- Date Of Death: January 9, 2016
- State: Pennsylvania
Rev. Anna Deppen Lutz, 86, of Lancaster died peacefully on January 9, 2016 at the Willow Valley Retirement Communities. Born near Dalmatia in Northumberland County, she was the daughter of Helen (Hepner) and Raymond Deppen. She was married for 51 years to Dr. Earlin H. Lutz, who predeceased her in 2001. A 1946 graduate of Lower Mahonoy Township High School, Rev. Lutz graduated in 1950 from Cedar Crest College in Allentown with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1970 she was the first woman to receive a Master of Divinity degree from Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem. She was ordained into the Christian ministry in June 1970. Rev. Lutz served First United Church of Christ in Quakertown for 30 years, starting as Director of Christian Education in 1964. Upon completion of her seminary degree in 1970, she was named Minister of Christian Education and also served as Co-Pastor with her husband from 1991 until their retirement in 1994. Rev. Lutz was also active in the wider church, her community, and at various academic institutions. From 1976 to 1980 she served as Vice-Moderator and then Moderator of the Pennsylvania Southeast Conference of the United Church of Christ, currently comprised of 169 congregations. In addition, she served as Chairman of the Christian Education Committee and as Chairman of the Division of Church and Ministry for the Conference. Rev. Lutz also served as a member of the national United Church Board for Homeland Ministries from 1975 to 1982. She was a delegate to the General Synod of the United Church of Christ. Rev. Lutz was a member and President of the Quakertown Area Ministerium, a member of the Quakertown Woman’s Club, and a member of the Pastoral Services Advisory Council for the Penn Foundation for Mental Health. She served on the Board of Trustees of Cedar Crest College, the Board of Governors of the Alumni Association of Moravian Theological Seminary, the Board of Trustees of the Lancaster Theological Seminary, and was a member of the Board of Managers of the Wyncote Church Home for the Aged. Rev. Lutz was a published author. Her poems have appeared in Ideals, sermons in Pulpit Digest, devotional materials in Church School Workers, These Days, and Living Faith; and articles in the Moravian Magazine. In 2006 a book collecting her poems, Greetings, was published. In 1983 Rev. Lutz was awarded the John Hus Award from Moravian Seminary for Excellence in Ministry and in 2010 received the Alumnae Award for Service to the College from Cedar Crest College. Rev. Lutz and her husband set-up numerous endowments at their alma maters. The Lutz Center for Community Service at Cedar Crest College is named in their honor Anna and Earlin Lutz are survived by their two children; Rebecca (Lutz) Keane married to William Keane and Dr. Earlin David Lutz married to Marilyn (Manning) Lutz; six grandchildren, Megan, Erin, Patrick, Melanie, David and Nathan; and three-great grandchildren, Robby, Daniel and Abigail.
