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 nurse and clinic director, the couple has three daughters, two sons-in-law, and four 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 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, became 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 lives on his own, while she and her husband John live in Harrisonburg with their three youngest children, Lilianna, Elaina, and Isaac.
Contact Paula by email: click here
Contact Paula by email: click here
Jill Kennel, Operations Coordinator
Jill began in November 2023 as our Operations Coordinator, focusing on communications (written and digital) and on building rentals and upkeep. Jill grew up in Rockingham County, attending Turner Ashby HS and Harrisonburg Mennonite Church. After high school, she did a year of Voluntary Service in Downey, CA, then graduated from Hesston College and Fort Hays State University in Kansas with a degree in Elementary Education. She and her husband moved to Portland, OR where they lived for 40 years. She has recently returned to her home community, where she is close to her aging mother and other family members. Most of her career related to technology support and teaching at community and career colleges.
Contact Jill by email: click here
Contact Jill by email: click here
Karen Gonzol, Finance and Data Manager
Karen began in September 2023 as our Finance and Data Manager, doing all our bookkeeping tasks, and maintaining accurate financial and membership records. Karen and her husband David have been connecting informally with PVMC for many years, as they have family in the congregation. Since their move to Harrisonburg several years ago, they got more involved, and became members at PVMC in 2021. Karen is a retired nurse and nurse educator, and has also recently worked for MennoMedia on the Voices Together hymnal project, and serves on the Virginia Mennonite Relief Sale board.
Contact Karen by email: click here
Contact Karen by email: click here
Jennifer White, Office Assistant
Jennifer White lives in Mount Solon with her husband and two children on a small llama farm. She attends Bridge Christian Church in Fishersville. She has a bachelor's degree in social work from Messiah University and in the past has worked as a social worker in a nursing home and as a case manager for the Board for the Aging. She loves being outside, bird watching, spending time with her family and of course, cats.
Contact Jennifer by email at the main office: click here
Contact Jennifer by email at the main office: click here
Kathie Moyer, Office Assistant
Kathie Moyer is from Oreland, PA by way of Southern California. She moved to Harrisonburg from California in September 2020 and resides across the street from the church. (This provides her with a very short commute to work!) Outside of her job, Kathie volunteers with Kids Club, changes the wording on the church sign weekly, and regularly assists with Worship Arts. Kathie enjoys gardening, reading, and painting with acrylics and other mixed media. She is a member of Valley Village and the Mennonite Women group.
Contact Kathie by email at the main office: click here
Contact Kathie by email at the main office: click here
John Fast, Organist
John Fast has been organist at Park View Mennonite Church since 1996. 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. She is retired from teaching music at Hunter McGuire Lower School of Stuart Hall. She is married to Don Bomberger, and they have one married daughter 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, and three grandsons.
Ben Lamb, Custodian
Ben Lamb, who formerly worked in the church office as an office manager, has now returned to part-time custodial work at PVMC, as he grows his career in the tech industry. Ben is responsible for weekly cleaning of the facility, as well as caring for building opening and closing, and being present during certain outside events.