The Episcopal Church of the Mediator

Staff

Office Hours
Weekdays - 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Rector's Office Hours
Monday to Thursday - 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.

The Rev. Canon Maria W. E. Tjeltveit, Rector

 The Reverend Canon Maria W. E. Tjeltveit is the rector of The Episcopal Church of the Mediator, having begun her ministry on September 1, 1999. (Her first name is pronounced "Mariah" and her last name is pronounced "Chelt vate".)

Maria is a member of the Moravian-Episcopal dialogue on the national level and is active in Jewish-Christian and Muslim-Christian dialogue.  She has been appointed by the Bishop to be the Ecumenical and Interfaith Officer for the Diocese of Bethlehem.  She graduated from Swarthmore College and the Berkeley/Yale Divinity School.  Before coming to Mediator, she served at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Charleston, West Virginia; St Paul's Episcopal Church in Alexandria, Virginia; and St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Harrington Park, New Jersey.

Maria, her husband Dr. Alan Tjeltveit, who is a Professor in Psychology at Muhlenberg College, and their children, William and Anna, live in Allentown.

You can reach her at the church by phone (610) 434-0155 and by email at revmariat@verizon.net.  Her day off is Friday.

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The Rev. Canon Walter L. Krieger, Priest Associate

Fully retired after thirty-eight years of active ministry Walter has become an active and very welcome member of Mediator. With is wife, Judith, he has worshipped with us on a regular basis.

In his professional ministry he has served parishes in Merchantville and Moorestown, New Jersey, Wooster, Ohio, and Reading, Pennsylvania (where he was rector for twenty-four years).  He served on elected and appointed diocesan committees and as a deputy to five General Conventions.  He has worked with national and community boards and agencies, and taught in seminary.

Walter says, he is still the kid who likes to listen to the music he grew up with in the fifties, who still savors the sunrises along the beach in Cape May where he grew up, who won't miss a Saturday broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera, who paints all kinds of subject matter and abstracts in watercolor and acrylics, who reads a little French every day, who loves to travel in France, who enjoys a cat in his lap, who takes long walks, who practices God's presence and who finds God's blessing in the ordinary and extraordinary moments of life.  

In his retirement years, Walter hopes to expand his practice as a spiritual director and have more opportunities for conducting retreats and workshops, as well as continuing to lead an ecumenical Benedictine fellowship in Reading.  Working with children in the city schools is another goal to pursue.  There is reading and writing, music and painting to enjoy.  There are old relationships to nurture and new ones to anticipate.  And, he looks forward to assisting in worship as Maria needs him and to helping with parish programs as he is able.

Walter and his wife make their home in Reading.  Judith is a professional artist, teaching five classes a week, painting, exhibiting, and leading painting holidays abroad.  Their children, Rachel and Joel live in Allentown and are now members of Mediator as well.  

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J. Clinton Miller, Organist/Choirmaster

J. Clinton Miller, S.M.M., Organist/Choirmaster holds degrees from Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio and The School of Sacred Music of the Union Theological Seminary in New York City. During the 1950s he served as Assistant Organist/Choirmaster of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and subsequently, Director of Music for Grace Lutheran Church both in Cleveland, Ohio. For twenty-seven years he was Organist/Choirmaster of Saint John Lutheran Church in Allentown where, in addition to his regular responsibilities, he established a church related concert series which flourished for twenty years performing many of the masterpieces of the sacred choral repertoire and presenting concert organists and other artists of international stature.

For twelve years he served as organist of Temple Beth El in Allentown and in the early 1990s served a one year appointment as Organist/Choirmaster of the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. He was University Organist and taught organ (adjunct) at Lehigh University from 1994 until 1998. For six years he was Organist/Choirmaster of Grace Lutheran Church in East Stroudsburg, PA and prior to his coming to Mediator was Organist/Choirmaster of The Episcopal Parish of Saint Mark and Saint John in Jim Thorpe, PA (2000-2003).

