Venerable Dr. John Course

Venerable Dr. John Course, St. Paul's Anglican Church, Dunnville, Ontario.

The Venerable Dr. John Course is in his forty-seventh year of ordained ministry in the Anglican Diocese of Niagara where he has served as rector of four parishes.

He is currently the priest-in-charge of St. Paul’s, Dunnville, ON.

He has a PhD in Biblical Studies has taught the introductory course to the Old Testament at Trinity College, Toronto.

His outside interests include downhill skiing, golf, and woodworking.

REV. DR. Skip Ferguson

Rev. Dr. Skip Ferguson, retired, Presbyterian Church USA, Buffalo, NY

The Rev. Dr. Skip Ferguson is an Honorably Retired minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Prior to his retirement, he pastored churches in Northern Virginia and the Hudson River Valley, and also served as a hospital chaplain. He earned his master’s degree and doctorate from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Since retiring and returning to the Buffalo area, Skip has been active at Westminster Presbyterian Church, where he leads the weekly “Bible & More” class. He also served for two years as interim Pastor at Orchard Park Presbyterian Church.

He began his career practicing law, first in Chicago and then Buffalo, before shifting to the business world, where he worked as a consultant, and then as Editor of management and finance publications at the Economist Group in New York City, prior to enrolling at Princeton Seminary.

Skip’s family has a long history with the Chapel: his grandparents were devoted congregants for many years, and his Uncle Don sang in the choir. One of Skip’s first services after he returned to Buffalo was presiding at a wedding at the Chapel!

Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein

Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein, Congregation Shir Shalom, Williamsville, NY.

Rabbi Alex Lazarus-Klein came to Buffalo in the Fall of 2008 to serve as the rabbi of Temple Sinai, now called Congregation Shir Shalom. He brings warmth, creativity, and compassion to the role of synagogue rabbi. A trained chaplain and gifted teacher, he is actively engaged in all aspects of communal life, from helping people with their everyday struggles, to intricate details of synagogue governance.

Rabbi Alex is a respected leader in the Buffalo area, serving on many local boards including: the Buffalo Board of Rabbis, the Network of Religious Communities, Jewish Family Services, the Bureau of Jewish Education, Jewish Community Center, and the Coalition of Economic Justice. He has served as president of the Network of Religious Communities. He is also on the national board of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association out of Wyncote, Pennsylvania. He works with leaders of all faiths, to improve the quality of life in Western New York and beyond.

A 2004 graduate of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College he also holds Masters and Bachelor Degrees from the Jewish Theological Seminary, as well as a Bachelors degree from Columbia University. Before coming to Buffalo he served as rabbi of Temple B´nai Abraham in Bordentown, New Jersey, and directed the Community Partnership Program for the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.

He currently resides in Amherst, with his wife Ashirah, and three young children, Jarah, Boaz, and Noam.

Rev. Dr. Todd Leach

Rev. Dr. Todd E. Leach,

Senior Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Buffalo, NY.

Rev. Dr. Todd E. Leach currently serves as Senior Pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Buffalo, NY.

Rev. Leach was ordained in 2007, and previously served as Associate Pastor for Missions at Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh.

During his thirteen-year tenure, he successfully built and implemented their mission program with a focus on sending members into the community where, in his words, “God’s kingdom is actively breaking into the world.”

Previously, he taught science in the Columbus Public Schools (Ohio), served as Executive Director of the Delaware County Housing Coalition (Pennsylvania), and was Director of Mission and Deacon Ministries at Media Presbyterian Church (suburban Philadelphia).

He has also led numerous rural, urban, national, and international mission initiatives.

Rev. Leach brings a wealth of diverse educational and career experiences to Westminster. He holds a Doctor of Ministry in Public Theology from Drew Theological School, a Master of Divinity from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Ohio University.

Rev. Leach, his wife, Linda, and their teenage daughters, Nadia, Jean and Vinodhini Grace (Dhini), are excited to be a part of the Western New York community..

Rev. Dr. Jacob Ledwon

Rev. Dr. Jacob C. Ledwon,

Retired Pastor of St. Joseph University Parish, Buffalo, NY.

Father Ledwon was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Buffalo in 1972. He has a B.A. in Philosophy, an M.A. in Theology from St. John Vianney Seminary and a B. Mus. in Piano Performance from Manhattanville College. He earned a Ph.D. in Musicology from SUNY Buffalo where he specialized in the study of medieval chant manuscripts.

Father Ledwon had been the Pastor of St. Joseph University Parish for the past 33 years, of which he recently retired. St. Joseph University Parish has been cited in national publications as a model of engaging liturgy for young people. Recently it was one of twelve parishes from across the country invited by Parish Catalyst in California to participate in a cohort to address the question of outreach to young adults, and it was chosen by Daniel Markham for his book, 52 Masses, as the parish to represent New York State as a model for vibrant worship.

