Elaine Angleberger: Five Decades of Children’s Ministry
By Sharon Mager
KNOXVILLE, Md. — Elaine Angleberger’s journey in children’s ministry spans nearly five decades, marked by an unwavering commitment to families and a heart for sharing the love of Jesus with children. She retired as preschool director at Faith Baptist Church, Knoxville, on Sept. 29, and the church held a celebration luncheon for her. In addition to a meal, the church featured an anniversary cake, and several people shared how she has touched their lives through the years.
While serving on staff for just eight years at FBC, Angleberger has been ministering to children and their families for almost five decades. She began serving in children’s ministry in 1974 at South End Baptist Church, Frederick, and later joined Faith Baptist Church in Knoxville. Alongside these ministries, she also ran her own Christian daycare centers — one at Faith Baptist’s facilities, and another at the United Church of Christ in Jefferson. Eventually, she purchased property, merged the two programs, and opened Dandelion Christian Childcare, serving 100 children throughout the week. Her husband, Steve, affectionately nicknamed “Buzz,” helped with maintenance and driving the bus, while her daughter, Jennifer, also assisted, creating what she described as “almost a mom and pop family business.”
Reflecting on her years in ministry, Elaine highlights the vital role preschool programs play in teaching and nurturing children, as well as supporting parents’ spiritual growth, “At my retirement, one mom wrote a little thank you note to me, and she talked about when she moved to the Jefferson, Knoxville area, no one had ever kept her daughter except family. And the day she brought her little girl to the church was after COVID. At that time, we just had one preschool room. She wrote that she just had such a peace of mind entrusting her daughter to me and knowing that she would be well cared for. It just was a very touching tribute because that’s what I think preschool teachers have to prioritize — giving the parents peace of mind while they can go and worship and grow and be discipled and walk their journey to the kingdom.”
She takes her role as a teacher seriously, ensuring that children are spiritually nourished. She explained how, during COVID, she adapted to make sure kids continued to hear from the Bible, “I told the Bible story and it was recorded, and so I could send it out to all the parents, even though they couldn’t come to church, they still got the message. And I always mailed their literature to them so the children could keep up with Bible stories and studies.”
Security Matters in Children’s Ministry
Safety has also always been important, but has become a higher priority in recent years. Elaine said, “Kris (BCM/D Children’s & Youth
Elaine poses with the Harper family. “I taught all three children and still get hugs every Sunday I see them at church.”
Consultant Kris Buckman) has done a wonderful job. She came to our church and did some training.” Elaine shared how these efforts led the church to update policies and procedures, including evacuation and shelter-in-place strategies, with the help of church member Al Caho.
“All of the (sexual abuse prevention and security) training gives parents and teachers a sense of peace. And when parents and teachers feel safe, the classroom becomes a very peaceful, secure atmosphere for the boys and girls. That’s important because they can sense when things are tense and a little scary.”
Perseverance!
Though retired, Elaine plans to continue serving as a volunteer after a brief break. “We’re going to open a new babies’ room. We have three new babies. Two have arrived, and one is not here yet, but should be by January. So, I probably will be rocking babies. That’s my favorite thing to do.”
Elaine also stays active outside of ministry, participating in Senior Olympics cornhole competitions. “Yesterday (Oct. 5) was the Maryland Senior Olympics for cornhole, and I got three golds — singles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. This year, the National Senior Olympics were in Iowa, and my daughter, Jennifer Osborne, and I were partners in Iowa for the National Senior Olympics in cornhole. So that was quite a joy to me.”
Sharon Mager serves as BCM/D Stories Editor.
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