Westminster Church Staff

Dr. Michael A. Rogers
Senior Pastor
BA from Houghton College - 1970, MTS (Theology), Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary - 1973, THM (New Testament), Gordon Conwell Seminary - 1974, Doctor of Ministry, Westminster Theological Seminary - 1988

Pastor, Worthington Presbyterian Church (Worthington, PA) 1974-1976
Pastor, Hillcrest Presbyterian Church (Monroeville, PA) 1976-1977
Associate Pastor, Randall Memorial Church (Williamsville, NY) 1977-1980
Founding Pastor, Church of the Savior (PCA) (Williamsville, NY) 1980-1988
Senior Pastor, Valley Presbyterian (Lutherville, MD) 1988-1994
Senior Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian - Since 1994

Dr. Rogers and his wife Carol met in high school at Williamsville, New York, and married in 1969. Their three children and thirteen grandchildren living locally are members of the Westminster congregation. Another son lives in Pittsburgh.

Dr. Rogers is our primary preacher, worship planner and moderator of Session. He coordinates the ministry staff and session committee programs to unify our mission and vision. He oversees deacons, new member classes, radio ministry, Communiqué and officer training. Since 2002, Dr. Rogers has been a trustee for Westminster Theological Seminary. He is author of Baptism and the Covenant of Grace.

Dr. Rogers considers his life Scripture passage to be Psalm 73:25,26, "Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Dr. John S. Light
Senior Associate Pastor, Pastoral Care
BS from Dickinson College - 1975, MA and Master of Divinity, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School - 1981, Doctor of Ministry, Westminster Theological Seminary - 2002

Pastor, Hanover Evangelical Free (Hanover, PA) 1981-1987
Pastor, New Life Presbyterian (North Middletown, NJ) 1987-1995
Associate Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian 1995-2003
Senior Associate Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian - Since 2003

Dr. Light and his wife Patty met in Carlisle, PA, where he was raised; they were married in 1975. They live in Manheim Township and have three grown children. They delight in three grandchildren living nearby.

Dr. Light's ministry provides broad oversight to pastoral care issues and he sees many counseling appointments weekly. He preaches and teaches regularly and oversees adult education and Women's ministry. Dr. Rogers views him as an invaluable partner in many major decisions.

Dr. Light receives great personal encouragement from 2 Cor. 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

W. Tuck (Tucker) York
Associate Pastor
BE (Bachelor of Engineering) from Vanderbilt University - 1997, Master of Divinity, Covenant Theological Seminary - 2003

Associate Pastor at Westminster Presbyterian Church - Since 2003

William Tuck York ("Tucker") is a native of Spring, Texas, near Houston. Tucker married Stacy in 1998. Now making their home in Leola, the Yorks have six children.

Tucker covers several ministry bases on our staff, with major attention devoted to post high school young adults, couples and families. He established our successful Homebuilders class and is involved in preaching and teaching, visitor follow- up and men's ministry.

Tucker mentions a life verse from Phil. 3:7-8, "Whatever was to my profit I now consider a loss for the sake of Christ, What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things."

Troy A. DeBruin
Youth Pastor
BS from Lancaster Bible College - 1995, Master of Divinity, Biblical Theological Seminary - 2006

Director of Family & Youth Ministries, Trinity Presbyterian Church (Harrisburg, PA) 1995-2000
Youth Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church - Since 2000

Born in Michigan, Troy moved to Lancaster as a teenager. He met his wife Amy in high school, and they married in 1994.They live in Talmage with their six children.

Troy ministers to roughly 130 junior and senior high students and their families and supervises the volunteer youth staff. He teaches senior high Sunday school and has proven to be a very capable preacher when he is able to fit this into his schedule.

