In 1974, Mr. Bitzer received a calling from the Presbytery of West Jersey to served as a consultant for four months on urban ministries in Atlantic City. The project gave rise to the Atlantic City Metropolitan Ministry, which Mr. Bitzer served as director.
It was his role as the project's night minister that really motivated him. He served in Atlantic City from 1975 until 1982 and again as the head of Night Ministry Inc., founded in 1983 as a nonprofit organization to continue the Jersey Shore ministry. He retired last year because of illness.
Mr. Bitzer spent the nights walking the Atlantic City Boardwalk and business district, where he was "the friend and confidant to the loneliest of the lonely," as characterized in an Inquirer feature in 1979.
"His day begins just after dark, when the shops close and the casinos crank up for another big night," the newspaper story said. "Over the years, Mr. Bitzer has wiped tears from the eyes of dozens of runaways, brought coffee for as many late-night drunks, and talked out family problems with workers from the midnight shift."
At times, his ministry grabbed headlines, such as when he persuaded a would-be suicide not to take his life. But most of his work was not the stuff of news stories.
He offered a sympathetic ear to the lonely, the aged and the forgotten.
"There are a lot of problems out there," Mr. Bitzer told The Inquirer in 1979, "but the greatest one is loneliness."
Atlantic City was not the first place Mr. Bitzer practiced his ministry of presence.
Shortly after ordination, Mr. Bitzer served as pastor of the Christ-West Hope Presbyterian Church in Lower Merion Township. While there, he read a magazine story about a night minister in San Francisco. Soon Mr. Bitzer was walking the streets of the posh Main Line community at night. He expanded the ministry to parts of neighboring West Philadelphia.
"Don had an ability to immediately connect with people who were on the edge of life," said John Reasoner, a member and elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Haddonfield. "He had a wonderful twinkle in his eye and could make you realize he cared about you instantly. The night ministry is a very difficult ministry to do, and Don had a gift for it."
Mr. Bitzer served as an associate minister at the Haddonfield church briefly in the early 1980s. As he was born and reared in Haddonfield, it was also the church he attended as a youth.
He was a graduate of Haddonfield Memorial High School and earned his bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., in 1957. He earned his master's of divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1961.
Mr. Bitzer was ordained by the Presbytery of West Jersey in 1963. He served the presbytery as secretary-treasurer of the ministerial relations committee; as a member of the major mission fund committee; as a commissioner to the 1981 General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.; and as a member and vice chairman of the presbytery's committee on handicapped and aging.
He had served as a pastor of the Tether Presbyterian Church in Atlantic City and the Langhorne Presbyterian Church in Langhorne. He also had served several churches as an interim or assistant pastor.
He served as executive director and as a member of the board of directors of the Starting Point, a youth shelter in Atlantic City.
He is survived by two sisters, Rachel Ann Greenwood and Barbara Seither; and brothers Raymond L. Jr. and Thomas R.
Memorial services were held yesterday at the First Presbyterian Church, 20 E. Kings Highway, Haddonfield.
Memorial donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, 20 E. Kings Highway, Haddonfield, N.J. 08033.
From The Philadelphia Inquirer-27 August 2000
It was his role as the project's night minister that really motivated him. He served in Atlantic City from 1975 until 1982 and again as the head of Night Ministry Inc., founded in 1983 as a nonprofit organization to continue the Jersey Shore ministry. He retired last year because of illness.
Mr. Bitzer spent the nights walking the Atlantic City Boardwalk and business district, where he was "the friend and confidant to the loneliest of the lonely," as characterized in an Inquirer feature in 1979.
"His day begins just after dark, when the shops close and the casinos crank up for another big night," the newspaper story said. "Over the years, Mr. Bitzer has wiped tears from the eyes of dozens of runaways, brought coffee for as many late-night drunks, and talked out family problems with workers from the midnight shift."
At times, his ministry grabbed headlines, such as when he persuaded a would-be suicide not to take his life. But most of his work was not the stuff of news stories.
He offered a sympathetic ear to the lonely, the aged and the forgotten.
