As the weather cools and the leaves begin to fall each October in many parts of the U.S., churchgoers are reminded that it’s a perfect time to thank their pastors for all they do.

With Pastor Appreciation Month in full swing, Lancaster Bible College is thankful for the many ministry graduates who are pastoring churches across the country and around the world. Since LBC’s inception in 1933, areas of ministry have been key study areas for thousands of students and alumni, with current academic programs focusing on Pastoral Ministry, Youth & Young Adult Ministry, Children & Family Ministry and Ministry Leadership—both online and on campus—plus a number of seminary programs to provide even further pastoral and church leadership training.

Besides equipping pastors and church leaders for over 90 years, LBC is committed to the spiritual care of students. Here are just a few ways the college pours into students’ spiritual formation:

• LBC encourages on-campus undergraduate students to plug in to a local church in the Lancaster County, Pa., area while they are living and learning away from their home church. The annual Church Fair during orientation week helps new students connect with local congregations.
• Weekly chapel gatherings at 9:10 a.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays during the academic year bring the campus community together for worship and biblical truth from a diverse lineup of speakers with a unified purpose to engage Scripture, form disciples and build community.
• A spiritual care team, made up of two Pastors-at-Large and a Student Caregiver, supports students as these staff members get to know them personally, pray with and for them and help them grow in their faith. Thank you, Daniel White, George Nichols and Zofia Beers!

FURTHER WATCHING: Check out the video below about the student caregiving experience between Pastor Dan and Adam:

Within the LBC staff community, alumni pastors have many connections, too. Lora Johnson, HR Manager in the college’s People & Culture Department, has a long, rich history with LBC. Her husband, David Johnson (’96), and his three older siblings all attended LBC, and three out of four Johnson brothers are serving in full-time ministry.

David serves as a pastor at the Washington Boro Church of God in Washington Boro, Pa., and he and Lora lived on campus many years ago where the Weber Hall dormitory is today. Stephen Johnson (’80) serves as pastor of Huntington Valley Baptist Church in Huntington Valley, Calif., while Michael Johnson (’81) is the pastor at Baptist Temple Church in Fall River, Mass. Thank you for your service in America’s churches, Johnson family!

Lancaster Bible College’s President, Dr. Tommy Kiedis, also served as the Senior Pastor of Spanish River Church in Boca Raton, Fla., where he also worked as the Director of Leadership Development and Church Planting, before taking the helm at LBC in 2020.

Want to read even more stories of LBC alumni pastors serving the Lord? Check out these additional blog posts:

FROM PA TO MISSISSIPPI, LBC ALUMNUS PASTOR ANSWERS THE CALL

Pastor Nathaniel Stamper (’12) found his way to the ministry almost by accident, and his way to the South directly from Pennsylvania. He says that “Professors like Dr. Joe Kim, Dr. Bob Spender, Dr. Robert Riedy (’81) and Dr. Jim Ayers (’80) significantly influenced my early ministry. The Lord used them in my life.” Read more…

MINISTRY LEADERSHIP IN A DIGITAL AGE

Dr. Wayne Cordeiro (’17), a Lead Mentors for LBC’s Master of Arts in Formational Leadership program, shares that as ministry leaders live, serve and are spiritually formed in an interconnected world, the current digital age provides tremendous opportunities while simultaneously creating new demands for leaders in both their work and personal lives. Continue reading…

FOUR ALUMNI MINISTER TOGETHER AT GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH

Just 3.7 miles from Lancaster Bible College’s campus sits Grace Baptist Church of Lancaster, which, like LBC, was founded in 1933 by Dr. Henry J. Heydt. He was leading home Bible studies at the time, which naturally led to the creation of the church that summer. The Grace Baptist staff is made up of four pastors who share a common thread. Over 45 years, all four graduated from LBC. Read on…