Richlandtown, Pennsylvania

St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church

Denomination: Lutheran

Organ: Batholomay and Sons (Fritzsche) Pipe Organ

Last Service: Easter 7 (May 16th, 2021) May 16th, 2021

Presider: Pastor Kat Steinly / Multiple Interims / Pastor David A. Genzsler, Interim

St. Johns's, Richlandtown, Pennsylvania

Such a beautiful sanctuary, such a magnificent instrument. This church sits out among the farm-lands of Pennsylvania. I am not sure that the people of St. John's realize what a gift they have. There is not another church in the area that compares with St. John's in beauty or has such a fine pipe organ (I could be wrong but ... ). I took the position here for three reasons: 1) the pipe organ is an amazing instrument. The Bartholomay and Sons (Fritzsche) pipe organ is one of the finest organs I've had the prelivlege of playing week-after-week (after only Teller and the Austin); 2) the beauty of the sanctuary gives great rest to my soul; and, 3) I saw a need for someone to teach - teach the choir, the congregation about music. I could tell from my interview with their search committee that these people were longing for someone to teach them about their musical heritage and about music. Then the COVID pandemic of 2020 hit and everything went into lock down. I only worked with the choir for about three months and then I didn't see them again for nine months (until Christmas rolled around). It has been a very strange for me performing virtual services and making music videos. We are finally back in church (with masks) and Shawn and I will receive our vaccinations next week (Apr 2021). But, as God ordains, my day job is allowing me to work-from-home (WFH) permanently so Shawn and I are planning on moving to Ohio to be closer to family and friends. May of 2021 will be my final month at St. John's, Richlandtown.