Joyce Fitz has served as secretary at the Grace Brethren Church, Waynesboro, Pa., for 40 years.
It would be an understatement to say that Joyce Fitz is loyal.
She has served as secretary for the Grace Brethren Church in Waynesboro, Pa. (Tim Clothier, senior pastor), for more than 40 years and she has been attending the church for 67 years.
“Grace Brethren Church has been my home church since I was a baby. The church has always preached the word of God, is a light to our community, and stays faithful to Him,” says Fitz.
Fitz’s desire to help others is one of the reason she continues working at the church.
“The most rewarding part of my job is to be available to help my church family and others who come to my office door” she says. “The skills I use most at the church are friendliness and helpfulness along with regular secretarial skills. When someone comes into the office, I am the first person they meet. I want to project the love of Christ to them and show the concern of the church for their needs.”
Fitz has seen a lot of changes since she first started working as the church. She has gone from using manual and electric typewriters to learning to use a computer and the latest software programs. “The church has gone through many changes from physical building programs to ups and downs in attendance but the Lord has always blessed us through adversity and made us stronger for it,” she adds.
“Joyce has worked at our church longer than I have been alive!,” admits Pastor Clothier. “Her years of service and experience have given her an incredibly important role at our church. We would be lost without her… Joyce consistently proves herself invaluable to our ministry and is a great aid to me personally… She is also a wise office manager who has been able to find and purchase office supplies and materials at almost no cost… I believe great fruitfulness is the result of faithfulness multiplied by time. Our church has been reaping these benefits for decades because of Joyce.”
According to Fitz, the attendance at Grace Brethren Church in Waynesboro is growing. After 67 years, she admittedly is very close with the members of the congregation. She also makes an effort to get to know new attendees. She says she has seen many lives change as a result of people growing in Christ and she hopes to see many more as the church continues to grow.
As of now, Fitz says she has no plans to stop working in the church. She also teaches two- and three-year-old Children’s Church on Sunday mornings and has been a part of many ministries in the local congregation and in the Mid-Atlantic District of Grace Brethren Churches throughout the years.
“I feel the Lord has given me this position and as long as He wants me here, I will work for Him,” she says. – by Alisha Gomez
Editor’s Note: Alisha Gomez is an intern with GraceConnect. She is a senior journalism major at Grace College from Columbia City, Ind.
Send a note of encouragement to Joyce here.
This story first appeared in GraceConnect eNews. To subscribe to the weekly e-newsletter that includes news and information from congregations in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, click here.
