Pastor & Council

Welcome!

This is a word that exemplifies the attitude of our Bethlehem family. We are a welcoming community and we are glad you came to visit our website. I hope it gives you a sense of what our church is all about and what we are accomplishing for our Lord in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. It would be great if my next "Welcome" to you was face to face on a Sunday morning.

Friendly: I have been attending Lutheran churches all my life and I have served as the pastor of four. I can honestly say Bethlehem Lutheran Church is the friendliest Lutheran Church I have experienced. When attending a wedding in Chicago one summer I visited a local Lutheran church for Sunday worship. I walked in, worshiped, and walked out without anyone saying a word to me. That will never happen at Bethlehem. You will feel welcome at our church.

Active in Ministry: All too many churches are lacking in ministry. At Bethlehem we take seriously God's directive to serve. We need to be actively doing God's will, caring for his people. Bethlehem has thriving ministries to both young and old. We have an excellent Nursery through 8th Grade elementary school and we have an incredible Senior Center that provides daily activities, food and services to the seniors of our community.

Sunday Worship Experience: Our worship service is at 10:30 a.m. (Except for summer, our Sunday School and Confirmation instruction start at 9:15 a.m.) Being at Bethlehem on a Sunday morning is such a positive experience. You will be comforted, inspired and uplifted. We have a traditional Lutheran service without the "stiffness" that all too often accompanies it.

Enjoy our website, then come and visit. Welcome!

Love,

Rev. Paul H. Knudsen

About Our Pastor

The Rev. Paul H. Knudsen came to Bethlehem as interim pastor in November 1995. Today he is our permanent part-time pastor, which allows him to work weekdays as an Information Technology manager for an international travel and real estate company. The arrangement also works well for our congregation, which directs much of the day-to-day operations of the church property, ministries, and activities. As a result, our Church Council has become increasingly more self reliant in the administration of our church.

Pastor Knudsen is a native New Yorker. He was born and raised on Staten Island, attending Zion Lutheran Church. He graduated from Wagner College and attended Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio. His internship was in a suburban church in Southfield, Michigan, just north of Detroit.

Pastor Knudsen was ordained on November 11, 1984 and his first church assignment was a full time position at Eltingville Lutheran Church & School on Staten Island. He served there for 8 years, from 1984 - 1992. After this experience, Pastor decided to continue his ministry by providing interim support to churches who were in the situation where a pastor had left, but a new pastor had not yet been hired. He did this while pursuing a career in computer programming to better support his growing family. Pastor Knudsen served as interim pastor for Zion Lutheran Church and Christ Lutheran Church, both on Staten Island. His next interim pastor position was at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. His "interim" status was changed when Bethlehem made the decision to call him to his current part-time permanent role.

Pastor Knudsen has two children. His son is a police officer for the New York City Police Department. His daughter is in college studying for a career in education.

To contact Pastor Paul Knudsen: pastor@bethlehembayridge.org

Pastor Paul's Monthly Messages

See the top of this page for Pastor's most recent monthly messages.

Pastoral Care

Gail Topp, Parish Deacon

In loving memory of our Deacon Gail Topp, who died in Christ August 2007.

Rev. Craig Miller, LES Chaplain

Rev. Miller is pastor of Our Saviour Lutheran Church. He leads Bethlehem's Lutheran Elementary School chapel service and teaches Religion at LES. He is also available for counseling at both LES and the Bay Ridge Center.

Rev. Mark Rawnsley, LES Faculty & BLC Visiting Minister

Rev. Rawnsley is a faculty member at the Lutheran Elementary School of Bay Ridge and is a former pastor of the First Evangelical Free Church of Brooklyn.

Church Council

Lillian Hansen, President

Church Council Members
(Year the 3-year term ends / Commission activity)

Clyde Bennett 2011 / Evangelism Commission
Liz Borher 2010 / Bay Ridge Center Commission / Worship & Music
Lisa Brown 2010 / Youth Group Coordinator
Vicki Buono (Treasurer) 2010 / Finance Commission
Lillian Hansen (President) 2009 / LES School Board
Ray Palermo (Vice President) 2011 / Public Relations
Laurie Ridgeway 2009 / LES School Board
Madeline Romano 2009 / Finance Commission
Ursula Stocklmeier 2011 / Fellowship Commission
George Stuart 2010 / Finance Commission
Elaine Swiontak (Secretary) 2011 / Youth Group Coordinator
Bill Tuccillo 2011 / Property Commission & Finance Commission

Commission & Committee Chairs

Evangelism: Clyde Bennett, Chair
Fellowship: Ursula Stocklmeier, Chair
Worship & Music: Liz Bohrer & Barry Chester
Property: Bill Tuccillo, Chair
Bay Ridge Center Oversight: Liz Bohrer, Chair
Finance: Bill Tuccillo, Vickie Buono, Madeline Romano & George Stuart
LES School Board: Lillian Hansen, Chair & Laurie Ridgeway
Christian Education: Lorraine Tuccillo, Chair
LES After School Center: Victoria Hofmo, Chair
Dorcas Guild: Winnie Kaliebe, Chair
Public Relations & Webmaster: Ray Palermo
Youth Group: Elaine Swiontak & Lisa Brown, Coordinators

Ministries

The Bay Ridge Center

Ellen Lauer, LPN, MSW, Executive Director

For more information about our Bay Ridge Community Service Center and the programs we offer at our facility, go to our Bay Ridge Center page under Ministries & Activities on this website, or to the Center's website: www.bayridgecenter.org.

Lutheran Elementary School of Bay Ridge

Lorraine Tuccillo, Principal

For more information about our Lutheran Elementary School, go to their page under Ministries & Activities on this site.

Music

Steve Wilson, Choir & Music Director, Organist

Stephen Wilson has served in the position of Organist/Choir director at various churches in the Northeast for more than thirty years. He is from the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, studied music privately, and attended Churchman Business College in Easton, Pennsylvania. He is currently employed full-time with Carlisle Collections LTD in New York City.
He has coordinated and directed various special musical events both sacred and secular over the years, and has himself participated in various choral groups. On occasion, Steve enjoys leading a performance of hand-bells. While traditional sacred music is never lost at Bethlehem, an appreciation for a wide variety of worship music is experienced and enjoyed under his direction.

The Heart of Bay Ridge

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Bethlehem Lutheran Church - Sunday Service: 10:30 am
Fourth & Ovington Avenues - 718-748-9502