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WARTBURG LUTHERAN SERVICES NAMES QUEENS RESIDENT AS VICE PRESIDENT

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Sept. 21 – Wartburg Lutheran Services (WLS), a faith-based organization that runs senior-care facilities in New York State, with offices here, has named Judith Benke vice president for Church and Community Relations.

The Queens, N.Y., resident will provide outreach to churches, senior centers and civic organizations throughout Long Island, New York City, Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties, and the greater-Albany, N.Y., area, about senior care. She will also oversee the Linking Care in Congregations for Older Adults, a program she launched that trains church volunteers to visit homebound members to socialize and address health concerns.

She comes to WLS from The Wartburg Senior Care Community in Mt. Vernon, where she was director of Church and Community Health Partnerships.

Mrs. Benke began her career as a teacher, and holds a master’s degree in administration and supervision from Hunter College in New York, N.Y. She was director of St. Peter’s Pre-school in Brooklyn, for 12 years, As a founding member of the Lutheran Schools Association, and early childhood consultant, she helped launch many Lutheran early childhood centers throughout the metropolitan New York City area. 

With a strong volunteer spirit, Mrs. Benke has served on the board of directors of the Lutheran Counseling Center in Mineola, N.Y, for nine years, and was chair for six years. She also chaired the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) Atlantic District’s Lutheran Commission on Women.

Mrs. Benke currently is chair of the Health and Human Care Task Force for the Atlantic District-LCMS. During the past seven years, she has expanded the task force’s sub-committees for chaplaincy supervision, parish health and disaster relief ministries, and immigration issues.

Her efforts over the years have earned her many honors and awards, including the Servant of Christ Award from the Atlantic District-LCMS for her long-term service, the Life Service Award from United Lutheran Appeal, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Lutheran Schools Association, and the Silent Samaritan Award from Lutheran Counseling Center for her work after Sept. 11, 2001.

She has been married to the Rev. Dr. David Benke, president of the Atlantic District of the LCMS for 42 years.

About WLS
Wartburg Lutheran Services is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. It operates 11 senior care housing complexes, nursing homes, assisted living and home-care services in New York City, Long Island, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., and the Albany, N.Y., region. Its administrative offices are in New Rochelle, N.Y.


CONTACT: Wendy Healy, wendy@wartburg.org, 203-744-6367


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