2023 worship dates & ministers
We will be having in person services on Sundays at 10:00 am from mid June through early September. Follow us on Facebook or register for email at FriendsofDPCC@gmail.com.
Please help the church and send donations to PO Box 25, Diamond Point, NY 12824 or leave a donation in the box at the entrance of the Memorial Garden. Stay well!
Please scroll down to view Minister bios:
Please help the church and send donations to PO Box 25, Diamond Point, NY 12824 or leave a donation in the box at the entrance of the Memorial Garden. Stay well!
Please scroll down to view Minister bios:
- June 18 – Rev. Ed Townsend
- June 25 – Rev. Skip Bush
- July 2 - Pastor Roger Griffiths
- July 9 - Pastor Jeremiah Smith
- July 16 – Rev. Gary Carr (Communion)
- July 23 – Pastor Steve Biegner
- July 30 - Pastor Jim Slater (Memorial Service)
- August 6 – Pastor Chuck Schwartz
- August 13 – Rev. Ted Peters (Communion)
- August 20 – Pastor Adam Arends
- August 27 - Pastor Steve Biegner
- September 3 – Rev. Loring Carpenter
June 18
Rev. Ed Townsend has been serving congregations in and around central New York for almost 40 years. Originally from Pittsburgh, he is a graduate of Penn State University and the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and has a background in music and theatre. He is currently the Interim Minister at New Hartford Presbyterian Church near Utica, NY. He and his wife, Jamie, are happy to be returning to Diamond Point.
June 25
Dr. Albert (Skip) Bush, the founding pastor of Gardens Presbyterian Church, where he served 1987 - 2015, joins us from Juno Beach, FL, with his wife, Christine Winkle Bush (formerly of Scoatia, NY). He has served pastorates in Baltimore, MD, Lake George, NY, and Deerfield Beach, FL. He also served as chaplain for the Army National Guard in MD, and served in the Florida National Guard earning the Florida Distinguished service award for Hurricane Andrew in 1992. A graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, Princeton Theological Seminary, Drew University Theological, and the US Army General staff College, he and his wife are looking forward to returning to Diamond Point Community Church after a few years. They have three grown children: Jonathan (42), Andrew(40), and Rachel (37).
July 2
Pastor Roger Griffiths, Jr. serves the people of St John’s Lutheran Church in West Seneca, NY. He and his wife, Tricia, and their three children, Roger III (12); Elsie (7); and Leo (4) are all excited to have been invited to join the community of Diamond Point this summer.
July 9
Pastor Jeremiah Smith was born in Geneva, New York and raised in Buffalo. He graduated from University of Buffalo in 2012 with a B.A. in history and a minor in education. He graduated from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in 2017 and was called to Parkside Lutheran in North Buffalo in June of 2017. He and his wife, Katie, have a two year old daughter, Eleanor, live in Tonawanda, NY. Jeremiah is passionate about Jesus, spending time with family, the Buffalo Bills, building community, and hearing people's stories. He would love to hear your story.
July 16 (Communion)
The Rev. Gary Carr joins us from Stuart, Florida, where he serves as the community Chaplain of Mariner Sands Golf Club. He also serves on the National Conference of Ministry to the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C., where he credentials chaplains for the Wesleyan Church. He retired from the U.S. Navy as a commander after 30 years of distinguished service and has extensive training in family enrichment, crisis/trauma intervention, and leadership development. He leads voluntary ministries for sheriff and highway patrol organizations. He and his wife of 44 years, Karen, will join us from Texas and have three daughters and six grandchildren.
July 23
The Rev. Steve Biegner, his wife, Michelle, and their two children spent five years in the Adirondacks while Steve served as Mission Pastor at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in South Glens Falls. He is currently the pastor/developer at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Eggertsville, NY, outside of Buffalo. Steve is also working on developing Church of Grace and Grace School in Ile a Vache, Haiti.
July 30 (Memorial Sunday)
Pastor Jim Slater retired from pastoral ministry in 2017 after serving various Lutheran congregations in Upstate New York for 40 years. He and his wife, Christa, spend their winters in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they are members of Good Samaritan Lutheran Church, and their summers in Spencertown, New York. They live bi-coastally because they have a daughter and grandson in Las Vegas and a daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren in Prospect, Connecticut.
August 6
The Rev. Chuck Schwartz returns to Diamond Point Community Church with his family this year. He has served as a parish pastor, Dean of the Hudson Mohawk Conference, as a member of the Upstate NY Synod Candidacy Committee, and as the preaching mentor for the Region 7 Annual Leadership Event. Now retired, Chuck and his wife, Mary, reside in Ballston Lake, NY. They have been blessed with 5 children and 7 grandchildren.
August 13 (Communion)
Pastor Ted Peters is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. He is also an emeritus professor teaching seminarians and doctoral students at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. This summer he is accompanied by wife, Karen, and family. His espionage thriller novel, The Moon Turns to Blood [http://tedstimelytake.com/series/leona-foxx-thriller/] is set here in Diamond Point. Ted began preaching here in 1974. Can you add up the years?
August 20
Pastor Adam Arends and his family are very excited to return to beautiful Lake George this summer. This past year they moved back from Wisconsin to Western New York where Adam serves as pastor of St. Timothy Lutheran on Grand Island and Kristen works as a Synodically Authorized Minister at St. Paul Lutheran in Eggertsville while she takes seminary classes. Their two children, Anna and Wes, love swimming in Lake George, playing in school bands, and playing sports (Anna - volleyball; Wes - baseball).