"There are a lot of problems out there," Mr. Bitzer told The Inquirer in 1979, "but the greatest one is loneliness."
Atlantic City was not the first place Mr. Bitzer practiced his ministry of presence.
Shortly after ordination, Mr. Bitzer served as pastor of the Christ-West Hope Presbyterian Church in Lower Merion Township. While there, he read a magazine story about a night minister in San Francisco. Soon Mr. Bitzer was walking the streets of the posh Main Line community at night. He expanded the ministry to parts of neighboring West Philadelphia.
"Don had an ability to immediately connect with people who were on the edge of life," said John Reasoner, a member and elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Haddonfield. "He had a wonderful twinkle in his eye and could make you realize he cared about you instantly. The night ministry is a very difficult ministry to do, and Don had a gift for it."
Mr. Bitzer served as an associate minister at the Haddonfield church briefly in the early 1980s. As he was born and reared in Haddonfield, it was also the church he attended as a youth.
He was a graduate of Haddonfield Memorial High School and earned his bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., in 1957. He earned his master's of divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1961.
Mr. Bitzer was ordained by the Presbytery of West Jersey in 1963. He served the presbytery as secretary-treasurer of the ministerial relations committee; as a member of the major mission fund committee; as a commissioner to the 1981 General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.; and as a member and vice chairman of the presbytery's committee on handicapped and aging.
He had served as a pastor of the Tether Presbyterian Church in Atlantic City and the Langhorne Presbyterian Church in Langhorne. He also had served several churches as an interim or assistant pastor.
He served as executive director and as a member of the board of directors of the Starting Point, a youth shelter in Atlantic City.
He is survived by two sisters, Rachel Ann Greenwood and Barbara Seither; and brothers Raymond L. Jr. and Thomas R.
Memorial services were held yesterday at the First Presbyterian Church, 20 E. Kings Highway, Haddonfield.
Memorial donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, 20 E. Kings Highway, Haddonfield, N.J. 08033.
From The Philadelphia Inquirer-27 August 2000
In 1974, Mr. Bitzer received a calling from the Presbytery of West Jersey to served as a consultant for four months on urban ministries in Atlantic City. The project gave rise to the Atlantic City Metropolitan Ministry, which Mr. Bitzer served as director.
It was his role as the project's night minister that really motivated him. He served in Atlantic City from 1975 until 1982 and again as the head of Night Ministry Inc., founded in 1983 as a nonprofit organization to continue the Jersey Shore ministry. He retired last year because of illness.
Mr. Bitzer spent the nights walking the Atlantic City Boardwalk and business district, where he was "the friend and confidant to the loneliest of the lonely," as characterized in an Inquirer feature in 1979.
"His day begins just after dark, when the shops close and the casinos crank up for another big night," the newspaper story said. "Over the years, Mr. Bitzer has wiped tears from the eyes of dozens of runaways, brought coffee for as many late-night drunks, and talked out family problems with workers from the midnight shift."
At times, his ministry grabbed headlines, such as when he persuaded a would-be suicide not to take his life. But most of his work was not the stuff of news stories.
He offered a sympathetic ear to the lonely, the aged and the forgotten.
"There are a lot of problems out there," Mr. Bitzer told The Inquirer in 1979, "but the greatest one is loneliness."
Atlantic City was not the first place Mr. Bitzer practiced his ministry of presence.
Shortly after ordination, Mr. Bitzer served as pastor of the Christ-West Hope Presbyterian Church in Lower Merion Township. While there, he read a magazine story about a night minister in San Francisco. Soon Mr. Bitzer was walking the streets of the posh Main Line community at night. He expanded the ministry to parts of neighboring West Philadelphia.
"Don had an ability to immediately connect with people who were on the edge of life," said John Reasoner, a member and elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Haddonfield. "He had a wonderful twinkle in his eye and could make you realize he cared about you instantly. The night ministry is a very difficult ministry to do, and Don had a gift for it."
Mr. Bitzer served as an associate minister at the Haddonfield church briefly in the early 1980s. As he was born and reared in Haddonfield, it was also the church he attended as a youth.
