Meck and Moss Awards
The Alumni Council of Lancaster Theological Seminary awards these special honors annually to graduates of any denomination.
Congratulations to the 2024 Meck and Moss Award Recipients.
Moss Award- Rev. Dr. Kathy Harvey Nelson ’03 ’19
Rev. Dr. Kathy Harvey Nelson graduated from Lancaster Theological Seminary with an MDiv in 2003 and a DMin in 2019.
Dr. Harvey Nelson served two local Pennsylvania congregations, Immanuel UMC in Glen Rock and Salem UMC in Martinsburg. For most of her career, she served in specialized ministries. She was first called to serve as the Assistant Director of Continuing Education for Lancaster Seminary from 2008-2010 and then as Director from 2010-2013.
In addition, she assisted in the development and implementation of the Ministerial Studies program for the Seminary at various times throughout the program.
Dr. Harvey Nelson’s last ministerial appointment in the UMC was as Director of The Center for Spiritual Formation from 2017-2021, where she served as Director Emeritus and Consultant.
Dr. Harvey Nelson also facilitated classes for the PATHWAYS program of the Southeast Conference of the UCC and she continues an active Spiritual Direction practice. Dr. Nelson has served Lancaster Seminary since 2019 as Coordinator of the Ministerial Studies program and Adjunct Professor. She is grateful to Lancaster Theological Seminary for equipping her for various leadership roles in ministry.
Dr. Harvey Nelson states, “I’ll never forget the first day that I walked on campus in 1999. I was surrounded by a feeling of standing on holy ground. I still feel that today as I’ve been deeply connected to the Seminary ever since that day, it’s not only part of my educational journey, it’s part of my heart, life, and faith story.”
Meck Awards- Rev. Dr. Lucas Lindon ’10 and Rev. Curtis Zemencik ’87
Rev. Dr. Lucas Lindon ’10
The Rev. Dr. Luke Lindon serves as the senior pastor of United Church of Christ Congregational in Medina, Ohio.
Prior to coming to Medina in April 2017, he was the associate pastor of Faith Formation and Families at Sylvania UCC in northwest Ohio. While there, he won a grant from the John Templeton Foundation for a lecture series about the intersection of faith and science. The series featured local scientists speaking about their faith and culminated in a weekend with the late Marcus Borg. This series was made into a confirmation curriculum for Sylvania UCC.
While at Sylvania, he was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered for his congregation’s work with Syrian refugees through US Together.
Upon arriving at Medina, the congregation was faced with paying off a loan for new construction and saving the church bell. He challenged the congregation to raise $8,500 by Thanksgiving, in which case he would spend the night in the bell tower. The congregation and community raised the funds in under two months.
He is active in the Medina community through Leadership Medina County, working on The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day city-wide worship service, helping strategize passage of LGBTQ+ housing and employment protections through Medina City Council with Equality Ohio, and starting a Dungeons and Dragons group for teens at the library. His latest project, Medina Interfaith Coalition for Affordable Housing (MICAH), is a coalition of seven area churches with the sole purpose of building affordable housing in Medina County. He serves as the Vice President.
In the wider UCC, Rev. Dr. Lindon was most recently the Living Water Association Committee on Ministry Discernment Working Group Co-Chair. He was also a member of the UCC Next Generation Leadership Initiative, class 2.
Rev. Dr. Lindon earned his Doctor of Ministry through the Methodist Theological School in Ohio with an emphasis on transformational leadership in 2022. His thesis was on adaptive leadership and ecclesiology entitled: “Belonging at the End of the Aberrant Time: Adaptive Leadership as Discernment for the Church”
He received his Master of Divinity degree from Lancaster Theological Seminary in 2010. While at LTS he loved making “Reformation: the Sitcom” for his church history final project, setting up poetry nights, and helping plan the first Lancaster Pride Fest at Buchanan Park.
Prior to ministry, Luke worked as a tool and fastener sales representative and store manager for Capitol Building Supply in Washington, D.C. He earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio University.
Luke and his wife, Kate, have two children.
Rev. Curtis Zemencik ’87
Rev. Curtis Zemencik received a Master of Divinity in 1987 from Lancaster Theological Seminary. He graduated from Lycoming College with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology/Anthropology and from Williamsport Area Community College in 1982 with an applied science degree in computer programming.
Rev. Zemencik has been pastoring rural congregations since 1987. He began his career at St. Paul’s UCC, Sacramento, from 1987 until 1991. Curtis served from 1988-1990 on the UCC National Council for Youth and Young Adult Ministries. He then pastored at St. Matthew’s United Church of Christ, Spring Glen, from 1993 until 2011. While at St. Matthew’s, Rev. Zemencik and the Rev. Carl D. Shankweiler formed a partnership and combined St. Matthew’s UCC and Trinity Lutheran Church, Valley View, as associate pastors.
Rev. Zemencik is currently pastoring the Stone Valley Parish, which includes Salem-Zion Church, Pillow, and Zion Stone Valley, Dalmatia. While at Salem, he was instrumental in forming the Carpenter’s Hands Outreach Ministry which is still a vital, active ministry of that church.
Pastor Curtis resides in Sacramento, with his wife, Rebecca, and their 14-year-old daughter Rose. He is also the father to 26-year-old Jericho, who resides in Valley View.
About the Awards
The Meck Award honors the memory of Allan S. Meck, Class of 1911, president of the Seminary from 1947-57. It is presented for distinguished service in the practice of pastoral ministry.
The Moss Award is named for Robert V. Moss, Jr., Class of 1945, president of the Seminary from 1957-69. It is presented for distinguished service in the practice of specialized ministry (e.g., chaplain, administrator, educator, judicatory staff, etc.).
Selection
The Alumni Council’s Awards and Recognition Committee will select the recipients of these awards for 2025 from nominations that are submitted/postmarked by November 30, 2024. Nominations may be submitted via electronic form or be mailed to:
Kristin Warner – Award Nominations
Lancaster Theological Seminary
555 West James Street
Lancaster, PA 17603
General Criteria
The Awards and Recognition Committee looks at specific criteria for indications of excellence in ministry, including:
• Fostering the vitality of the ministry;
• Exhibiting excellent pastoral presence;
• Demonstrating creativity in ministry;
• Enlisting and nurturing the gifts of others;
• Relating the Gospel to the commonly-shared experiences in the ministry.
Nominations must contain:
(1) the name and address of the nominee;
(2) the particular setting of ministry of the nominee;
(3) at least a sentence or two indicating how the nominee meets the five criteria listed
above;
(4) an indication of how long the nominator has known the nominee and in what
capacity;
(5) the name, address and contact information of the person submitting the nomination.
If your nominee was not selected previously, please submit a new nomination
since those from prior years are not kept.
Questions may be submitted to Associate Director of Engagement & Philanthropy, Kristin Warner, at kblocher-warner@lancasterseminary.edu.
The Selection Committee depends on you to pass this information to members of churches and agencies and institutions served by graduates of Lancaster Theological Seminary. You are encouraged to copy, post and distribute this notice to others who may be interested in making nominations.