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Richard E. Van Tine recently completed 53 years in the ministry.

He has served churches in the Evangelical United Brethren, United Methodist, the Christian Church and the United Church of Christ denominations. He was ordained in the Christian church to which Shiloh Church was a member until merging with the United Church of Christ. In the Christian Church, Dick served as the conference field minister for the Ohio/West Virginia Conference, consulting, advising, counseling, placing ministers and serving in other necessary areas.

Dick completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at Ohio University, United Theological Seminary, University of Dayton and Miami University.

Dick served in the military service, once as an enlisted man and once as a chaplain.

Dick taught in the Dayton, Mad River and Kettering Schools initiating the first special education program in the Mad River Township Schools. He held elementary, high school and special education (grades 1-12) certificates.

As a licensed Ohio Social Worker, Dick was approached to assume the duties of Director of Childrens Services in Preble County. He accepted and worked closely with families, the court system, the schools, mental health, adoption coordinators and other social agencies and strived to make a difference in the lives of children, youth and families.

He and his wife, Mary, began a program for boys and girls who reached the age of 18 and had no home or family. These young people, upon release from the court system, entered this home and program named Harbor Fields. Over 39 young people entered that program and many became successful members of society.

Dick achieved great success in regular and special camping programs. He directed camps for churches, mentally challenged children and adults, youth camps for children living in poverty areas, camps and retreats for the court system, family camps and camps for social agencies of Ohio.

Dick has always been active in missions programs directing mission activities in many areas of the United States with an emphasis on missions in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Florida and Haiti. His Migrant Ministry Program, using approximately 40 Shiloh Church young people and a staff of six daily for two months, brought many words of gratitude from around the state. Shiloh Church was recognized for saving the Darke County Migrant Ministry Program.

For faithful and untiring efforts, Dick was granted humanitarian awards in Montgomery County and Miami County. He also received recognition from the Ohio House of Representatives for outstanding service to Ohio communities. A “Service to Mankind” award for his special services in Montgomery and Preble Counties followed.

In 1992, Dick was inducted into the Eckels Society in recognition of faithful service that honors God, the church and the United Theological Seminary.

Retired, he returned to Shiloh Church on a part-time basis to serve in designated areas.

Dick expresses sincere gratitude to his church congregations for being so supportive, social agencies for being so helpful in reaching his goals, school systems for being encouraging as he strived to initiate new programs and to Shiloh Church members and staff for the opportunity to be present for a second term of service.