The Middle Pennsylvania District Church of the Brethren has called David F. Banaszak to serve as District Executive Minister beginning on September 5, 2017. David was licensed at the Windber Church of the Brethren (Western PA District) in 1985, and was ordained in 1993 at Clover Creek Church of the Brethren (Middle PA District). He is a graduate of Penn State University, has attended Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg, Virginia and graduated with a Master of Divinity degree in 1992 from Bethany Theological Seminary in Oak Brook Illinois.

 

David  served as interim supply pastor  of the Evergreen/Shiloh Church of the Brethren (Shenandoah District) in 1985. He served as pastor of Mount Olivet Church of the Brethren (Shendandoah District) from 1986-1990. While attending Bethany Theological Seminary in Oakbrook, he served on ministerial staff at Naperville COB in the Illinois and Wisconsin District. After graduating from seminary, David was called to the Clover Creek Church of the Brethren in Martinsburg, PA where he currently serves as a full-time pastor. He has been active in leadership in Middle Pennsylvania District, currently serving as Standing Committee Delegate. He has served as Ministry Formation Director, Chair of the Ministers' Calling & Credentialing Team and on Ministers' Education & Support Team.

 

David and his wife, Linda have two adult children, Josh and Joel, and three grandchildren, Aubrey, Wyatt and Anderson. His hobbies include camping, hiking and woodworking.

Middle PA District and Camp Blue Diamond will once again host their annual Brethren Open Golf Tournament on Tuesday, August 8 at Iron Masters Country Club in Roaring Spring. Cost is $75. Registration is 11:30-12:30, rules at 12:45 and a 1:00 pm start. Cart, snacks and meal following tournament are included.For registration details click here.

The Coordinating Team of Middle Pennsylvania District has been working to place a greater emphasis and focus on our outreach ministries. Our hope has been to continue to increase our outreach to at least 10% of our total budget – a tithe. Many years ago District Leadership developed the Pennies for Witness offering as a way to support the outreach ministries of the District. Over the years that offering emphasis was repurposed and redirected to support the general mission and ministry of the District. Last year, the Coordinating Team in their commitment to outreach ministries reclaimed the original intent of the offering and again is encouraging the membership of Middle Pennsylvania District to collect their spare change for the Pennies for Witness offering.

Our current outreach ministries that Pennies for Witness support are:

• ·        Trucker Traveler Ministries: This Breezewood ministry not only reaches out to truckers, but is a friend to other travelers who face a crisis situation. Bruce Maxwell serves as chaplain and is supported by a local management committee.  The ministries offer what is appropriate to each situation: a listening ear, emergency assistance, and the good news of Jesus Christ.
• ·         CentrePeace: The goals of CentrePeace (Bellefonte) are to promote Restorative Justice and decrease victimization and crime in our communities by improving the attitudes and capabilities of prison inmates through productive work and training in job and interpersonal skills. CentrePeace keeps hundreds of tons of recyclable furniture and household goods out of our area's landfills every year. Furniture and other materials are repaired, refinished and sold at a fraction of their original price.
• ·         Prince Gallitzin Park Ministry (Chaplains in the Park): Middle Pennsylvania District partners with the Leisure Ministries of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches to provide a chaplain (David Flumerfelt) at Prince Gallitzin State Park. The Coordinating Team continues to believe that this is a significant ministry for the summer campers (and staff) and has the potential of touching the lives of non-believers.
• ·         Small Church Fund: This Fund was developed in 1998 to assist congregations with approximately 100 persons or less in worship to help develop a ministry they would not be able to do otherwise. Through a “pay it forward” approach, the Coordinating Team hopes that others, congregations and individuals, will step forward to offer our small (and larger) congregations assistance in meeting their ministry challenges and struggles. 
• ·         Outreach Ministry Matching Grant: In an effort to support and partner with the outreach passions of our congregations, church leadership may ask the District to match 50% of their ministry gifts to their outreach ministry/project up to $250. 

We encourage the members of your church membership to collect pennies, dimes, nickels, quarters and dollars between now and District Conference. We will receive your Pennies for Witness offerings during the Saturday afternoon session at District Conference or you may send it directly to the District Center. Our goal is $12,000. That is a lot of spare change, but if you consider there are approximately 8,500 members in Middle Pennsylvania District, that’s only $1.50 per member. Our ministries together as a District are not about one person or one church. Our ministries are about 55 congregations working together and sharing in the bounties as we continue together the work of Jesus!