In 2005 Father Ledwon was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Niagara University for his “contributions to the religious and cultural life of Western New York.” He is currently working on his “bucket list,” completing a book, entitled Twenty Questions: I’m thinking about life, and preparing songs for his third CD, Songs for Goodnight and Goodbye.

REV. JAN MAHLE

Rev. Jan Mahle,

East Aurora Christian Church, East Aurora, NY. 

The Rev. Jan Mahle is currently serving as pastor of the East Aurora Christian Church. Prior to being called as pastor, she served as a Campus Minister at D'Youville College in Buffalo, NY. for 20 years. She retired from that position in January 2020.

While serving at D'Youville, she was the transition pastor for a number of congregations. You might say she is a Church Woman United because she has served various congregations to include the United Church of Christ, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the American Baptist faiths. As an aside, she considers herself to be a "cultural Catholic".

She graduated from Hiram College, attended Vanderbilt Divinity School and completed her Masters of Divinity at Methodist Theological School in Columbus, OH. She was ordained in 1982 although she had been serving as an Associate Pastor since 1977.

Jan met her husband Marvyn while at college. They have been married 44 years. They have 2 wonderful adult children plus a great son-in-law and 2 fabulous granddaughters.

Rev. Brian Rotach

Rev. Brian Rotach, received a Master of Divinity Degree, at Howard University, Washington DC. He is a retired Pastor of Seneca Street United Methodist Church, a mission church to the challenged Seneca-Babcock neighborhood of Buffalo.

When jobs left during the rust belt era (and with it many people), the congregation at Seneca Street United Methodist Church went from several 100 people in size to about a dozen.

In 1994, Rev. Brian and his wife, Cheryl Bird, were sent to close this church. They soon realized how disastrous that would be for one of the poorest neighborhoods Buffalo.

Together, Rev. Brian and Cheryl somehow managed to keep it open for the children. Because the community surrounding it could not sustain its finances, they fortunately adopted it. They paid the heating bills and have funded a lot of renovations. They also funded the summer reading camp. In addition, the church helps to run the after school tutoring program.

Brian and Cheryl dedicated their lives in creating an organization so kids could get free lunches and access public funding using the church building. And, they enlisted other churches in the area to help support the church so it stayed open.

"Nothing we do here is for the church," Rotach said, explaining that all of the programs run by the church are for the benefit of the children in what he describes as "one of the poorest neighborhoods in Buffalo."

"We keep this building open because the neighborhood needs a church. Nothing else is left here," said Rotach, who also has served as pastor of Woodside United Methodist Church in South Buffalo.

The effort of such a poor congregation to fill such a big gap in a truly needy neighborhood is surely immense.

29 years later, it is still open and has seen solid results in the community it serves.

REV. Dr. Melody Rutherford

Rev. Dr. Melody Rutherford,

Director Spiritual Care, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY.

As a fully endorsed, board certified chaplain, Rev. Dr. Melody Irene Rutherford currently serves as Director of Spiritual Care at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY. Dr. Rutherford has several years of experience in healthcare in areas such as chaplaincy services, palliative care, end of life care, clinical pastoral education, and mission services. As an ordained minister, she maintains ecclesiastical endorsement in chaplaincy through the American Baptist Churches. She served as Adjunct Professor teaching “Care & Counsel” for the master’s degree program at Northeastern Seminary at Roberts Wesleyan University in Rochester, NY.

Within the Spiritual Care Department, Dr. Rutherford leads a large team of spiritual caregivers (paid & volunteer) from various faith traditions and perspectives. She facilitates the quality-of-life Bereavement / End of Life Program, Life Recorded Program, regular (General) Grief Support Groups, Young Grieving Spouse Grief Support Groups, Caregivers Support Programs, Annual Spring Grief Retreat, Annual Patient and Caregivers’ Retreat, multiple education days for local chaplains and spiritual caregivers, two Annual Patient Remembrance Services, Summer Staff Remembrance Service, 15-Week Spiritual Care Volunteer Visitors Training Program, and spearheads the Interfaith ENRG Committee while also participating in a variety of other interprofessional committees within the center. Dr. Melody works closely with area pastors to ensure that there is adequate representation from the many faith traditions available to patients, their caregivers and Roswell Park staff members. Additionally, she connects with many community organizations to assist in areas of spiritual care, grief, and / or community building concerns.

Since 1992, Melody has served in various capacities, including host of a live Christian radio broadcast and as Interim Lead Pastor in Clarence, NY and Associate Pastor in Cheektowaga, NY. In the church setting, she designed and led programs within women’s ministry, children’s ministry, Sunday School, executive office administration, community faith liaison, praise and worship leader, and even drama and arts director. Dr. Rutherford provides supply preaching and conference facilitation across the region and beyond on numerous ministerial and professional topics.

