2024 A Vision for the Future
• Loving God in the Gathered Community.
Welcoming God in Friend and Stranger.
Partnering with God and Neighbor in Service.
These are the guiding principles of the church’s Vision for the Future, adopted by Session at the end of 2023 in celebration of the church’s 150th Anniversary. Under these headings, the church-wide visioning process enumerated a variety of specific goals to pursue some new avenues of ministry and to strengthen existing ones.
As you read the Annual Report before you, you may recognize some common threads that are woven into this vision: increased focus on the church as a multigenerational community; enhancing programmatic offerings that strengthen our sense of connection; prioritizing the church’s anti-racism work and increasing our sense of welcome and belonging to diverse friends; continuing our strong global and urban ministries and expanding our local outreach in Lower Merion Township where we are being called to be good neighbors.
Our congregation’s vision is supported by a generous commitment of time, talent, and treasure. The Stewardship Committee continues to creatively engage a changing dynamic of church support. While our number of pledging units goes down, our general giving numbers go
up so that we are gradually growing the budget with fewer pledges. One ongoing concern is that we have more than 900 potential giving units who make no traceable contribution. We continue to seek inspirational ways to encourage greater giving across the congregation as a tangible act of discipleship. If you support the church financially, thank you. If you do not, please consider making a financial gift to help us be the church God is calling to deepened discipleship.
Financial support is an act of discipleship, enhancing each member’s sense of belonging to this community of love, welcome, and partnership. The pages before you give a glimpse of every area of ministry and your potential involvement. If you read something here that piques your interest, let a staff member know, and we will help you broaden your engagement with this wonderful, loving, missional church community!
Grace and Peace,
Elected Leadership 2024 - 2025
Session
Dottie Bowen, Clerk
Elder Class of 2025
Keith Brinks
Meggin Capers
Maeve Daley-Gibson (Y)
Susan Daley-Gibson
Fred Fletcher
Eli Press (Y)
Susan Swanson
Pam Walsh+
Elder Class of 2026
Emily Cieri+
Carolyn Gerrish+
Sarah Gunther
Linda Griska+
Whitney Hoffman
Joe Parente+
Carl Reynolds
Elder Class of 2027
Bill Bosch
Dottie Bowen+
Anne Chamberlin
Elliot Dee+
Meg Holdsworth
Annie Lee+
Nancy Taylor
Clergy
The Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet
The Rev. Andy Greenhow
The Rev. Dr. Kirby Lawrence Hill
The Rev. Rebecca Kirkpatrick
The Rev. Rachel Pedersen
Board of Deacons
Charlotte Swenson, Moderator
Deacon Class of 2025
Nina Betrand (Y)
Gary Davis
Judy Frazier
Andy Kuntz+
Kylie Liggett (Y)
Sandie Nicholson+
Elaine Robertson
Charlotte Swenson
Anne Wendel+
Deacon Class of 2026
Angie Baturka+
Steve Burdick+
Nadine Champagne+
Stacey Fagan+
Jennie Jacobson
Kay Kerr
Rob Stoy
Deacon Class of 2027
Ted Collett+
Josh Hirt
Sharna Liggett
David Noble
Seth Pidot
Katie Quigley
Kara Udicious+
Board of Trustees
Tobin Whamond, President
Trustee Class of 2025
Dave Barrickman
Andy Bees
Kirstin Engelman+
Dan Irwin
Marge Kennedy
Tobin Whamond+
Trustee Class of 2026
Bart Bastian
Ruth Brader
Linda Gamble+
Mike Giampetroni
Dave Hastings+
Jeff Libson
Trustee Class of 2027
Scott Addis
Terry Charlton
Peter Cordray+
Rob Gunther+
Dave Reiner+
Dan Sherry (Y) Indicates a youth serving a one-year term as Elder or Deacon.
+ Indicates a person is serving their second three-year term.
2,184 Active Membership as of 12/31/2024
Children & Family Ministry
Last spring, our Elementary Sunday School classes focused on what makes the church the church. Through art, discussion, and a few wild games, we imagined the church as a family, a feast, a body, and a building. As one child shared, the church is different from a building because “it is something you are a part of and something you build. Bricks don’t build a building, but people build the church.” Indeed, over the past year, our students, staff, volunteers, and families have worked together to build an ever-stronger church.
