Pastor Belita D. Mitchell

Pastor Belita D. Mitchell and her family came from Southern California to Central PA during the fall of 2003 in response to God's call for her to serve as Pastor at Harrisburg First Church of the Brethren.

A second career clergy person, Pastor Belita retired from a fortune 100 company with thirty years of service. Her extensive experiences as an Account Executive in selling corrugated packaging serves her well in the execution of administrative and pastoral care duties within the church. She also has a varied range of experience in church leadership on the local, district, and denominational level. Pastor Belita made history in 2007 as the first Black American female to serve as Annual Conference Moderator.

Pastor Belita received the Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, IL. She fulfilled her ministry training requirements through the denomination's T.R.I.M. program (Training in Ministry) which included study at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. and is a certified trainer in the Prevention of Clergy Sexual Misconduct.

She and husband Don (married over 35 years), share their home with adult son, Don-Valliant and granddaughter, Serenity.

Since her call to ministry more than twenty years ago, Pastor Belita has remained passionate for the cause of Christ in an urban multi ethnic setting. She previously served in pastoral roles at the Imperial Heights congregation in Los Angeles, CA. Her vision is for a church that is more spiritually alive, more ethnically diverse and fully devoted to sharing the good news.

Gerald W. Rhoades

I am the Director of Brethren Community Ministries serving the South Allison Hill neighborhood of Harrisburg . I came to Harrisburg in the fall of 1983 to serve as the community minister First Church of the Brethren. Since that time, our ministry and vision have grown considerably. In 2000, we incorporated Brethren Community Ministries as a not-for-profit service organization of which I am the director. We are a faith-based Christian organization that shares God's love through ministries of service to felt needs of this community as God leads and enables. I have also served as pastor of Church of the Brethren congregations in inner-city Chicago and in Rice Lake , Wisconsin. I grew up on a small farm near Greenville , Ohio then graduated from Manchester College and Bethany Theological Seminary. I am an ordained minister in the Church of the Brethren.

Our ministries touch a large part of the earth by serving in this ethnically diverse neighborhood. Residents here have their origins and close relatives in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Southern Asia . The many languages spoken in this neighborhood include Spanish, French, Arabic, Indonesian and of course, English.

As the primary coordinator of activities, I recruit volunteers and raise funds. Volunteers do the essential work of teaching positive disciplining to parents, conflict resolution to teenagers, problem solving to children, and life skills to adults. This work is both rewarding and challenging. We can always use additional help. Please consider volunteering with us in this service of love.

Josiah Ludwick

Josiah Ludwick is a 2001 graduate of Messiah College where he studied Youth ministry. He has felt a call on his life to serve the Lord in an urban context and has been serving as Coordinator of Youth Ministry here at 1st Church since June 2004. In addition to his work with our young people, Josiah also leads our Praise Band and is a committed member of our Inspirational Choir. It is his hope that our young people will develop a personal relationship with the Lord and will in turn minister to others their age.

He and his wife Christine live in the neighborhood and strive to be available for our kids as often as possible. Other interests include: playing volleyball, being a sports fan (Eagles, Phillies, Cubs and Red Sox), playing games, eating, playing with his dog and watching movies.