Salford Staff
Back Row:
Tori Jones Long (she/her), Church Administrator
Jennifer Svetlik (she/her), Director of Children's Faith Formation
Laura Alderfer (she/her), Music Director
Front Row:
Andrew Zetts (he/him), Associate Pastor
Karen Bergey (she/her), Associate Pastor
Wayne Nitzsche (he/him), Bridge Pastor
Not Pictured:
Emily Buckley (she/her), Choir Director
Kyle Longacre (he/him), Facilities Support
Tori Jones Long (she/her), Church Administrator
Jennifer Svetlik (she/her), Director of Children's Faith Formation
Laura Alderfer (she/her), Music Director
Front Row:
Andrew Zetts (he/him), Associate Pastor
Karen Bergey (she/her), Associate Pastor
Wayne Nitzsche (he/him), Bridge Pastor
Not Pictured:
Emily Buckley (she/her), Choir Director
Kyle Longacre (he/him), Facilities Support
Pastoral Team
Associate Pastor Karen Bergey (she/her) grew up in an Assemblies of God church and became Anabaptist-curious when attending Messiah College. Karen spent a few years with different companies in a marketing and corporate training capacity. She then took nearly 17 years to homeschool her two children up to high school. Karen and her family began attending Salford in 2017 and it felt like coming home. She started helping with some congregational care in the spring of 2022 and became an Associate Pastor in the fall of 2023. Karen and Blaine have been married since 1997 and live in Green Lane where they enjoy long walks, reading, gardening, and caring for a small collection of animal family members.
Bridge Pastor Wayne Nitzsche (he/him) has been a Mennonite pastor or conference leader for nearly fifty years. He served churches in Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania and on a conference level, was the Youth Minister of Iowa-Nebraska Conference (now Central Plains) and a Regional Pastor for Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA.
He grew up on a small farm in Northeast Nebraska and comes from a long line of farmers. A yearly tradition keeps him rooted in the soil as he spends time helping his brothers with the fall corn harvest. When a farming opportunity fell through, he decided to attend Hesston College where he found a new appreciation for being Mennonite and discovered Anabaptism. He formed life-long relationships including his wife, Mary Erb. A two-year term of development work in Ghana West Africa expanded his world. Mary is retired from ministry and Mary and Wayne have two bi-coastal daughters, in Long Beach, CA and Queens, NYC. Both are married, and the CA daughter has Wayne and Mary’s two grandchildren. They also enjoy a grand dog in CA and two grand cats in NYC.
Wayne is enjoying learning to know the wonderful staff and loving people of the Salford Mennonite Church community. His prayer is that this year may be one of growth and vibrant ministry together, so that the next long term pastor is able to lead God’s people into God’s preferred future of shalom for the Salford community and beyond.
He grew up on a small farm in Northeast Nebraska and comes from a long line of farmers. A yearly tradition keeps him rooted in the soil as he spends time helping his brothers with the fall corn harvest. When a farming opportunity fell through, he decided to attend Hesston College where he found a new appreciation for being Mennonite and discovered Anabaptism. He formed life-long relationships including his wife, Mary Erb. A two-year term of development work in Ghana West Africa expanded his world. Mary is retired from ministry and Mary and Wayne have two bi-coastal daughters, in Long Beach, CA and Queens, NYC. Both are married, and the CA daughter has Wayne and Mary’s two grandchildren. They also enjoy a grand dog in CA and two grand cats in NYC.
Wayne is enjoying learning to know the wonderful staff and loving people of the Salford Mennonite Church community. His prayer is that this year may be one of growth and vibrant ministry together, so that the next long term pastor is able to lead God’s people into God’s preferred future of shalom for the Salford community and beyond.
Associate Pastor Andrew Zetts (he/him) began attending Salford in 2013 and became a member of the congregation in 2016. He first encountered Anabaptism and Mennonites while an undergraduate at Eastern University, and Salford was instrumental in helping him to learn about, grow in, and commit to living out his faith in the Anabaptist tradition. Andrew served as a secondary education teacher for nine years after his undergraduate work—six years in the School District of Jenkintown and three years at Dock Mennonite Academy—and earned his M.A. in History from Villanova University in 2018.
Andrew felt called to ministry since high school and throughout his teaching career he found ways to support the Church, nurture the faith of others, and be a witness to the Good News in a variety of ways which included serving as a youth sponsor at Salford for six years and being a co-chair of the Justice and Peace Committee for five years. In 2022 he answered the call to pastoral ministry and began his current role at Salford. Andrew’s primary pastoral responsibilities include caring for Salford’s Mennonite Youth Fellowship, which includes sixth through twelfth graders, and post-secondary young adults as well as making outreach connections that invite the congregation to be a proactive and responsive presence in our communities. In August 2023, Andrew will begin a Master of Divinity program at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary.
The Zetts family resides in Souderton where you can find them enjoying the outdoors, walking around downtown, or enjoying a potluck. In his free time, Andrew enjoys playing and writing music, watching baseball, and reading.