Our children are building the church. By preparing monthly meals for the Ardmore Food Pantry, our elementary students modeled faithful partnership and mission. Crafting and leading worship services throughout the year, our students created five distinct family worship services, including the 4:30 Christmas Eve Service, which welcomed more than 1,200 people to BMPC. They are our evangelists! By bringing friends, inviting neighbors, and welcoming guests, over 70 friends visited Sunday School last year.
They are also being formed as the church. Special moments like Baptism, the 3rd Grade Bible Presentation, and the 5th Grade Step Up and Hymnal Presentation highlight the ways we, as a church, celebrate a child’s growth over time. As a congregation, we are invited to be present at these important moments, but “behind the scenes,” more is happening.
Sunday School: Last year, our Sunday school programs ran for 46 weeks. Dedicated teachers and volunteers helped students delve deep into the stories of our faith and practice what it means to follow Jesus in the 21st century. This year, the nursery has implemented a new curriculum specifically designed for our youngest members.
Special Events: Special events such as Doing Good Together, Little Easter, Wee Christmas, Quizzo Night, and the Live Nativity enable families to practice their faith together and strengthen the community.
Vacation Bible Camp: Our registration filled up before Easter! With 150 children and many volunteers, we explored the parables, discovering new ways to tell the stories through the arts. Local artists shared their talents, helping children imagine and reimagine the possibilities of storytelling through ceramics, opera, instruments, acting, and more.
Volunteers: None of the programs or moments would be possible without an incredible community of volunteers. Whether you give your time as a Sunday morning greeter, an emergency substitute, a VBC small group leader, a Prayer Partner, a craft prepper, or in any of the other roles taken on by our 200+ volunteers, your efforts make ministry possible! Volunteers not only handle the practical programmatic elements, but they also exemplify faith and create tangible expressions of God’s love and presence for all our students.
What an incredible church is being built!
Youth Ministry
Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church’s Youth Ministry is an inclusive faith community that connects, engages, and equips youth in 6th through 12th grades to discover and live out the gospel of Jesus Christ. The three main weekly programs during the program year (September to May) are Sunday morning Youth Gathering (fellowship and age-specific Sunday school), Confirmation class (18 young people joined the church in 2024), and Wednesday evening Student Serve (the deeper study of biblical and theological topics).
In addition to weekly programming, the Youth Ministry offers various fellowship and educational events throughout the year, including Glow in the Dark Capture the Flag, Rainbow Reindeer Games, Bible Games, the Thanksgiving Pancake Breakfast, and a trip to Hersheypark. Youth take advantage of volunteer opportunities in Vacation Bible Camp, days of service at local non-profits, and other one-off service opportunities around the church.
The Youth Ministry leads two trips during the summer. In 2024, the Youth participated in an intergenerational mission trip to serve with partners at Joining Hands Peru. A few weeks later, 15 youth attended the Montreat Summer Youth Conference in Montreat, NC. These opportunities to get away, engage with a completely different context, and learn more about their faith in action are highlights of the year for youth participants. BMPC is able to provide scholarships to any youth who wish to participate in these opportunities, which amplifies the cross-cultural learning of all and models the faithful stewardship of the gifts of this faith community.
2024 saw the departure of the Rev. Leigh DeVries, Associate Pastor for Youth & Their Families, after five faithful years of ministry. She served the youth well through the pandemic and left the Youth Ministry standing in good stead for the interim appointment of the Rev. Andy Greenhow. The Associate Pastor Nominating Committee’s work of appointing Rev. DeVries successor is ongoing.
The Youth Ministry at BMPC remains committed to providing a safe space for young people to wrestle with the questions of faith and develop their Reformed Christian identity in community with one another and among caring adults.