Troy cites as a premier passage guiding his life 1 Peter 2:9-10, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light, Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God, once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

Keith C. Irvine
Associate Pastor of Visitation
BA in Religious Education from Shelton College - 1966, Master of Divinity from Faith Theological Seminary - 1970

Pastor at Faith Bible Church (Norristown, PA) 1970-1976
Pastor at Bible Baptist Church, reformed (Akron, PA) 1977-1987
Served on the board of Bible Evangelism, Inc. (Hatfield, PA)
Recently worked in the business world
Associate Pastor, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Since 2007
Member of the Great Commission Committee (missions)

Keith C. Irvine was raised in Wilkinsburg, PA. He met his wife Becky as a fellow student in the seminary, and they were married in 1971. They have three children: one is a counselor locally, and two are missionaries abroad.

In 2007 he joined our staff to serve primarily in visitation to sick and elderly members and to assist our Great Commission committee. Keith's compassionate gospel witness and spontaneous songs of praise have come to be valued by many Westminster folks in times of crisis or loneliness.

Patricia L. Bleecker
Organist and Director of Music
BS Music Education (Organ Major) Elizabethtown College - 1969, Graduate Studies for Teacher Certification - West Chester University

Organist, Ephrata Church of the Brethren - 1962-1965
College Choir Organist, Elizabethtown College - 1965-1969
Music Teacher, Conestoga Valley School District - 1969-1974
Music Faculty and Organist, Lancaster Bible College - 1986-1991
Organist, Westminster Presbyterian Church - Since 1973
Director of Music, Westminster Presbyterian Church - Since 1983

Patricia L. Bleecker is the longest continuous Westminster employee! She currently oversees a music program with four vocal choirs, four handbell choirs, four instrumental ensembles and many instrumental and vocal soloists. She is responsible for the planning, scheduling, organizing and staffing of all musical activities in worship services.

An Ephrata native, Pat married Mark Bleecker in 2002. Together, they share five children. As a musician, Pat is encouraged by Zephaniah 3:17, "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love; he will rejoice over you with singing."

Mary Jo Rader
Director of Children's Ministry
B.S. (Business and Personnel Management) Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA-1986, Masters in Ministry program - partial credits completed at Lancaster Bible College-2004-2006

Instructor, Lancaster Bible College, Biblical Enrichment Institute, 2011
Director of Youth Ministry, Wheatland Presbyterian Church, Lancaster, PA, 2005-2011
Various positions in business, retail sales and personnel oversight, 1989-1999

Michael S. Ploutz
Church Administrator
AS, SUNY Delhi, 1985

Automotive Technician, 1985-1990
Plant Supervisor, US Commstruct, 1990-1992
Senior Project Manager, ComDev, 1992-1997
Operations Manager, Miller Building Systems, 1997-2008
General Manager, Mobile/Modular Express II, LLC, 2008-2009
WPC Church Administrator since 2009

Michael S. Ploutz is originally from Binghamton, NY, but the Ploutzes now live in Leola. Michael married a childhood friend Patricia, now a teaching assistant at Veritas Academy, in 1986. They have three children.

The Church Administrator oversees the `business' side of our ministry. Michael schedules the use and maintenance of our facility, deals with human relations issues, guides payroll and administers the custodial and office support staff. He has a strong mechanical aptitude and organizational gifts, having been an automotive technician and a manufacturing plant operations manager prior to employment here.

He mentions Eph. 2:8 as important to his life, "For it is by grace you are saved through faith - and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God."

Dr. Joan F. Stratton
Director of Women's Ministry
BA, cum laude, Houghton College - 1968, MABS, high honor, Dallas Theological Seminary - 1980, Doctor of Ministry, Liberty Theological Seminary - 2006

Served on Faculty at numerous schools - Since 1968
Adjunct Professor of Spanish at Lancaster Bible College (Lancaster, PA), 2002-present
Director of Women's Ministry, Westminster Presbyterian Church - Since 2007

Dr. Joan Stratton works in conjunction with the pastors and a team of women's ministry volunteers to cultivate, mentor and advise ministry functions that meet needs of Westminster's women in the areas of Biblical instruction, spiritual support and fellowship. A native of Washington D.C., Joan married Raymond in 1970 and was widowed in May 2009. She has a son, a daughter, and her first grandchild!

She offers Rom. 11:36 for God's praise: "For from him and through him and unto him are all things. To him be the glory forever!"