Meet Our Leadership

Staff

Tony Blair
Co-Pastor
Tony Blair is a longtime pastor-teacher who has also had the opportunity to provide leadership to a variety of organizations and projects. He has served for 35 years as pastor or superintendent of churches throughout southcentral Pennsylvania. He and his family (wife Carol and daughters Rachel and Alia) began worshipping at Hosanna! in 2005, soon after their move to Lititz, and he accepted a call to be a Senior Pastor alongside Jo Ann Kunz in January, 2007. Tony also serves as President and Professor of Leadership and Historical Studies at Evangelical Theological Seminary in Myerstown. He has earned doctorates in history and leadership and subsequently studied spiritual direction (under Jo Ann Kunz and others) through Oasis Ministries. He is also the author of several books and a variety of articles. He is notoriously fond of Johnny Cash, Star Trek, hiking, and pizza... but is not yet redeemed enough to like cats.
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Jo Ann Kunz
Co-Pastor
Jo Ann Kunz has been a part of the Hosanna!"family" since 1980. She has served the congregation in one capacity or another for nearly twenty-five years - the last fourteen as Senior Pastor. She is an experienced scholar-practitioner, having served for two decades as a leader, spiritual director, and educator for a variety of faith-based organizations. She currently serves as Instructor of Spiritual Formation and Leadership for Eastern University, Instructor in Spiritual Formation for Evangelical Theological Seminary, faculty member of Oasis Ministries’ two-year spiritual direction training program and director of an advanced training program for experienced spiritual directors, also at Oasis Ministries. Jo Ann is a practicing spiritual director, Enneagram trainer, and retreat/workshop leader, as well as a new and joyful grandmother. Some of Jo Ann’s special areas of interest are: the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, Christian dream interpretation, the Enneagram, Biblical equality, Christian spirituality and practice, Christian “mystical” theology and history. Jo Ann holds a Master’s Degree from Chestnut Hill College, Philadelphia ­ and is a perpetual learner, believing that there is always something more that our Infinite God is desiring to teach her.
Deb Helt
Pastor of Congregational Life
Deb serves as Pastor of Congregational Life and has been active in Hosanna! for more than 28 years. She is a trained spiritual director and a trained Enneagram instructor. She has a son, daughter-in-law, and two adorable grandchildren, Emma and Dylan. She loves the Hosanna! community, and if she would not work here, she would attend church here.
Jared Kunz
Youth Pastor
Jared is Hosanna!'s Youth Pastor. He ministers to the spiritual needs of students in grades 7-12, and works with parents and volunteers to train them to serve students as well. Jared tries to live according to the principles in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing." Jared and his wife, Carla, and their daughter, Mara, and son, Javin, live in Manheim, and he says that he has been attending Hosanna! "...ever since I was born."
Rick McKinney
Pastor of Care Ministries
Rick has been a part of the Hosanna! family for over three decades. He is a past Lead Elder and volunteers his time in several areas of ministry including teaching and dramas. He plays keyboards with the worship team, and, on occasion, enjoys visiting our Children's Ministry as "Tricks, the Clown". He is especially ministered to by Philippians 4: 13, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." Rick, and his wife Beth, live in Ephrata and have been attending Hosanna! since 1984. They have two daughters - Jane, who lives in Maine with her two children, and Kris, who lives in Ephrata with her husband and daughter.
Helen Cookey
Associate Pastor of Welcome Ministries
Helen has been attending Hosanna! since 1981 with her husband Niels Cookey. She enjoys meeting new folks and helping them to feel welcome at Hosanna! Helen oversees Hosanna's usher and greeter teams and also volunteers with Hosanna's Youth and Children's ministry. Helen is also a trained spiritual director. Helen and Niels enjoy traveling, especially traveling to visit their children and grandchildren who live out of state. One of Helen's favorite verses is Romans 8:28.
Kelly Kirk-Wentzel
Director of Children's Ministries
Kelly serves at Hosanna! as the Director of Children’s Ministries and has been attending Hosanna! since 2014. She provides oversight and guidance to the teachers and helpers who volunteer with the Sunday morning classes and directs our yearly VBS, and the Heavenly Hearts Choir. These various activities for children all provide the opportunity for dynamic, Jesus centered learning. In addition to her position at Hosanna!, Kelly is an adjunct instructor in the Psychology department at Millersville University. She loves the energy that working with both children and young adults creates. Kelly lives in Lititz with her husband Eric, and their children Daniel and Marenthia, and during her free time loves playing and writing music, spending time outdoors and staying physically fit. Kelly strives to live by one of her favorite verses-Micah 6:8, “And this is what He requires of you: to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”
Jeff Burkholder
Director of Technical Arts
"I do what I can!" Jeff is Hosanna!'s Director of Technical Arts. He is responsible for any and all technical needs for the church, including overseeing the audio, visual, and online needs for services and ministries. Jeff has attended Hosanna! since the last days of the 20th century, and lives in Hershey with his wife, Jeannine, and two children, Taylor and Zoë.
Sheree Allen
Staff Assistant
Sheree currently serves as the Staff Assistant here at Hosanna!. Sheree has been attending Hosanna! since 2004 along with her husband, Jerry and their daughter Holly. Her responsibilities include providing secretarial support to the staff and congregation. She volunteers in many ways and shares her talents by providing lots of savory and sweet treats at many events. She considers it a blessing to be part of “a growing, friendly and purposeful body of believers.”
Mary Dye
Financial Assistant
Mary is Hosanna!'s Financial Assistant. She cites Psalm 148 as her favorite scripture. Mary lives in Lancaster, with her husband Chris. They have been attending Hosanna! since 1982.

