Dr. Weisenbach's Biography

Written by KPC

Thursday, 10 March 2005

William Weisenbach was born the second of four sons in Philadelphia, PA, and raised in Southampton, a small, then rural, town about fifty miles northeast of that city. He went to college anticipating a career as a music teacher and graduated from Nyack College with a B.Mus. degree, but, responding to a deeper call, enrolled at New York Theological Seminary in NYC.  While in seminary he joined Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church where, in 1973, he was ordained by the Presbytery of New York City. After completing seminary the then new President of NY Seminary, Dr. George Williams Webber, hired Weisenbach to be his assistant, and he served in that capacity while completing a Master of Sacred theology degree in Pastoral Counseling.  In 1972 he was appointed to the seminary faculty as Professor of Practical Theology and in 1978, after completing a Doctor of Ministry, was named Vice President for Academic Affairs.  At the last graduation he attended as a faculty member in 1993, Dr. Weisenbach was given the Sower Award  in recognition of his years of outstanding service and had the degree, Doctor of Divinity, conferred on him honorus causa by the trustees of the school.  During his twenty-four year career as a seminary professor and administrator Dr. Weisenbach worked with many extraordinary colleagues and taught literally hundreds of gifted students, including those at Sing Sing prison. In 1978 Weisenbach married Cynthia Stuen Ph.D., a Gerontologist and Social Worker.  They had two children, Emily Weisenbach, a graduate student at Columbia University in NYC and Matthew Stuen.  Matthew died on February 4, 2004 of complications arising from a seizure disorder. Within the Presbytery  Dr. Weisenbach just completed work as co-chair of the Executive Presbyter search committee.  In past years he chaired the Personnel Committee, served on the Administrative Council, worked on long-range planning, co-chaired the Presbytery-wide study of Human Sexuality, served on the New Church Development steering committee, and chaired the Commissioned Lay Pastors Committee and was the program's principle author.  He was a commissioner to the General Assembly in 2001. "When not working," says he, "I enjoy my family, friends, Maine, cooking, sailing, reading, and am an avid, but poor, golfer."