empowerment Team.  Dr. Young is the current chair of the Refugee Resettlement Program of Gettysburg. The partnership has resettled two Afghani families into Gettysburg.  He is also the current Co-Chair of the Gettysburg Association鈥檚 Committee on Ministry. Since January of 2024, Rev. Young has been serving as the Transition Pastor of Grace UCC, Hanover, ministering part time in both the Gettysburg and Hanover congregations. 

Over the past two years, he has discovered the joy of transforming old windows into upcycled art, translating scripture onto the glass. Along with his wife, Kara Young L鈥16, Fred has published two children鈥檚 books; 鈥淏illy, the Closest Star鈥 and 鈥淐lyde鈥檚 Christmas Joy.鈥  Both Fred and Kara look forward to becoming grandparents in September.   
 

Moss Award

The Moss Award honors Robert V. Moss Jr., class of 1945 and Seminary president from 1957-1969. It is presented for distinguished service in the practice of specialized ministry (i.e., chaplain, administrator, educator, judicatory staff, etc.).

Rev. Dr. Richard Christensen L鈥70 has served the Church as a pastor, missionary, and teacher over a period of more than fifty years. Ordained in 1970, he served as a local church pastor for 14 years. He and his wife Lainie also served three years as missionaries in the southern African nation of Botswana.

After receiving his Ph.D. in Church History in 1992 from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia, he taught at Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1998, Lakeland College in Wisconsin appointed him Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion, where he taught numerous undergraduate courses and played a major role in instituting and teaching a M.A. program in Theology.

He is the author of The Ecumenical Orthodoxy of Charles Augustus Briggs, a monograph on 19th century ecumenism in the U.S.,  Learning to See: A Memoir of Southern Africa, co-author of All May Be One: Historical Essays on the Wisconsin Conference of the United Church of Christ, and author of more than two dozen journal and magazine articles. He and Lainie have a daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren.  

Selection Criteria 

The committee looks at specific criteria for indications of excellence in ministry, including:

  • Fostering the vitality of the ministry;
  • Exhibiting excellent pastoral presence;
  • Demonstrating creativity in ministry;
  • Enlisting and nurturing the gifts of others; and
  • Relating the Gospel to the commonly-shared experiences in the ministry.

Nominations

Nominations must contain the following criteria:

  1. Name and address of the nominee;
  2. Particular setting of ministry of the nominee;
  3. A paragraph indicating how the nominee meets the five criteria listed above;
  4. Indication of how long the nominator has known the nominee and in what capacity; and
  5. Name, address, and contact information of the person submitting the nomination.

Nominations must be submitted/postmarked by Saturday, November 30. They may be submitted or mailed to:

Carol Bassie 鈥 Award Nominations
麻豆果冻
W Elizabeth Ave
Bethlehem, PA 18018

Please note: Nominations not selected as award recipients have been retained and will be considered for future awards.

Selection

The Alumni Council鈥檚 Awards and Recognition Committee will select award recipients. The Awards and Recognition Committee encourages you to pass this information to members of churches, agencies, and institutions served by graduates of Lancaster Theological Seminary. Please copy, post, and distribute this notice to others who may be interested in submitting nominations.

Questions may be submitted to Carol Bassie, Director of Alumni Engagement at bassiec@moravian.edu.