Andrew felt called to ministry since high school and throughout his teaching career he found ways to support the Church, nurture the faith of others, and be a witness to the Good News in a variety of ways which included serving as a youth sponsor at Salford for six years and being a co-chair of the Justice and Peace Committee for five years. In 2022 he answered the call to pastoral ministry and began his current role at Salford. Andrew’s primary pastoral responsibilities include caring for Salford’s Mennonite Youth Fellowship, which includes sixth through twelfth graders, and post-secondary young adults as well as making outreach connections that invite the congregation to be a proactive and responsive presence in our communities. In August 2023, Andrew will begin a Master of Divinity program at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary.
The Zetts family resides in Souderton where you can find them enjoying the outdoors, walking around downtown, or enjoying a potluck. In his free time, Andrew enjoys playing and writing music, watching baseball, and reading.
Staff
Laura Alderfer (she/her) serves as Music Director at Salford. Laura has a lifelong passion for musical worship. She began playing piano at the age of seven and, by age twelve, was regularly providing music for her church. She served for many years as a piano accompanist and also led and coordinated worship services.
Laura enjoys leading singing and worship in a variety of communities and styles—from hymn singing in retirement communities, to contemporary praise and worship in international settings with Mosaic Conference, to singing in and accompanying choirs. As Music Director at Salford, she is passionate about creating opportunities for the congregation to connect with God and with one another through music, and about encouraging others to share and develop their musical and leadership gifts.
Laura graduated from Gwynedd Mercy University in 2001 with a B.S. in Nursing and works part‑time in home health. She is married to her husband, Andrew, and they have three young adult children. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music, and taking long walks with her dog.
Laura enjoys leading singing and worship in a variety of communities and styles—from hymn singing in retirement communities, to contemporary praise and worship in international settings with Mosaic Conference, to singing in and accompanying choirs. As Music Director at Salford, she is passionate about creating opportunities for the congregation to connect with God and with one another through music, and about encouraging others to share and develop their musical and leadership gifts.
Laura graduated from Gwynedd Mercy University in 2001 with a B.S. in Nursing and works part‑time in home health. She is married to her husband, Andrew, and they have three young adult children. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to music, and taking long walks with her dog.
Kyle Longacre (he/him) is Salford's Part-time Facility Support Person assisting with the care and stewardship of the church’s buildings and grounds. Kyle began attending Salford in 1992 when his father, James Longacre, was serving as lead pastor. Kyle met his wife Maggie (Harris) at Salford during the summer of 1995, and they were married at the church in 1998. Over the years, Kyle and Maggie worked to form the Foundations Sunday School class, and Kyle served on the church board and helped lead the congregation’s welcoming process. He currently serves on the board of the Salford Mennonite Child Care Center. Kyle and Maggie, own and operate the farm located down from the church on Groff’s Mill Road, the site of the original mill built in 1726. The farmhouse, barn, and ice house were restored by Maggie’s parents, Bill and Mary Ann Harris.
Professionally, Kyle spent much of his career in education and workforce development. He worked as a high school social studies teacher and later as a high school assistant principal before creating MontcoWorks NOW, a youth workforce development initiative serving Montgomery County. He also served as Dean of Workforce and Economic Development at Montgomery County Community College, where he supported partnerships among education, industry, and community organizations to expand career pathways and strengthen opportunities for learners and workers, especially in the trades.
Kyle enjoys farming, growing vegetables and flowers, and contributing to agricultural life in the local community. He also continues part-time consulting work in workforce development. Kyle and Maggie are the parents of two children (both former SMCCC participants): Ella, a student at Arcadia University (where Maggie also serves as Dean of the College of Health Sciences), and Kai, who attends Souderton Area High School. As part of the Salford community, Kyle is grateful for the opportunity to serve the congregation in a hands-on role that supports the shared life and ministries of the church.
Professionally, Kyle spent much of his career in education and workforce development. He worked as a high school social studies teacher and later as a high school assistant principal before creating MontcoWorks NOW, a youth workforce development initiative serving Montgomery County. He also served as Dean of Workforce and Economic Development at Montgomery County Community College, where he supported partnerships among education, industry, and community organizations to expand career pathways and strengthen opportunities for learners and workers, especially in the trades.
Kyle enjoys farming, growing vegetables and flowers, and contributing to agricultural life in the local community. He also continues part-time consulting work in workforce development. Kyle and Maggie are the parents of two children (both former SMCCC participants): Ella, a student at Arcadia University (where Maggie also serves as Dean of the College of Health Sciences), and Kai, who attends Souderton Area High School. As part of the Salford community, Kyle is grateful for the opportunity to serve the congregation in a hands-on role that supports the shared life and ministries of the church.
Jennifer Svetlik (she/her) serves as Director of Children's Faith Formation at Salford. She was born near Houston, Texas and spent a decade living in intentional community in Washington DC, before moving to Lansdale with her spouse Sheldon Good. She comes from a Catholic background and has an MA in Theology from Washington Theological Seminary. Jenn speaks Spanish, and is a Godly Play Core certified practitioner. She has two elementary school-aged children.