From left: Lisa Stitt, Jim Batura, Joanne Rodland and Neva D. Strom.At Sunday worship on June 1, in honor of Joanne Rodland’s retirement after 45 years at West Side, 140 current and past members of the Chancel and Senior High Choirs raised their voices in song.
West Side longtime minister of music retires
SEPTEMBER 12, 2014 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2014, 12:31 AM
BY BETSY MURPHY
CORRESPONDENT
“It was a privilege being a part of two such partnerships, Jack and then Debbi, as well as having such a pool of talent and commitment with which to work within the church and most certainly within the community. It has been a gift.”
Her partnership with Jack Rodland, whom she met at Union Theological Seminary, began in 1964.
“He was smart, dedicated, compassionate,” she says.
They worked together at First Presbyterian Church in Rutherford, hired by Melvin Campbell, who claimed “we got two for price of one.” Joanne taught the children’s choir, Jack the adults, before coming to West Side in 1968, with daughters, Cathy, 3, and Carol (Caby), 6 months. West Side let Cathy into nursery school that September, while Joanne brought Carol to church with her. “Jack and I made the decision that this was our family.”
Jack went back to seminary at Union Theological and in 1980 was ordained at West Side becoming associate pastor. During that year, Joanne took on a lot of responsibility, lost both her mother and brother, and also attended Westchester Institution for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis and became a therapist.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/music/west-side-s-longtime-minister-of-music-retires-1.1086446#sthash.usU0076K.dpuf