August 27
The Rev. Steve Biegner (see July 23)
September 3
Rev. J. Loring Carpenter has been pastor, leader of mission agencies, coach and consultant with nonprofits for over 45 years. He currently is Interim Pastor at The Sherman Church in CT. MaryAnne and Loring enjoy spending time with their three children and seven grandchildren whenever possible, and love having them visit during the 30+ years they have been serving DPCC.
Rev. Ed Townsend has been serving congregations in and around central New York for almost 40 years. Originally from Pittsburgh, he is a graduate of Penn State University and the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and has a background in music and theatre. He is currently the Interim Minister at New Hartford Presbyterian Church near Utica, NY. He and his wife, Jamie, are happy to be returning to Diamond Point.
June 25
Dr. Albert (Skip) Bush, the founding pastor of Gardens Presbyterian Church, where he served 1987 - 2015, joins us from Juno Beach, FL, with his wife, Christine Winkle Bush (formerly of Scoatia, NY). He has served pastorates in Baltimore, MD, Lake George, NY, and Deerfield Beach, FL. He also served as chaplain for the Army National Guard in MD, and served in the Florida National Guard earning the Florida Distinguished service award for Hurricane Andrew in 1992. A graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University, Princeton Theological Seminary, Drew University Theological, and the US Army General staff College, he and his wife are looking forward to returning to Diamond Point Community Church after a few years. They have three grown children: Jonathan (42), Andrew(40), and Rachel (37).
July 2
Pastor Roger Griffiths, Jr. serves the people of St John’s Lutheran Church in West Seneca, NY. He and his wife, Tricia, and their three children, Roger III (12); Elsie (7); and Leo (4) are all excited to have been invited to join the community of Diamond Point this summer.
July 9
Pastor Jeremiah Smith was born in Geneva, New York and raised in Buffalo. He graduated from University of Buffalo in 2012 with a B.A. in history and a minor in education. He graduated from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia in 2017 and was called to Parkside Lutheran in North Buffalo in June of 2017. He and his wife, Katie, have a two year old daughter, Eleanor, live in Tonawanda, NY. Jeremiah is passionate about Jesus, spending time with family, the Buffalo Bills, building community, and hearing people's stories. He would love to hear your story.
July 16 (Communion)
The Rev. Gary Carr joins us from Stuart, Florida, where he serves as the community Chaplain of Mariner Sands Golf Club. He also serves on the National Conference of Ministry to the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C., where he credentials chaplains for the Wesleyan Church. He retired from the U.S. Navy as a commander after 30 years of distinguished service and has extensive training in family enrichment, crisis/trauma intervention, and leadership development. He leads voluntary ministries for sheriff and highway patrol organizations. He and his wife of 44 years, Karen, will join us from Texas and have three daughters and six grandchildren.
July 23
The Rev. Steve Biegner, his wife, Michelle, and their two children spent five years in the Adirondacks while Steve served as Mission Pastor at St. Andrew Lutheran Church in South Glens Falls. He is currently the pastor/developer at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Eggertsville, NY, outside of Buffalo. Steve is also working on developing Church of Grace and Grace School in Ile a Vache, Haiti.
July 30 (Memorial Sunday)
Pastor Jim Slater retired from pastoral ministry in 2017 after serving various Lutheran congregations in Upstate New York for 40 years. He and his wife, Christa, spend their winters in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they are members of Good Samaritan Lutheran Church, and their summers in Spencertown, New York. They live bi-coastally because they have a daughter and grandson in Las Vegas and a daughter, son-in-law, and two grandchildren in Prospect, Connecticut.
August 6
The Rev. Chuck Schwartz returns to Diamond Point Community Church with his family this year. He has served as a parish pastor, Dean of the Hudson Mohawk Conference, as a member of the Upstate NY Synod Candidacy Committee, and as the preaching mentor for the Region 7 Annual Leadership Event. Now retired, Chuck and his wife, Mary, reside in Ballston Lake, NY. They have been blessed with 5 children and 7 grandchildren.
August 13 (Communion)
Pastor Ted Peters is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. He is also an emeritus professor teaching seminarians and doctoral students at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA. This summer he is accompanied by wife, Karen, and family. His espionage thriller novel, The Moon Turns to Blood [http://tedstimelytake.com/series/leona-foxx-thriller/] is set here in Diamond Point. Ted began preaching here in 1974. Can you add up the years?
August 20
Pastor Adam Arends and his family are very excited to return to beautiful Lake George this summer. This past year they moved back from Wisconsin to Western New York where Adam serves as pastor of St. Timothy Lutheran on Grand Island and Kristen works as a Synodically Authorized Minister at St. Paul Lutheran in Eggertsville while she takes seminary classes. Their two children, Anna and Wes, love swimming in Lake George, playing in school bands, and playing sports (Anna - volleyball; Wes - baseball).
August 27
The Rev. Steve Biegner (see July 23)
September 3
Rev. J. Loring Carpenter has been pastor, leader of mission agencies, coach and consultant with nonprofits for over 45 years. He currently is Interim Pastor at The Sherman Church in CT. MaryAnne and Loring enjoy spending time with their three children and seven grandchildren whenever possible, and love having them visit during the 30+ years they have been serving DPCC.
