Kairos Board Member Bios
Mark Weidner, Board Chair
Mark and his wife Kay have recently moved to Lancaster area and are retired. He served with MCC in Viet Nam and Appalachia 1966-69. He was an engineer with XeroX Corporation before enrolling at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) to earn an M. Div degree in 1973. He later completed a D. Min. at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio in 1995. Mark was a church planter for Cincinnati Mennonite Fellowship for 7 years and later conference minister for 18 years. He also served as vice president for advancement at AMBS 1998-2004 followed by pastorate in Franconia Conference. Mark enjoys early morning walks, a good cup of strong coffee, watching birds, and spending time with 10 grand children.
Linda Witmer, Vice Chair
Linda earned her BSN at Eastern Mennonite University, her MPH & MSPH at University of North Carolina, and her M. Div. at Lancaster Theological Seminary. She served with Eastern Mennonite Missions and Mennonite Central Committee for twenty-three years working with the Kekchi Mennonite Church in Guatemala. While in Guatemala, she worked in leadership training and oversaw health, development, education, and church programs. Linda then worked for three years as a public health nurse in Coatesville, PA. During those years, she co-founded Bride of Hope, a program for homeless women and children. After teaching community health nursing at Goshen College for three years, she became the Administrative Director of the RN-BSN program at Eastern Mennonite University at Lancaster, where she currently teaches community and family health. She is an active member at Laurel Street Mennonite Church and is in the Spiritual Direction Training program at Kairos.
Roger Ledyard, Treasurer
Roger was born in Wauseon OH. Attended International Business College in Ft Wayne Indiana, where he met his wife Rosalyn. He worked in the Accounting office of Evanston Hospital Association in Evanston Illinois fulfilling his two year alternative service. In 1962 they moved to Lancaster where he was manager of the Office Supply department of Provident Bookstore in Lancaster. In 1968 the family moved to Scottdale PA where he was Accountant of Mennonite Publishing House for 32 years. The last several years he served as Controller as well as Accountant. He was a member of Kingview Mennonite Church in Scottdale where he served as treasurer, Outreach (Missions) Committee, usher and various roles. In 2001 they moved back to Lancaster for Rosalyn’s employer. They are members at East Chestnut St Mennonite Church where he has served as Controller and co-chair of the property commission. He worked until retirement in 2008 at Gehman Accounting in New Holland PA. In retirement he keeps busy with his various hobbies – reading, bicycling, model railroading and antique automobile. He and Rosalyn are the parents of two adult sons and 13 grandchildren.
Rachel Petersen, Secretary
Rachel grew up in West Hartford, Connecticut. She moved to central Pennsylvania to attend Messiah College, where she earned her B.A. in English Literature in 2005. Since that time she has lived and worked at Paxton Ministries, a community of homes for adults with various mental, social, and emotional challenges. She is an active member of Grantham Church (BIC). Rachel first became involved with Kairos in 2006, when she attended the Advent Day retreat. She enrolled as a student in the spiritual formation program the following fall. In her free time, Rachel enjoys hiking, bird watching, picnicking with friends, and doting on her nephew.
Lynne Anthony
Lynne grew up outside of Pittsburgh PA, she and her husband Les live in a rural area near Walnutport PA. She graduated in 1974 with a B.A. in Sociology from Slippery Rock University and worked until the early 80’s in the Social Service fields of Drug and Alcohol Counseling and Special Education. For the last 20 years, Lynne has operated a home based decorating business. She currently volunteers at Hospice St. Luke’s and is involved in various ministries at St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church. She is a 2011 graduate of the Spiritual Direction Program offered by Kairos. One of Lynne’s greatest joys in life has been raising her daughter Libby. When time and weather permit she enjoys bicycling and exercising outdoors with her husband who is recently retired.
Julia Bruton-Sheppard
Julia was born and raised in Philadelphia and is married to Robert Sheppard. They have five children and six grandchildren. She has been a nurse for 44 years and currently teaches Home Health Aides for Bayada Home Care. Julia has a Master of Divinity Degree and was ordained in 1993. She currently serve as Special Assistant to Pastor Albert F. Campbell at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Aside from family, church and Kairos responsibilities, Julia enjoys reading and writing and plans to take water color painting lessons.
Gene Cleaver
Gene grew up in Pennsburg, PA. He was baptized and confirmed in the Schwenkfelder Church. After completing college, Gene joined the Marine Corps. He spent four months in Viet Nam before he was wounded. During his recovery time at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital, Gene met his wife Kathy, who worked at the hospital as a Navy Nurse. Gene and Kathy have been married for thirty-seven years. In 1969, Gene began his career as a Physical Therapist after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania. Twelve years of his career were spent in Goshen, Indiana, where Gene and Kathy's two daughters were born. Also during this time, Gene joined the Catholic church. In 1984, Gene and his family moved back to Pennsburg, PA, where he opened a Physical Therapy practice with his brother. In 1996, Gene began his conscious spiritual journey with Kairos. In May of 2006, he retired from the Physical Therapy practice and moved to Philadelphia later that year. Gene looks forward to growing in his spirituality and working to make a difference in the world.