Music & Fine Arts
2024 began with a stunning exhibit titled “Seascapes” by Brazilian artist João Magalhães. His show proved to be one of the most popular exhibits in several years. Later that month, we welcomed James Kealey for his organ debut in Philadelphia. James was the winner of the most prestigious American organ competition, NYACOP. As winter came to a close, we revived an old tradition of BMPC Midwinter Festivals. Directed by Lawana Scales, this Midwinter Festival provided endless laughter through a variety of acts, including Frank Potorff as Elvis Presley and the evening's surprise, Suzanne Duplantis!
With the start of Lent, we once again offered weekly Tuesday organ recitals in the Chapel. These recitals, along with the Advent harpsichord recitals in the Sanctuary, proved to be popular among both members and friends in the community. In the Gallery, we welcomed NYC photographer Lisa Hancock for a stirring photography exhibit on the subject of foster care. We also celebrated Bach's music in a concert that included a concerto for two harpsichords and orchestra, a solo cantata, and the motet “Jesu meine Freude,” which was performed by Elevation, a newly formed professional choir focused on inclusion. In mid-March, Singing City Choir, under its new director Rollo Dillworth, presented a rousing youth choir festival with over 250 singers gathered in the chancel. On Good Friday, we presented the Philadelphia premiere of a theatrical musical work entitled “Ten-
ebrae: The Passion of Dietrich Bonhoeffer.” Composed by Hugh McElyea, this powerful work featured renowned mezzo-soprano Rachelle Fleming, baritone Nicholas Provenzale, and radio personality Mike Bolton, along with the Bryn Mawr Chamber Singers and orchestra.
In the post-Easter season, we presented Johannes Brahms’s iconic “A German Requiem” in his arrangement for two pianists. Soloists Kara Goodrich and Nicholas Provenzale brought tremendous depth of expression to that performance, as did pianists Laura Ward and Susan Ricci Rogel. Over the summer, the gallery showcased the fiberwork of artist Carolyn Harper.
With the beginning of the new program year in September, the gallery was filled with the works of formerly incarcerated men. Titled “Faces of Resilience,” this exhibition was curated by BMPC and The Barnes Foundation. A month later, we launched our first BMPC art class. This class, called “Frida Kahlo and the Art of Portraiture,” was led by artist George Apotsos. The students’ works then graced the gallery in November and December.
On All Saints Sunday, the church was filled with the sublime music of Maurice Duruflé’s “Requiem,” one of the choir’s most beloved works. In December, the choir brought the venerable tradition of “Lessons and Carols” to the Sanctuary.
These myriad events capture only a fraction of the energy that exists in the Music and Fine Arts program. We look forward to continuing to hone the gifts God has given us, blessing them to God’s service and on behalf of the congregation.
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Loving God in the Gathered
Welcoming God in Friend and
Partnering with God and Neighbor
Community. and Stranger. Neighbor in Service.
Adult Education
In 2024, Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church’s Adult Education ministry continued to grow as a dynamic and thoughtful expression of our church’s mission: to build community, deepen faith, and explore meaningful dialogue across differences. Adult Education offered diverse, engaging opportunities for spiritual formation, biblical literacy, and cultural awareness.
Three hallmark Sunday morning groups—Sunday Morning Discussion, Filling the Well, and Digging Deeper—thrived across seasons. Whether exploring scripture, spirituality, or classic works of faith, these classes formed a reliable anchor for weekly theological reflection and personal growth. Our 11:15 a.m. Sunday classes ranged from gallery talks and film discussions to presentations on democracy, environmental justice, and interfaith dialogue. Highlights included a spring focus during Lent on the Ten Commandments, with two weeks featuring Rabbi David Straus, Dr. Perry Yoder on the significance of Leviticus, and a reflection on Paul and the law from Dr. Joshua Yoder. The spring also included presentations from global and local mission partners as part of our 150th Anniversary celebration—showcasing our long-term commitment to mission in Philadelphia and around the world. The Fall 2024 Community Forum welcomed political philosopher Robert Talisse, whose book Sustaining Democracy prompted vital pre-forum classes and rich conversations about good-faith disagreement.
