Sister Janet A. Stump

1954 - 2024

Sister Janet A. Stump, 69, of Benner Road, Allentown, formerly of Pine Grove, passed away on Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024, at home.

Born on Nov. 19, 1954 in Pottsville, she was the daughter of the late Ira and Pearl Zimmerman Stump.

She was a 1972 graduate of Pine Grove Area High School and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from West Chester State College in 1976.

Janet was a mathematics teacher before deciding to accept the call to prepare for deaconess ministry. During that time, she served as a Sunday School teacher, prayer circle coordinator and adult Bible study leader in a congregation.

She earned a Master of Arts degree with a concentration in pastoral care in 1987 from The Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. She continued her deaconess training and served an internship in two ELCA congregations. A year later, she was appointed by the ELCA Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod to serve as parish deaconess at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Pine Grove and was consecrated in 1995, continuing to serve there until the end of 2001. The following September she accepted a call to St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Saint John's, Pa. In the fall of 2012, the Deaconess Community of the ELCA elected Sister Janet Stump to serve a four-year term as its directing deaconess. She most recently served at St. Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church in Allentown, until her retirement in 2023. She also attended Christ Church in Allentown.

Janet was truly a disciple of the Lord. She dedicated her life to her ministry and lived her faith. She saw her call "as an opportunity to serve the church as a whole, to help the Deaconess Community deepen its communal spirituality, grow in its effectiveness to do justice and make peace in the world, and joyfully continue to engage in its mission of proclaiming the gospel and serving all people in love, following the example of Jesus."

She was a loving sister, aunt and friend to all. She enjoyed music, art, nature, spending time outside, and walking.

Surviving are her brother, Carl Stump; two nieces, Lauren Stump and fiancé, Mike Gilbert and Julie Stump and companion, Graham Muhler, all of Pine Grove.

Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 312 S. Tulpehocken St., Pine Grove, with Pastors Sam Zeiser and Brian Beissel officiating. There will be a viewing from 9 until 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at the church. Interment will follow in St. Peter's Lutheran Cemetery, Pine Grove.

In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer contributions be made to ELCA World Hunger, P. O. Box 1809, Merrifield, VA 22116-8009 in her memory.

The H. L. Snyder Funeral Home Inc., Pine Grove, is in charge of arrangements and you may send condolences online at www.hlsnyderfunerlhome.com.