Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church - Volunteer of the Month

opportunity pointed logically to the next, and each position complemented the others.

Bicentennial events are scheduled throughout this calendar year, with a special reunion on Homecoming weekend. Former officers as far back as 1950 are invited, and more than 200 officers and guests are expected. Dale also tracked down descendants of all 16 former senior pastors and 21 of the 30 charter members. About 45 of these descendants, representing eight senior pastors and two charter members, are expected at FAPC’s Bicentennial Banquet on November 15.

Hansen, who is passionate about the church and its traditions, urges everyone to enjoy the celebrations. “We are happy about the past and are learning from it, yet we are not living in it,” he says. “We are reflecting on what the church has accomplished from its founding and honoring those achievements. We pray that the church will have an even brighter future, with ever-increasing impact, as it moves forward in service to the Lord.”

Dale’s genealogy hobby prompted him to take the archives position when it became vacant in 2001. He found a wealth of historical archives and artifacts sorely in need of organization and preservation. Great strides have been made in a short time, helped recently by a few new volunteers. However, major projects to digitize the data, sermon tapes, and other materials have been tabled until further funds are available. Dale says, “We know what we have, but unfortunately we don’t know what we are missing.” He asks anyone with old VOICEs, bulletins and other pertinent historical information about FAPC to consider donating these items to the archives.

The archives meshed naturally with the forthcoming Bicentennial, so Dale volunteered to head up that committee. That post ran concurrently with his term on Session, where he led the Pledge Campaign in 2006 and 2007, and was chairman of Stewardship in 2007-2008. “I believe that service as an officer is one of the most interesting and rewarding ways we can be servant leaders,” Hansen says.

Other roles he’s held at church are deacon, from 1999-June 2003, moderator of the deacons in 2002 and 2003, member–at–large and a member of the Nominating Committee from 2003-2004. After his term as Deacon, Dale trained to be a Stephen Minister. “This ministry opened my warmer side and offered me the means to help others through God to deal with their difficulties,” he says. He turns to the Lord’s Prayer and the 23rd Psalm for his personal spiritual strength.

Hansen was born in Queens and raised in southern Maine. He graduated with a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, spent six and a half years on active duty, and retired from the military as a Colonel after another 23 ½ years in the Army Reserve. In civilian life he worked in procurement for Procter & Gamble; while in Cincinnati, he earned an MBA from Xavier University. Returning to New York in 1981 for a Procter & Gamble assignment, he later joined a public utility in New Jersey and earned a JD degree from Fordham Law School. Currently Hansen is involved in procurement software development as COO of Raritan Valley Technology Group and as Operations Manager, Americas, for ShipServ. ShipServ provides an e-trading platform for the maritime industry, linking suppliers and shippers electronically. In his “spare” time he enjoys tennis.

Dale and Joyce Hansen were married at West Point in 1990. Soon after, they began attending FAPC, and became members in 1994. They became active in the Couples Club, where they developed new friendships and experienced being part of the caring church family as they witnessed unparalleled outreach in love and compassion to those in need. They served on the steering committee and were co-presidents of the Couples Club from 1999-2001. Joyce is also an avid volunteer, most recently as Co-Chair of the PNC, which is searching for the next Senior Pastor.
Dale Hansen says he is forever grateful for all that FAPC has given him. While he doesn’t know what God’s next challenge will be, history proves that he will be ready, willing and able to meet that future call.

Respectfully submitted,
Barbara Swarthout

Members of the Month