No. 18 Vol. 9
www.mypaperonline.com
September 2022
Rev. Wong Says “Mahalo” to Denville
R
by Elsie Walker ev. George Wong will tell you that in coming to the Church of the Savior five years ago, he overshot his original plan by 2,500 miles. He grew up in Los Angeles, had been on the east coast for many years, and had hoped to return to the west one day. He had most recently served a church in southern New Jersey and was looking to make his move. However, he found his search suddenly focusing on parishes in a crescent- shaped area of the northeast: Maryland, New York, Connecticut, Philadelphia, and Northern New Jersey. Wong came to Denville to interview with a committee at Church of the Savior and found the people to be transparent and authentic; he felt that “together we could do good things for the church”. Originally, from the corporate world, Wong found that some parishioners were, too. He knew having those abilities could help to get things done. Also, he found Denville’s setting to be beautiful, and the town had an openness and receptiveness to it. “I always felt welcomed,” Wong shared. He became the reverend of Church of the Savior in July 2017. However, this month, after many years on the east coast, Wong is going back west. Wong says “mahalo” (thanks) to Denville for his time here as he leaves this month to become the Reverend of St. John’s in Kula, in the center of Maui (Hawaii). Recently, Wong reflected on his path to the ministry and his time at Church of the Savior. Wong was not originally a minister. He attended UCLA where his father encouraged him to study business. After graduation, he started at TRW in the finance area. However, that field wasn’t relational enough for him; he wanted more interaction with people. Wong went back to school and got his MBA. He got a position in International Business. In that field, he got to work with a variety of people and enjoyed learning their stories and their cultures. His job took him to Washington, DC. There, he became increasingly active in a church in Maryland. It was during that time that he felt the calling to pursue ordination. Wong attended and graduated from Virginia Theological Seminary and was ordained at the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (Washington National Cathedral). Wong noted, “I [have] a love of joining together groups. I’ve always enjoyed working with a wide range of people
FALL LEAVES ARE CHANGING As the leaves begin changing, the Real Estate market may be changing in your favor as well.
Call Peggy
Margaret A. “Peggy” Lefsky Formerly the pastor of Church of the Savior, Rev. George Wong stands outside St. John’s in Maui.
and finding a common ground.” In reflecting on his five years at Church of the Savior, it was establishing relationships that was important to him. He mentioned some in particular. He expressed appreciation to the mayor of Denville and the administration, noting that he enjoyed working with them on several occasions. He shared that the church has developed a relationship with community’s seniors through the church hosting a senior luncheon every month. Also, the church has a developed a nice partnership with its tenant, Vision Loss Alliance of New Jersey. (That group helps visually impaired people with daily living skills.) Wong noted that he helped re-establish the Denville community clergy group and also worked with other episcopal churches in the area and with the diocese. Wong said that Church of the Savior is part of the fabric of the community and is looking for more things on which to collaborate. continued on page 8
Broker/Sales Associate
973-727-0795 Cell 973-263-0400 Office www.peggylefsky.com
Check out my references! Zillow.com, Peggy Lefsky 91 Crane Road, Mountain Lakes, NJ 07046
973-263-0400 ©2018 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker® is a registered trademark of Coldwell Banker LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Owned and Operted by NRT LLC.