Hopeton Clennon Welcomed as Chaplain of Seminary and College

Despite his arrival in the deep freeze of January, Hopeton Clennon, the new Chaplain for the College and Seminary, was warmly welcomed by the campus community on January 15, 2009.

Since 1999, Hopeton had served as pastor of Downey Moravian Church, a 200-member congregation in the suburbs of Los Angeles. His move to Bethlehem retraced the cross-country route his family took nine years ago when they relocated to California. From 1995 to 1999 Hopeton lived in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, where he served the Schoeneck Moravian congregation.

A native of Jamaica, he earned a BA in Theology at the University of the West Indies and a Diploma in Ministerial Studies at United Theological College of the West Indies. A member of the Seminary Board of Trustees from 1994 to 2006, he brings twenty-five years of experience in five distinctly different pastoral settings: two in Jamaica and three in the United States (Washington DC; Nazareth, PA; and Downey, CA.)

Within the Moravian Church, Hopeton is much sought after for his wise counsel and leadership at conferences, retreats, camps and synods. In 1998 he was elected Bishop of the Moravian Unity, the highest order of ordination. In the Moravian Church, the position of Bishop is not an administrative one, but one of pastoral leadership. A bishop is often considered “a pastor to the pastors.”

The position of the Chaplain at Moravian is a shared one, with 1/3 time assigned to the Seminary and 2/3 to the College. When asked what energizes him about serving as Chaplain of the Seminary, Hopeton responded, “the absolute thrill of working with students on the verge of making a huge impact on society. On the one hand, I will be rubbing shoulders with and benefiting from students, lecturers and administrators who are on the cutting edge of theological exploration. On the other hand, I will be a partner in a new transformational missional movement at the premier theological institution in the Moravian Unity. I have spent over 25 years as a worship leader, preacher and prayer partner in Moravian churches. I am energized by the thought of spending the next phase of my ministry serving with those who will themselves be leading others.”

Though Hopeton arrived in January, his wife Shelia, a special education teacher, and their daughter Danielle, who is currently in the 10th grade, plan to join him at the end of school year in June. His son Andrew is an undergraduate at the Long Beach campus of California State University.

Please welcome Hopeton next time you’re on campus and uphold all members of the Clennon family in your prayers as they enter a new chapter in the life of their family.