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 Rev. Thane became Pastor of Abiding Peace Lutheran Church on September 10, 2008 following her ordination as a pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) on September 7, 2008.
Pastor Thane graduated in 2005 with a Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (Pennsylvania) where she received honors in Church History and Old Testament. While in seminary she completed a summer-long chaplain residency at the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, Maryland) and a year-long internship in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She also traveled to Geneva, Switzerland, to participate in a special course at the Lutheran World Federation, which included units at the World Council of Churches, United Nations, and the Ecumenical Institute of Bossey (France). Pastor Thane completed her undergraduate education at George Mason University (Fairfax, Virginia), graduating with highest honors and receiving the Bachelor of Individualized Studies degree in May 2001. During her senior year she interned in campus ministry with United College Ministries of Northern Virginia (UCMNV). In May 2002 she received the New Century College Robert T. Hawkes, Jr. Award for Outstanding B.I.S. Project in recognition of her senior thesis on campus ministry.
Prior to entering the ministry Pastor Thane worked extensively in university and medical settings. She brings a wealth of varied experience to Abiding Peace. Her proudest professional accomplishment was the formation and administration of a 501(c)(3) organization. In 1992 she founded the non-profit Overseas Coupon Project (OCP) to benefit American military service families stationed overseas. When Congress moved to close the military pay gap in 2002, the OCP was closed as most of the target beneficiaries had been raised above the federal poverty level. Her assistant quickly moved to create a new program, as many donors wanted to continue this important work; the Overseas Coupon Program (www.ocpnet.org) was formed. Pastor Thane continues to serve as President Emeritus to this organization.
Pastor Thane’s theology of ministry is that the church calls for the ministry of all baptized believers. One of her roles as pastor is to guide members into discovering and implementing their varied gifts for ministry. When members utilize their God-given gifts for ministry, not only do they find their own lives energized but also the ministry of the entire church. She believes that the local congregation is a bottom-up organization, where the varied gifts of the members reveal God’s intended ministries for that particular congregation.
Pastor Thane is married to John Mark Thane. They reside in Rockaway Township, New Jersey, with their two-year-old blonde Scottie, Caesar. She enjoys science fiction, cruising & traveling, and getting together with her friends.
Pastor Thane’s sermons are available on her Sermon Archive page.
They are in portable document (.pdf) format for easy viewing online or printing.
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