I am a 1964 graduate of Uniontown Joint Senior High School, Uniontown, Pennsylvania. In 1968 I earned my Bachelor of Music degree in Church Music from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. 1966-67 was spent in the Kirchenmusikschule at the Johannestift in what was then West Berlin, Germany, studying organ with Karl Hochreiter, conducting with Martin Behrman, and composition with Heinz Werner Zimmerman. I was a member of the internationally acclaimed Spandauer Kantorei, and a member of the Bach Chor which sang a Bach Cantata every two weeks in downtown Berlin at the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedaechtnisskirche. I also held several part-time conducting and organist positions.

I received my M. Div. from Hamma School of Theology at Wittenberg in 1974. In June of 1974 I was ordained by the Western Pa. - West Va. Synod of the LCA, and accepted a call as associate pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church in Montoursville, Pa., where I served from 1974-1976.

My second call was to Seven Valleys Lutheran Parish in southern York County, Pennsylvania, from 1976-1984. During this time I was active in the local ministerium, served on the Central Penn Synod Worship Committee, edited a synodical periodical on worship entitled "Rite Site," and served on the synod's Communications Commission. I was also leader for some of the workshops for introducing the LBW. I was active in the citizen's group O.U.C.H. (Opposing Unnecessary Chemical Hazards), which is still working to prevent the opening of a hazardous toxic waste dump site in the area, and for educating the public about these matters. I was also active in the volunteer fire company and an EMT with the local ambulance.

In 1984 I accepted a call to Salem Lutheran Church in Elizabethville, Pennsylvania. I have been active in conference and ministerium activities. Our conference pastors have a weekly study of the pericopes, which also serves as a sharing and support group for one another. I also conduct and write compositions for our conference clergy choir, which sings at special services in the Upper Dauphin Conference. During the course of our Lenten Pulpit exchanges over the years I have preached in every congregation of the conference, have played the organ in most of them, have been consultant for organ renovations, and have been the interim pastor for nine of the thirteen congregations of the Conference. I am active in the LYO, walked in several CROP walks and the annual Memory Walk for Alzheimer's. I write the scripts and direct the chorus for the Annual Lion's Club Variety Shows (although I am not officially a Lion), and I ran with the local ambulance as an EMT for several years. In 1993 I began part-time work as the chaplain at Susquehanna Lutheran Village, Millersburg, PA.

In May of 2001 I was called by the Synod Council to full-time chaplaincy at the Susquehanna Lutheran Village, Millersburg, PA. At "The Village" (or SLV) I am the chairman of the Ethics Committee, and serve on the Eden Alternative and Alternative Restraint committees. I am also working with several residents, introducing them to computer technology.

I married Sanya Sue Phillips of Montgomery, Alabama, in 1969. She is a graduate of Huntingdon College, Montgomery, AL; she earned her M.S.M. from Wittenberg University, and her M.L.S., from Clarion University, Clarion, PA. She is a reference librarian with the Dauphin County Library System at the Elizabethville Public Library. We have three children: Christopher is a Fine Arts graduate of the Corcoran School of Art, Washington D.C.; Mark is a Fine Arts graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD; Holley is a Euphonium/Elementary Music Education graduate of Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. (Two artists and a musician - go figure!)

Did I leave anything out? Let's see - my hobbies include Ham Radio (Extra Class - Call sign: ND3I), Chess (not very good), and Calligraphy (pretty good, especially in uncials). In my 'free time' I compile Web Pages. Ha!