With certification through the Board of Chaplaincy Certification, Inc. (BCCI) a division of the Association of Professional Chaplains (APC), Melody graduated from SUNY Empire State College with an undergraduate degree in Business (concentration in Organizational Communications). She earned a Master of Divinity degree (concentration in Transformational Leadership) from Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, NY, and a Master of Science degree in Management (concentration in Leadership) from Excelsior College. Her completed Doctor of Ministry Degree in the Leadership Cognate was completed at Liberty University.

Currently, Dr. Melody Rutherford serves on the Board of Trustees for the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) and as Chair for the BPO’s Diversity Council. In addition, she is a Board Member for the Buffalo City Mission and The Baptist Manor and several other committees. Previously, Melody served as Trustee Member for the Buffalo Bible Society before its closing.

A resident of Amherst, NY, Melody resides with her husband of 35-years, Rev. Rodney Rutherford. Together, they are the proud parents of three adult children, Rodney (Krystal), Chloe (Shaquille), and Joy; and loving grandparents of nine.

Rev. Dr. Ray Schooler

Rev. Dr. Ray Schooler, D. Min.

American Baptist International Ministries, King of Prussia, PA.

Rev. Ray was born and raised in Texas, but ministry has provided opportunities to live and serve in several different places. He has served in local church ministry in several capacities including, Senior Pastor. Ray has served on the American Baptist Churches (USA), and as President of the Board of International Ministries (IM). It was in this role with IM that he discovered a passion for Global Missions.

In 2007 he went on staff with IM as the Sr. Dir. of Donor Development and Church Relations. In this role he travels a great deal and that has allowed him to visit all over the US and several International Countries, mostly Third World or Developing countries, where the International Ministries Missionaries are serving.

Ray has been a guest speaker at Holloway Chapel for several years and always enjoys the “Holloway Experience” and especially the fine folks who make up this unique gathering.

Ray and his wife (Gail) live in Buffalo (Lancaster), NY and have five adult sons, two daughter-in-laws and three grandchildren. He enjoys playing golf and manages to squeeze in a few rounds in between his trips and enjoys volunteering at Roswell Park with the Spiritual Care Department.

Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Wilson

Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Wilson, Lead Pastor, Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Buffalo, NY.

The Reverend Doctor Jeffrey M. Wilson has been a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) since July 2002. He served the majority of his ministry as part of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod where he led three congregations: Redeemer – McLean, VA; Bethel – Manassas, VA; and St. John – Riverdale, MD. Pastor Jeff was called to serve Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in downtown Buffalo, NY in October 2023.

Pastor Jeff was raised in Orange, TX. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Computer Information Systems from Stephen F. Austin State University – Nacogdoches, TX. After working as a programmer for six years in Houston, TX, he began attending the Lutheran Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary) where he earned a Master of Divinity degree. In May 2012, he matriculated in the Doctor of Ministry program at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN, with a concentration in Congregational Mission and Leadership. He successfully defended his doctoral thesis in March 2017.

Pastor Jeff believes that faith is a part of every aspect of our lives. He enjoys cooking and experimenting with food, especially Mediterranean and Texas BBQ. His blog brings faith, food, and curiosity together at epicuriouslutheran.blog. He enjoys food, good music, good wine, and being outside. He has been a beekeeper since 2022. He has a daughter, Caroline, who lives in Northern Virginia, and a tuxedo cat named Gatsby.

Rev. Richard (Duke) Zajac

Rev. Richard E. Zajac, Chaplin at Sisters of Charity Hospital, Buffalo, NY.

Richard E. Zajac, known in many circles as “Fr. Duke” has been a staff chaplain at Sisters of Charity Hospital in Buffalo for the past 39 years.

He is presently serving on many Boards and Committees throughout the community including Catholic Medical Partners, Town of Amherst Meals on Wheels, Seminary Alumni Association, as well as the Perinatal Bereavement Network.

He has chaired or co-chaired the Sister’s Hospital Ethics Committee since its inception in 1984, and serves on the Ethics Committee for the Catholic Health Care System of Western New York.

He served on the National Advisory Council of the National Association of Catholic Bishops, and served as the Chairman of the Board of the Life Transition Center as well as the South Buffalo Community Development Association.

He served on the Boards of the Upstate New York Transplant Services, Baker Victory Services, Bishop Timon High School, WNY Peace Center, Catholic Health System’s Corporate Members Board, Buffalo Area Metropolitan Ministries (BAMM), Sister’s Hospital Credit Union as well as the American Cancer Society.

He has also served 7 terms on the Priests’ Council of the Diocese of Buffalo, 2 terms on the Priests’ Personnel Board and 3 terms on the Priests’ Council of New York State.

In his spare time, he has authored four books: Life Injections I , II , III & IV, and is presently writing a book on preaching at funerals for priests, ministers, and deacons. He enjoys reading, smoking a good cigar and baseball for which he’s been an officer of the Parochial Baseball League since 1969 and was inducted into the Western New York Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.