Joy Sawatzky
Joy's life journey has taken her to live in seven states and countries, including Haiti for 3 years and South Florida for 11 years (serving with Mennonite Central Committee), before moving back to southeastern Pennsylvania. These moves inspired eight differt careers, ranging from nursing to social work, pastoral ministry and pastoral care (chaplain). Most closely related to the mission of Kairos is an M.A. in Pastoral Ministry, with certificates in Spiritual Formation and Direction from St. Thomas University in Miami, a two year program in Spiritual Formation through the Upper Room, and a three year apprenticeship in Sacred Storytelling through the School of Sacred Storytelling. The one constant is her passion for God and how that relationship can be an amazing and life giving presence, and her belief that story is often a window to knowing and experiencing God in unexpected ways. Joy is currently working both at Bridge of Hope National, an organization that is working at ending and preventing homelessness for women and their children through matching them with mentoring groups from local congregations, and at Souderton Mennonite Homes, a continuing care retirement community, as a part-time pastor. Joy lives in Hatfield, PA with her husband Walter, and enjoys listening to great audio books as she commutes, and watching a good movie. They have two adult sons.
Stan Shantz
Stan Shantz has been a pastor since 1981 and is currently lead pastor at James Street Mennonite Church. Degrees: B.E.S. University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario; M.Div. Goshen Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, IN; M.A.T. Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA; and D. Min. Fuller Theological Seminary. Stan was born in Kitchener, Ontario and is married to Kathy Keener. They have two children.
John Stoner
John K. Stoner lives in Akron, Pa. He grew up in the Brethren in Christ Church in Adams county, PA, is now a member of Akron Mennonite Church. He is a graduate of Messiah College and the Mennonite seminary in Elkhart, Indiana. He was pastor of the Harrisburg Brethren in Christ Church from 1967-1975 and then worked in the peace section of the Mennonite Central Committee for 12 years. His life long passion has been to work for world peace by helping churches recover a commitment to the nonviolent power of Jesus to transform people and cultures. He has pursued this goal by serving on boards of Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) (peace activism), Every Church A Peace Church (church renewal in nonviolence) and Kairos (spirituality energized by Jesus). A founding member of the Kairos movement, John began meeting with four others in 1988 to discern ways to nurture opportunities for contemplative prayer. John and his wife Janet have five grown children and 12 grandchildren in 3 states. He enjoys reading, hiking, gardening, photograpy, people, and also "just about everything else."
John Triantafelow
John is a lifelong resident of Bethlehem, Pa. He and his wife Barbara have raised four boys together, two of whom are married and they have two grandchildren. He is the President and CEO of Renaissance Wealth Management, LLC. He has worked in finance for over 20 years. He has been an entrepreneur and business owner for over 33 years.
During that time he has also devoted time to ministry work. In his twenties he served as the Vice President of International Christian Services (Formally Lehigh Valley Christian Service). He has also served on many boards of directors, most recently Visual Impairment & Blindness Services of the Lehigh Valley. He is also an author of financial and social commentaries. John is an alumni of the Spiritual Formation Program and Spiritual Direction Program offered by Kaiors. He is a practicing Spiritual Director and Business Coach.
John plays a little golf when time permits, and is a student of the Martial Arts. However, most of all he enjoys spending time with his family.
Carol Voorhees
Carol grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. After graduating from college, she spent her 40-year career in Human Resources, mainly in recruiting. She first recruited students for Wells College, then Colgate University and then Vassar, and next recruited engineers and MBA students while also serving as the first Affirmative Action Coorinator for a Fortune 500 Company. After eight years in that position Carol spent another eight years in charge of Human Resources for a Tribune Company newspaper. She retired after 19 years at Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH), the largest hospital in the state of Pennsylvania. At LVH Carol started up and managed the department which recruited physicians for the Hospital. Carol is an active Quaker and member of the Lehigh Valley Meeting, currently serving as Clerk of the Care and Concern Committee. Two years ago her spiritual advisor, Barry Young, suggested that she consider attending the Spiritual Formation Program at KAIROS; she is currently in the third year of the program. In retirement Carol enjoys adventure travel, reading, Zumba, bicycling, walking, Bridge, seeing her grandchildren, spending time with her friends, and visiting a number of folks in their 90's.