Elders

April Ottey
Co-Lead Elder
April has been attending Hosanna for over 30 years and has been involved in various ministries over this time. April enjoys being an elder because she cares about people and their whole being. Her hobbies include swimming, reading, cross stitch, playing with her Yorkies. Her favorite Bible verse is Nehemiah 8:10. The joy of the Lord is my strength.
Kevin Sweigart
Co-Lead Elder
Kevin has been attending Hosanna since the early 1990s with his wife and son. Caring for and helping others is what is at the heart of why Kevin enjoys being an elder. In addition to his elder responsibilities he serves as co-director of guest services and also has been active with the children’s choir and their musicals.
Lance Taylor
Elder
Lance joined the congregation of Hosanna in 2006. Lance has served in the VBS ministry, on the maintenance team, and is active as a member of his home group. One of his favorite Bible verses is Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Lance enjoys playing saxophone in the Lititz Community Band and doing home improvement projects. He lives in Lititz with his wife, Aimee, three children, Nicholas, Courtney, and Lucy, and two dogs, Ollie and Rosie.
Mark Miller
Elder
It was in the mid-90's while attending other churches that Mark began to visit Hosanna services and special events with his wife Kathy. He especially appreciated Hosanna's welcoming spirit, pulpit teaching, and home group fellowship. The disbanding of an Anabaptist fellowship in Lancaster City coinciding with early CoViD restrictions led Mark to regularly "Zoom to Hosanna". It's been a joy for him to receive and speak encouragement in person as we gather on Sundays. He supports Hosanna being Christ's voice of acceptance with teaching for life healing and maturity. Enrichening congregational "body life" excites his interest and creativity. Mark recalls that, since his teenage years, the challenge of Micah 6:8 has been a touchstone and given him motivation: "the Lord requires me to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God." Mark and Kathy live in Lancaster City in proximity to some of their family of 5 children (and 3 spouses) and 5 grandchildren, including occasional visitor Trinity. He has retired from many mini-careers: church-related community centers, taxi driver, first-time homebuyer real estate sales, shipping and warehouse work. Visiting family and friends by road trip as far as Florida or the West Coast is an almost annual event. They both value childhood and young adult experiences in other countries and continue to make occasional visits, especially to Honduras.
Sharon Wilson
Elder
Sharon is a long-time member of Hosanna who has shown consistent evidence of spiritual maturity and compassion for others. She serves faithfully on the worship team and does much service behind the scenes.