ALL PASTORS OFFICE STAFF MUSIC CUSTODIAL ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Phil Kniss, Senior Pastor
Phil Kniss has served as senior pastor at Park View Mennonite since 1996. This is his third pastorate, following Community Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg (1991-1996), and Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Gainesville, FL (1983-1990), where he was founding pastor. He holds a Master of Divinity from Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg and a Doctor of Ministry from Northern Seminary in Lombard, IL. Married to Irene Hershberger Kniss, a legal nurse consultant and clinic director, the couple has three daughters, two sons-in-law, and three grandchildren.
Contact Phil by email: click here
Contact Phil by email: click here
Moriah Hurst, Nurture & Faith Development Pastor
Moriah Hurst joined the Park View Mennonite pastoral team in May 2016 after finishing an 8-year term with Mennonite Mission Network in Australia. Moriah worked with several Baptist Churches in Australia in their youth ministries and taught ecumenically in young adult faith formation. She holds a Master of Divinity in Youth Ministry from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana. Moving to Virginia has meant being closer to her brothers’ families and Moriah is loving being an Aunty.
Contact Moriah by email: click here
Contact Moriah by email: click here
Paula H. Stoltzfus, Care and Formation Pastor
Paula Stoltzfus joined the pastoral team at Park View on September 1, 2018, in a newly revised role focusing on pastoral care, spiritual formation, and promoting the care-giving culture of our congregation. Paula previously served as a youth pastor at PVMC (from 1998 to 2001). Following her earlier time with us she completed her MDiv at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, married, become the mother of four, and worked for a number of years as a hospice chaplain in Illinois, and as an associate pastor at Plains Mennonite Church in Hatfield, PA. Their young adult son Justin remained in PA, while she and her husband John now live in Harrisonburg with their three youngest children, Lilliana, Elaina, and Isaac.
Contact Paula by email: click here
Contact Paula by email: click here
Jane Eanes, finance and facility manager
Jane began as office administrator in January, 2012 and transitioned to finance and facility manager in Sept. 2013. She moved to the Harrisonburg area from Scottdale, Pennsylvania in June of 2011, along with several families associated with the Mennonite Publishing Network (now MennoMedia). Jane holds a Bachelors Degree in secondary education from the University of Maryland. She is married to Russ Eanes, executive director of MennoMedia, and they are parents of 4 sons (3 married), 2 daughters, and 2 grandchildren.
Contact Jane by email: click here
Contact Jane by email: click here
Ben Lamb, Office Manager
Ben became Office Manager at the church in Spring, 2019. Previously he served as building administrator at Boulder Mennonite Church, where he was located after earning a PhD in Sociology at the University of Colorado—from researching morality, social movements, rhetoric, and emotion. In 2018 he helped found a new and thriving nonprofit dedicated to 12-step recovery groups called the Boulder Alano Club. His passions are tech 'for a cause,' operations excellence, contemplative spirituality (centering prayer), mental health first aid, and community building (...in addition to Klines ice cream).
Contact Ben by email: click here
Contact Ben by email: click here
Joseph Lapp, lead custodian
Joseph Lapp, along with spouse Hannah Mack Lapp and daughter Johanna Lapp-Paynter, have been members of PVMC since 1987. Joe was called to EMU to be president from a 15 year practice of law in Souderton, PA. Having served as EMU president till June 2003, Joe began his third profession as a financial advisor/managing director with Everence Financial. He retired on December 31, 2018. Continuing many years of service even in his retirement, Joe enjoys providing custodial services at PVMC and transportation assistance at VMRC.
Don Burkhart, custodian
Don has been on the custodial staff since 2011. He has spent half of his life growing cut flowers in Lancaster, PA. He married his wife, Carol Gaeddert, in 1955. He and Carole currently reside in Park Place at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community.
John Fast, organist and custodian
John Fast has been organist at Park View Mennonite Church since 1996. In addition he has been on the custodial staff for a number of years. He has a Master of Music degree from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, and has taught in the music department at Eastern Mennonite University since 1975. Prior to becoming the regular organist at Park View he served as organist for a number of Shenandoah Valley churches. During his years in Harrisonburg he has been an accompanist for several local choral organizations. Married to Barbara Fast, a professor in the art department at EMU, the couple have two married children and three grandchildren.
Judy Bomberger, music director
Judy Bomberger has been music director since 1998, scheduling musicians and song leaders, and directing many children's musicals. Judy holds a Bachelor of Arts in music education from Eastern Mennonite University. In addition to her work at PVMC, she teaches music at Hunter McGuire Lower School of Stuart Hall. She is married to Don Bomberger, and they have one married daugher and two grandsons.
Karen Moshier-Shenk, choir director
Karen Moshier-Shenk rejoined the Park View Mennonite Church staff as Adult Choir Director in 2007. Karen holds a Master of Music degree from Duquesne Univerisity, Pittsburgh, PA. In addition to her work at PVMC, she is an Associate Director of Development at Eastern Mennonite University since 1996. She is married to Steve Shenk. They have two sons, a daughter-in-law, a son-in-law, and three grandsons.