He was a graduate of Haddonfield Memorial High School and earned his bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., in 1957. He earned his master's of divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1961.
Mr. Bitzer was ordained by the Presbytery of West Jersey in 1963. He served the presbytery as secretary-treasurer of the ministerial relations committee; as a member of the major mission fund committee; as a commissioner to the 1981 General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.; and as a member and vice chairman of the presbytery's committee on handicapped and aging.
He had served as a pastor of the Tether Presbyterian Church in Atlantic City and the Langhorne Presbyterian Church in Langhorne. He also had served several churches as an interim or assistant pastor.
He served as executive director and as a member of the board of directors of the Starting Point, a youth shelter in Atlantic City.
He is survived by two sisters, Rachel Ann Greenwood and Barbara Seither; and brothers Raymond L. Jr. and Thomas R.
Memorial services were held yesterday at the First Presbyterian Church, 20 E. Kings Highway, Haddonfield.
Memorial donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, 20 E. Kings Highway, Haddonfield, N.J. 08033.
From The Philadelphia Inquirer-27 August 2000
It was his role as the project's night minister that really motivated him. He served in Atlantic City from 1975 until 1982 and again as the head of Night Ministry Inc., founded in 1983 as a nonprofit organization to continue the Jersey Shore ministry. He retired last year because of illness.
Mr. Bitzer spent the nights walking the Atlantic City Boardwalk and business district, where he was "the friend and confidant to the loneliest of the lonely," as characterized in an Inquirer feature in 1979.
"His day begins just after dark, when the shops close and the casinos crank up for another big night," the newspaper story said. "Over the years, Mr. Bitzer has wiped tears from the eyes of dozens of runaways, brought coffee for as many late-night drunks, and talked out family problems with workers from the midnight shift."
At times, his ministry grabbed headlines, such as when he persuaded a would-be suicide not to take his life. But most of his work was not the stuff of news stories.
He offered a sympathetic ear to the lonely, the aged and the forgotten.
"There are a lot of problems out there," Mr. Bitzer told The Inquirer in 1979, "but the greatest one is loneliness."
Atlantic City was not the first place Mr. Bitzer practiced his ministry of presence.
Shortly after ordination, Mr. Bitzer served as pastor of the Christ-West Hope Presbyterian Church in Lower Merion Township. While there, he read a magazine story about a night minister in San Francisco. Soon Mr. Bitzer was walking the streets of the posh Main Line community at night. He expanded the ministry to parts of neighboring West Philadelphia.
"Don had an ability to immediately connect with people who were on the edge of life," said John Reasoner, a member and elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Haddonfield. "He had a wonderful twinkle in his eye and could make you realize he cared about you instantly. The night ministry is a very difficult ministry to do, and Don had a gift for it."
Mr. Bitzer served as an associate minister at the Haddonfield church briefly in the early 1980s. As he was born and reared in Haddonfield, it was also the church he attended as a youth.
He was a graduate of Haddonfield Memorial High School and earned his bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn., in 1957. He earned his master's of divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1961.
Mr. Bitzer was ordained by the Presbytery of West Jersey in 1963. He served the presbytery as secretary-treasurer of the ministerial relations committee; as a member of the major mission fund committee; as a commissioner to the 1981 General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.; and as a member and vice chairman of the presbytery's committee on handicapped and aging.
He had served as a pastor of the Tether Presbyterian Church in Atlantic City and the Langhorne Presbyterian Church in Langhorne. He also had served several churches as an interim or assistant pastor.
He served as executive director and as a member of the board of directors of the Starting Point, a youth shelter in Atlantic City.
He is survived by two sisters, Rachel Ann Greenwood and Barbara Seither; and brothers Raymond L. Jr. and Thomas R.
Memorial services were held yesterday at the First Presbyterian Church, 20 E. Kings Highway, Haddonfield.
Memorial donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, 20 E. Kings Highway, Haddonfield, N.J. 08033.
From The Philadelphia Inquirer-27 August 2000
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