He is a past State and Regional Chairman and member of the National Council of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) and served two separate terms as Dean of The Lehigh Valley Chapter of the Guild. He has presented organ recitals and conducted workshops and seminars in many of the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states.

His community activities have included serving on the board of Lehigh Valley Arts Council (1980-83), Musical Advisor to the Director of the Allentown Art Museum (1976-83), and member of the Lehigh County Historical Society where he occasionally served as advisor with regard to the restoration of period instruments and volunteer harpsichordist. From 1995 until 2003 he was an on-air programmer, and, for five years, Genre Coordinator, for radio station WDIY, a National Public Radio affiliate in the Lehigh Valley.

Clint can be reached by e-mail at: organistm@verizon.net.

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Ellen Switzer, Director of Children and Youth Ministry

Raised in the Roman Catholic Church, Ellen says she finds many familiar elements at Church of the Mediator and looks forward to learning much more about the Episcopal Church.  

She has been employed as a Teaching Assistant at Hope Church Nursery School in Allentown, as well as the Village Nursery School in Zionsville, and came to Mediator with quite a bit of experience as a "professional volunteer" as well, with child related programs and activities, including being a Girl Scout leader from Brownies to Cadettes, Co-President of the Macungie Bears Swim Team, and as a regular fixture at every school her children have attended. She loves working with children and hopes to make a contribution to the wonderful environment at Mediator.  The mother of two children, Kayla and Drew, and the wife of Scott, Ellen is a valued member of the staff at Mediator since the summer of 2007.

Ellen can be reached at the church office on Monday and Tuesday mornings from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. or by e-mail at christianedm@verizon.net.

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Jo Trepagnier, Office Manager

 Jo Trepagnier began as our Office Manager on Wednesday, May 29, 2002. Jo has worked for E. I. duPont de Nemours & Company in information technology management and personnel administration. She and her husband, Trip, are natives of Delaware. For the past few years, she has been home with their children: Cal and Nathalie. The Trepagniers live in Emmaus and are members of Cathedral Church of the Nativity. Jo has many gifts to share, and we welcome her to this new ministry with us.

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William Korp, Bookkeeper

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Paul Kerin, Sexton - Maintenance

 Paul Kerin, comes to us after an early retirement from Agere. He has worked in security, production control, training and benefits. He enjoys all aspects of home repair and particularly enjoys coaching youth basketball and soccer. Paul is a graduate of Kutztown State College with a degree in elementary education.

Paul, who lives in Whitehall with his wife, Alice, and two children, Kimberley and Jonathan, is a native of the Lehigh Valley. He will be working three afternoons a week.

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Dianne Ruch, Sexton - Housekeeping

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Alyssa Lowry, Kid's Klub 

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Andrea Muth, Nursery Attendant

Andrea is a Junior at Kutztown University working toward a degree in Special Education/Elementary Education.  She looks forward to a career as a Special Education Teacher at the high school level.  A 2007 graduate of Parkland High School, Andrea loves kids, used to play sports - particularly as catcher on a softball team, beginning at the age of five years and continuing until she was about sixteen.  She also played basketball during those same years.  She enjoys the arts, particularly photography and scrapbooking.  She lives in Allentown with her mother, from whom she acquired her desire to be a teacher of students with special needs, and her older sister, who is also a student at Kutztown.

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George B. Miller, JFK Director

George B. Miller begins his work with us as JFK Director on September 22, 2009.  George will return from several years spent working in Ireland at that time.  Before relocating to Ireland in 2006, George was the Executive Director of the Old Allentown Preservation Association, as well as Manager of the state Elm Street Program.

George is a graduate of Rutgers and Princeton Universities. In Galway, he served as Director and Educator for Alá Theatre & Education Project. He was the Artistic Director with the original Theatre Outlet in Allentown for 15 years, and worked closely with non-profit organizations and volunteers, both young people and adults. George and his wife Kate Scuffle are happy to return to the Lehigh Valley where they will continue to work in community arts.

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