Pastor Heidi Neumark is presented to the
Seminary Convocation dinner audience by her
mentor, Dr. Franklin D. Fry

PHILADELPHIA -- "This award encourages and honors the people I love the most -- my mother, Barbara, my husband, Gregorio, and my children, Ana and Hans."

The Rev. Heidi B. Neumark thus accepted this year's Distinguished Alumnus/a Award from The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia by expressing gratitude to her family for their support of her in her ministry as pastor of Transfiguration Lutheran Church in the South Bronx. The Award was conferred at the Seminary's annual convocation in late April. Some 200 graduates, friends, faculty and staff members were on hand for the dinner occasion.

"No one thanks the pastor's spouse for what the spouse's support makes possible," said Neumark, a 1982 graduate of the Seminary. "Every day I go to work, I feel it is an honor. I feel I receive an award every day in terms of amazing grace, love and joy."

Pastor Neumark was honored for having consistently demonstrated "a deep personal and professional commitment to global and community issues across a multicultural spectrum." Presenting her for the honor was the Rev. Franklin D. Fry, whom Neumark acknowledges as a mentor. Pastor Fry served many years as pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Summit, NJ, where Neumark grew up. Pastor Fry encouraged her to attend Seminary.

Formative experiences for Pastor Neumark included her serving a year with Rural Mission on John's Island, SC; performing field work in inner-city Philadelphia, and living with and studying Christian Base Communities in Argentina and Peru. She worked with Servicio Paz y Justicia, a human rights organization led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Adolfo Perez Esquivel.

Pastor Neumark served as assistant pastor of St. Matthew-Trinity Lutheran Church, Hoboken, NJ, in an Urban Residency Program before accepting a call in 1984 to Transfiguration. While serving the South Bronx congregation, she has become founder and president of Transfiguration Community Life Center, Inc.; founding member and president of South Bronx Churches; founding member of the Inner City Clergy Guild, and is a speaker, preacher and Bible study leader at many events. She is a member of the Board of Trustees at Philadelphia Seminary.