OFFICIAL PROVINCIAL ELDERS’ NEWS

NORTHERN PROVINCE

Pastoral Updates

The Rev. John Fritts has been granted permission to retire from the active ministry of the Moravian Church, effective December 31, 2024. Brother Fritts was ordained on August 10, 2014, and has served in the Moravian Church at the congregations of Redeemer (Philadelphia, Pa.), Covenant (York, Pa.) and Advent (Bethlehem, Pa.), and has served as chaplain at Marquardt Village, Watertown, Wis. The Church is grateful to Brother Fritts for his years of service to the Moravian Church.

Sr. Theresa Fisher began a part-time Licensed Lay Pastor ministry at St. Paul’s Moravian Church, Upper Marlboro, Md. on July 1, 2024 and is enrolled in the Crossroads Lay Leadership Program at Moravian Theological Seminary.

Obituary: The Rev. David Martz Henkelmann

Brother David Henkelmann passed peacefully into the nearer presence of our Chief Elder, Jesus Christ on June 30, 2024.

Brother Henkelmann was born on May 22, 1932, in York, Pennsylvania. He was the son of the late Reinhold and Caroline (Martz) Henkelmann. 

Brother Henkelmann graduated from Moravian College in 1953 with a B.A. and from Moravian Theological Seminary in 1956 with a B.D. In 1967 he received a Master of Religious Education from Union Theological Seminary. He was a recipient of the John Hus Alumni Award from Moravian Theological Seminary in 1979. He was ordained as a Deacon of the church on March 31, 1957.

He was united in marriage to Mary Ellen (Mel) Thompson Knapp on June 29, 1968, at the United Moravian Church, N.Y.  They were blessed with sons Christopher Gordon Knapp, Bruce Evans Knapp and Douglas Anthony Knapp. Brother Henkelmann was preceded in death by his wife, Mary, on March 31, 2019.

Brother Henkelmann served at New York First, New York III, United Moravian and Tremont Terrace Moravian Churches in New York; Spring Gardens Moravian Church, St. John’s, Antigua; and Big Oak Church, Yardley; Third Church, Philadelphia; and The Moravian Church of Lebanon all in Pennsylvania.  Brother David had a great love for missionary work and the care of those who struggle for the necessities of life.  In that spirit, anyone desiring to honor his memory with a contribution to such work, are invited by the family to give to the “Blessing Flow” mission endeavor of the Board of World Missions.

  • To give to the Blessings Flow project in memory and honor of Brother David Henkelmann please follow these steps:
    To give online,  visit Moravianmission.org/give , select Blessings Flow and put  In memory of David Henkelmann in the memo box.
    To give by mail, send a check to Moravian BWM, 1021 Center Street Bethlehem, PA 18018, indicating the gift in memory of David Henkelmann on the memo line, or in an accompanying note.

Obituary: Mrs. Rose Louise Ullrich

Rose Louise Ullrich, 93, passed away on Monday, July 1, 2024, at Roxy Ann Memory Care Community in Medford, Ore. She was born December 28, 1930, in Irvington, N.J., to Frank Henry and Rose Louise (Fulcher) Ostertag.

Rose graduated in 1948 from Hillside High School, Hillside, N.J. She trained to be a medical technician at Moravian College, where she met theology student Edward A. “Eddie” Ullrich. They were married September 7, 1955, in Newark, N.J.

Rose moved with Eddie as he served Moravian parishes in DeForest, Wis.; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Downey, Calif., and Fargo, N.D. During that time, she held several jobs, including hospital work early in her marriage, and occasional part-time work at public and hospital libraries.  Following Eddie’s retirement, they relocated to Medford, Ore. in 1996 to be closer to family.

Rose is survived by her sons and daughters-in-law, Andy and Cathy Ullrich and Tom and Josephine Ullrich; and daughter and son-in-law Sarah and Shaun Granger. She is also survived a grandaughter and extended family.

Rose was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 60+ years and an infant son, Joel Ferdinand Ullrich.