Meet Joseph and Dinah Huse
Nearly everyone at St. Luke's knows Chef Joseph and his wife, Dinah, and the wonderful meals they prepare for countless events at the church. How did they find themselves spending their retirement years doing this at St. Luke's? Read on to learn more:
Dinah and Joseph Huse have been associated with St. Luke's for the last six years, since Joseph became chef for the church. They were introduced to the church by their son who was a member 20 years ago. They occasionally attended worship and Christmas concerts with their son and were impressed by the music and traditional worship.
After moving to Coatesville in 2015, Dinah would tell Joseph "I need a music fix," which meant "Let's go to St. Luke's." They especially liked the Sundays when the orchestra played. So, in August 2018, they were attending worship (not knowing that the orchestra doesn't play during the summer) and Dinah noticed the announcement that the church needed a chef on Wednesday nights. She punched Joseph and said "You ought to apply for that." And the rest is history.
Joseph is an American Baptist pastor. The Huse's have lived and served churches in Vermont, Illinois, Indiana, and North Dakota. They were serving a church in North Dakota when Joseph retired in 2004. They returned to Indiana to provide care for his mother. They have two sons who live in the area and are the proud grandparents of a grandson and granddaughter. Dinah is a retired elementary school therapist. Both are now involved in the kitchen ministry at St. Luke's.
Joseph and Dinah have shared their financial resources in the Lord's work from the time they were married 59 years ago. Joseph has been involved in several domestic and international mission projects over the years and serves currently as the fund raiser for a missionary couple who serve in India. Joseph has been involved in stewardship education and fundraising most of his career.
As part of their estate planning, Joseph and Dinah have designated 5% of their estate to the church where they are members when their estate is executed. Further they have established a charitable trust to provide both a current income for themselves and a significant bequest to the charitable organizations in which they have participated. Although their legacy is not large, they hope it will provide an ongoing witness to their faith and service.
St. Luke's is grateful for the many ways Joseph and Dinah share their time, talents, and treasure, and for their thoughtful estate planning. The church is pleased to recognize them as members of St. Luke's Legacy Society. If you would like more information on how you too can become a member of St. Luke's Legacy Society, contact David Heetland, pastor of planned giving, at [email protected] or 317.399.6202.