Dr. Gretchen Franz has been MLUMC’s director of music and organist for 27 years. A native of Pittsburgh, Dr. Franz has given organ recitals in New York and New Jersey as well as Pittsburgh. Over the years she has taught at Carlow College in Pittsburgh and has accompanied the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh. Her presentation will include a video about pipe organs as well as information on MLUMC’s newly-refurbished pipe organ.

Susan Donnan has been involved with Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) from its beginning 15 years ago as a volunteer, coordinator, president of the board of directors, and for the last 10 years, the executive director.

She was an “army brat” and as a child moved frequently with her family, all the way from Alaska to Europe. Susan loves Pittsburgh, and feels it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. She attended undergraduate and graduate school (M.S.) at the University of Missouri, and worked as a mental health therapist and administrator before becoming dedicated to IHN. She now lives with her husband Bob in McMurray, and is eagerly awaiting a visit from their daughter Amanda, who just completed her master's degree at Stonybrook University in New York.

Joy Burt Conti grew up in Ellwood City as a member of the First Methodist Church there. She is a 37-year resident of Mt. Lebanon and a member of our church. She received a BS in biology from Allegheny College, a BS in nursing from Cornell University, and an MS in public health nursing from Boston University and was certified as a nurse practitioner through the University of Pittsburgh. She recently retired as director of the Parish Nurse Program at Mercy Hospital, where she helped train more than 100 parish nurses from congregations of all denominations in the tri-state area. She is currently leading the Western Pennsylvania Methodist Conference’s new “Health as Wholeness” project, which is intended to improve clergy and lay health in the Methodist churches of Western Pennsylvania.

Rev. Keith Kaufold, pastor of 8th Avenue Place, a non-traditional, non-denominational church in Homestead, graduated from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary with an MDiv. He is currently pursuing a Master of Sacred Theology degree with studies focusing on missional theology and urban ministry at PTS. He is appointed to Eighth Avenue Place UMC in Homestead and Calvary UMC in McKeesport. It is his desire to see urban and suburban congregations come together in a reciprocal relationship to participate in God’s mission to the world.

Rev. Mary Grey Emmett is a retired United Methodist pastor. She served congregations at Unionville UMC in Beaver County and Murrysville in Westmoreland County. She also served as the District Superintendent for the Butler District.

She currently enjoys working part time on staff at Christ Community United Methodist Church near Butler in the position of "consulting pastor." Mary Grey’s son, Rev. Tim Emmett, served as MLUMC associate pastor until 2006. He and his family - Susannah, Molly and Luke - now live in Georgia, where he is pastor of Flippen UMC, near Atlanta.

Zwickau Mission Team members will recount their summer 2009 trip to Zwickau, Germany. MLUMC has visited Zwickau three times and Zwickau has visited us three times in addition to the summer of 2000, when Pastor Stephan Ringeis came with his family and worked at our church.

UMYF Work Camp: Each year, MLUMC youth group members volunteer for a community service project. This year's project was in Steubenville, Ohio, and particpants will speak about the experience.

Bob & Sue Lichtenfels have been members of MLUMC since 2006 when they built a new home in the Mt. Lebanon community. Bob is currently employed at Pair Networks as a technical support supervisor while Sue works from home on a variety of volunteer efforts for blindness organizations. Married for 11 years, they enjoy playing Frisbee with Yoda (Sue’s service dog), reading audio books, bowling and playing audio darts. Although Bob has been blind since birth and Sue has experienced both vision loss and a spinal chord injury, they have not let their disabilities define who they are.

Rev. George E. Tutwiler has been at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary since 1981. Widely known as a recitalist, conductor, clinician, and lecturer, he was dean of the Pittsburgh Chapter, American Guild of Organists and served as a member of the Guild’s National Council for eight years as councilor for the Mid-Atlantic States. A member of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, and the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts, his research interests revolve around global congregational song and the renewal of liturgy and music in the Christian Church.

Rev. Pyeong Gil Kim, pastor of the Pittsburgh Korean UMC which shares MLUMC facilities, and members of his congregation will share their faith journeys.