Pastor Andy served as the Chaplain of the Northeast Ministry – an ecumenical mission within a housing project in Bethlehem – for eight years. At the “Ministry” he worked with youth and educational programming, as well as with those struggling with addictions, mental health issues and domestic violence situations. In 1992, he began service with the Tremont Terrace Moravian Church in the Bronx for 6 years and the Oakland First Baptist Church (in California) for 5 years. Most recently he served in a team ministry for the past 12 years with his wife, the Rev. Dr. Lynnette Delbridge, at Castleton Hill Moravian Church in Staten Island. He has done shorter stints of ministry at the St. Paul’s Moravian Church in Maryland and Grace United Church of Christ in Allentown (where he was baptized in 1959). Through the years, Pastor Andy has served on many denomination and ecumenical social service agencies and boards, in Allentown, Bethlehem and other places. Currently he sits on the Finance Committee for the Moravian Church Northern Province.
Coming to Ziegels is a kind of home-coming for Pastor Andy, as his great-grandfather, William Lewis Meckstroth (for whom he received his middle name) was the pastor of the congregations of Ziegels Reformed Church and Longswamp Reformed Church from July 7, 1907 until his death on October 3, 1933. Pastor Andy’s father, Edwin Meckstroth, used to ride in the horse buggy between the Churches on Sunday mornings, and reports walking up to sit by the pulpit when the sermon should be over, now.
Pastor Andy was married in 1995 to M. Lynnette Delbridge, also an ordained Moravian pastor, currently serving as Pastor at Central Moravian Church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Dr. Delbridge earned her Ph. D. in New Testament from Union Theological Seminary in New York and has worked at churches in North Carolina and New York, as well as teaching at the American Baptist Seminary of the West (full-time) and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary (adjunct). They have two amazing daughters, Helen, 14, who attends Liberty High School, and Carol, 12, who attends Broughal Middle School. The family resides with their rabbit, Lucky (Of course, he’s lucky – he has four rabbit’s feet!) in Fountain Hill.
When he can, Pastor Andy spends time cooking or reading, and gardening with his family, and has been known to find solace in the stillness of a trout stream where he amuses the fish with his delusions that they will bite.
Pastor Jeff was born and raised on the family farm between New Tripoli and Schnecksville. He graduated from Northwestern Lehigh High School and from Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa. After seminary training at Union Theological Seminary, New York, he was ordained by the Blue Mountain Association of Penn Northeast Conference (United Church of Christ) in 1971. He has served thirty-seven years as a pastor, including congregations in: Sipesville (Somerset), Pennsylvania; Havre de Grace, Maryland; Lynnville/New Tripoli: St. Peter’s Union Church (a shared ELCA/UCC ministry); Andreas: Ben Salem United Church of Christ. Most recently he served as Interim Pastor of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Tamaqua from 2010 to 2013 and as Interim Pastor of the Northampton Lutheran Parish from 2013 through May, 2016.
Pastor Jeff and his wife, Barbara, celebrated forty-seven years of marriage in August. “Dr. Barbara” retired in May as Professor of Mathematics at Lehigh Carbon Community College, Schnecksville, now is serving as an Interim Dean at LCCC. She serves as volunteer coordinator of the Lowhill Food Pantry. They have two sons (Michael and family in Middletown, New Jersey; Matthew and family in Downingtown, Pa.), and seven grandchildren ranging in age from two to eleven years.
In March of 2015, Kristin accepted the position of Director of Learning Ministries. She is currently enrolled at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and will finish with a Certificate in Youth Ministry in April, 2018.
Kristin lives in New Tripoli with her husband, Josh, and dog, Lucy. In her free time she enjoys being with her family, baking and crafting.
Jill is Moravian, and it is because of her friendship with Pastor Andy that she became aware of this position. Having just moved to Bethlehem from south Jersey, she was in need of a placement, and we were in need of an organist!
Jill comes from a heritage of clergy in her family — father, uncles, father-in-law, cousins, and soon, a nephew! She has been a church musician since high school, playing for her father’s congregations. She attended Moravian College as a music major. Jill has served various denominations including Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist, UCC, Episcopal and Moravian. She has also directed various groups including bells, children’s choirs, small instrumental ensembles and, her favorite, adult choirs. She was the founding director of a Moravian community chorale based in the Lehigh Valley (50 voices) that recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Jill has dabbled at choral composition and has been blessed to have three of her works published by the Moravian Music Foundation. She has also recently begun a part-time customer service position at the Moravian Church publications department with offices in Bethlehem.
Beyond music, Jill enjoys quilting, knitting, cooking, reading, travel and dogs! She and her husband reside in Bethlehem and are parents to two married daughters, and grandparents to three boys.
In April of 2005, Lori accepted the position of Director of Learning Ministries. She received her Certification in Church Leadership through the United Church of Christ in 2008 after three years of study. She has taken many on-line classes through the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Lori has also been recognized as a Designated Church Educator in the United Church of Christ.
Lori served in this capacity until December of 2014 when she accepted the position of Parish Administrator for the Lutheran Congregation.
Lori lives in Fogelsville. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her two boys and her extended family. She also enjoys reading, gardening, cooking, baking, music and relaxing in the sun.
Marlene looks forward to vacation trips, cruises, day trips and the Allentown Fair. Marlene also LOVES lobster!
Diane resides with her husband Mike, their cats and goats. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, specialty soaps, bubble baths and cake!
In choosing a career path, Diane is certain this is one she did not pick for herself but one that God picked for her.
