Senior Pastor Rev. J. Michael Dowd -
Rev. J. Michael “Mike” Dowd began his pastorate at First Church in 2002 and has been an active leader in our church and community. Mike has extensive experience in leading organizations and has earned a B.A. History, M.Div., and M.A. Organization Development from the University of Delaware. He is committed to a ministry in our downtown community as is our Church leadership. He brings a unique blend of experience in the pastorate, business, training and political world to our church and our ministry. As well as serving our church as our spiritual leader Mike is a member of our County Council, Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and a trainer for Dale Carnegie with his wife Kathleen. Mike and Kathleen have two daughters.
Pastoral Care Minister Rev. William Wightman -
The Rev. William (Bill) W. Wightman, a native of Forty Fort, PA, is a graduate of Muhlenberg College, Allentown, and the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. Prior to serving First Church, he had been a Pastor of Lutheran congregations in Schuylkill Haven, Valley View, Easton, and Martins Creek, PA. He has been Dean of the Bethlehem-Easton District, Northeastern Pennsylvania Lutheran Synod; President of the Eastern Pennsylvania Lutheran Camp Corporation; Initial Chair of the synodical Parish Life Development Committee.
Pastor Wightman has completed nine units (2 ¼ years) of Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Luke’s Hospital, Bethlehem, specializing in Pastoral Care to cardiac, cardiac surgery, and stroke and physical rehabilitation patients. He has been a long-term care chaplain at The Lutheran Home in Topton and has been a Hospice chaplain with Lehigh Valley Hospice and Hospice St. John. He is a Board Certified Chaplain by the Association of Professional Chaplains.
Pastor Wightman and his wife (since 1964) Elizabeth have a daughter Beth in Los Angeles and a son Paul and daughter-in-law Sharon and two grandchildren in Nazareth.