Converse Library: A Ministry of Resources
Thanks to Kat MacMurray’s stewardship, library circulation increased with new displays, curated recommendations, and improved user tools. The library continues to be a key companion to the intellectual and spiritual curiosity of our community.
As we look ahead to 2025, we give thanks for a vibrant year of learning, connection, and formation. Adult Education at BMPC continues to embody our call to be thoughtful Christians in a complex world.
Mission
Once again this past year, with the generous resources provided by previous generations and current members, the mission committees of BMPC supported over $600,000 in funding to more than 60 partners in our neighborhood, greater Philadelphia, and around the world. Here are just three examples.
The United Community Clinic, run by the University of Pennsylvania in West Philadelphia, supports the medical needs of the local neighborhood and exposes medical students to the value of community outreach. Central Presbyterian Church in Norristown, the only entirely Spanish-language Presbyterian church in our region, is reaching out to grow the faith of its members and provide social services and support to the vulnerable Hispanic community in Montgomery County. Cease Fire PA is a statewide political action organization mobilizing communities around the state to lobby for common-sense gun legislation to make our communities, schools, and region a safer place.
2024 was also a year of launching new mission relationships and initiatives aimed at more deeply engaging BMPC members in the work of compassion, justice, and transformation.
January started out with the piloting of a Code Blue Shelter for Lower Merion township, available to unhoused men in our community on the nights when the temperature drops
below freezing. Members of our church and the wider community responded generously with their time and energy, allowing the shelter to be open almost every night in January. This work has better connected us to the needs of our neighbors and communicated to our local community that our church is willing to step out in faith and courage to help the most vulnerable.
2024 also marked a major step in our deepened relationship with Joining Hands Peru, a grassroots organizing collective that equips and magnifies the work of local communities in Lima and around the country to improve their local environment. In April, five BMPC folks traveled for a week in Peru to learn more, express our encouragement and support, and imagine the next steps for an even deeper relationship.
Finally, in partnership with Children and Family Ministries, BMPC stepped up its engagement with the Ardmore Food Pantry, coordinating volunteers and meals for its weekly Monday night dinner. This dinner offers fellowship and care for the families in our community who rely on AFP each week of the year.
As we look to 2025, we hope to continue to find ways to support our vital partnerships and engage our members in the work of mission.
Caring Ministries
The mission of Caring Ministries is to show care for our members and their loved ones by providing support and assistance so that lives can be lived more fully. Our caregiving efforts focus on counsel during critical life transitions. When health, aging, or life circumstances are concerns, we offer pastoral care, professional assistance, visitation by trained members of the congregation, prayer, spiritual nurture, and loving support.
The Caring Ministries leadership team consists of Parish Nurse Carol Cherry, Social Worker Kathryn West, Middleton Counseling Center Director Kiki McKendrick, and Interim Associate Pastor Kirby Lawrence Hill. In March, we assisted in planning and implementing the Caring Ministries symposium, where author Laurie Lewis presented on her book, What to Say to People Who Are Hurting. In response to 45 deaths in 2024, we mailed a quarterly series of Journeying through Grief booklets to close relatives as part of our grief support ministry. Additionally, we conducted training sessions with the Deacons to enhance their flower visitation ministry, emphasizing supportive visits with members experiencing dementia and those who are grieving. We also contributed to the parent training event on Youth and Mental Health symposium in January. In April, we organized CPR training for staff, ushers, and deacons, as well as an interfaith domestic violence training program for clergy and lay leadership.
We have established a collaborative relationship with the staff of Bryn Mawr Surrey Services for Senior Adults, which operates out of the Foerderer House on campus. We have introduced a new community fitness class for moms and babies, meeting four times a week. Our other fitness classes, including yoga, tai chi, Dance for Parkinson’s Disease, and the Parkinson’s support group, continue to thrive.
Staff conducted in-home and hospital visitations. The congregation has embraced a new soup ministry. Medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, walkers, and canes, was lent to those in need, including members of the broader community.
The Middleton Counseling Center, featuring twelve counselors and two spiritual directors, conducts sessions that promote restoration and rejuvenation. Over 2,600 counseling sessions, the majority of which were in person, were held throughout the year. A scholarship fund allowed many to access therapy who otherwise would not have been able to. Our bereavement group, Searching for Still Waters, met twice a month. Book groups, contemplative prayer gatherings, and labyrinth ministry were also offered.
To provide information and resources related to physical, mental, and spiritual health and well-being, we created a monthly Caring Ministries e-newsletter. In all these ways and more, the Caring Ministries team strives to make BMPC a caring place. As always, please contact us if there is any way we can support you or a loved one in need. There is always a pastor on call for emergencies.
Senior Adults Ministry
Our Senior Adult Ministry focuses on the wisdom, talents, and needs of older adults in our congregation and community. We support and nurture spiritual enrichment and Christian fellowship by sponsoring social, educational, and mission programs and events, identifying and addressing seniors’ needs, and promoting community through intergenerational activities. The Senior Adult Council, chaired by Pam Haines Walsh, oversees the planning and execution of these programs.
This year, we held a series of ongoing educational events, including a monthly Horizons Bible study at the Mansion at Rosemont, a bi-weekly men’s book group on Wednesdays, and a monthly Great Decisions discussion group. Additionally, we organized three individual educational events: ‘De-cluttering and Downsizing,’ ‘Black History in the Philadelphia Landscape,’ and ‘Prescription Drug Insurance Assistance.’
We conducted a survey to gauge interest in possible day trips and educational offerings. Among the day trips we took were a Penn Museum Highlights tour, a Nemours Estate tour, and an American Treasures Museum tour. Additionally, we collaborated with the Congregational Life Council to host an intergenerational potluck dinner and line dancing event.
The Senior Adult Council also held our annual Spring Social at the Merion Tribute House and helped to organize the biannual luncheon for members who have been at BMPC for 50 years or more. Additionally, the Senior Adult Council offered a supportive role in the new Surrey Services for Seniors programming in the Foerderer House on our campus. As it does each year, it also designated mission funding to a number of non-profit entities that work with senior adults.
Church Balance Sheet
Church Income Statement
BMPC Foundation Balance Sheet
2. Christian Education and Congregational Life
Catherine
3. Mission Christian
4. Building
In 2024, our church was blessed with many generous donations, and we are grateful for each gift received. Most of these gifts were applied to our annual Stewardship Campaign, while some were allocated for specific uses. Samples of these special gifts are highlighted below.
• Armstrong Foundation, for the Operating Budget
• Connelly Foundation, for the Operating Budget
• Katharine Hoyler Charitable Trust, for the Operating Budget
• Martha Greene Lewis Trust, for the Operating Budget
• KGR Foundation, for the Hunger Ministry
• Philadelphia Foundation, for the Operating Budget
• Vanguard Matching Gifts, for the Operating Budget
• Gifts in memory of Ann B. Capers, for Youth Ministry
• Gifts in memory of Doris Ficca, for Children’s Ministry
• Gifts in memory of Doug McCone, for the Music Ministry
• George and Grace Andressohn Fund, for the Unrestricted Fund
• Estate of Lorraine Leiphart, for the Unrestricted Fund
• Estate of William Campbell, for the Unrestricted Fund
• Estate of Joan Wood, for the Unrestricted fund
• Gifts to the Molly Storb Hartzell Fund
• Gifts to the McFarland Music Fund
• Gifts to the Tutoring Fund
• Gifts in memory of Dolores Andrews
• Gifts in memory of Leif Beck
• Gifts in memory of John Bogle
• Gifts in memory of Dr. Allen C. Brown, for the Bay Fund
• Gifts in memory of Bryan Hauptfuhrer
• Gifts in memory of Roberta Hollingshead, for the Skip Hollingshead Fund
• Gifts in memory of John MacMurray
• Gifts in memory of Sam S. Mckeel
• Gifts in memory of Emily Parkin
• Gifts in memory of David Sautter Sr.
• Gifts in memory of Louise H. Shafer
• Gifts in memory of Claire P. Swarr
2024 Special Gifts to the ministries of the church, totaling $453,600
2024 Special Gifts to the BMPC Foundation, totaling $89,900