The Reverend Doctor Leon A. Phillips Jr., 76, of Hampshire House, Allentown, died June 19, 2013. He was the husband of Marion (Overcash) Phillips, to whom he was married for 54 years. Born in Hazleton, he was a son of the late Leon A. Sr., and Irene (Shuler) Phillips.

He was a member and the appointed pastor of St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Allentown.

He was the founder and first director of Lutheran Disaster Response, a joint ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. In the years he served this ministry, 1987 to 1998, he responded to more than 150 major disasters, oversaw rebuilding, counseling and an extensive ministry by volunteers. He also served as ELCA Domestic Disaster Response, and was an executive staff member of the ELCA's Division for Church in Society.

In 1987, he received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity degree from Muhlenberg College, noting his work in developing the Institute for Christian Jewish Understanding.

A graduate of Concordia Collegiate Institute, Bronxville, N.Y., Gettysburg College and the Lutheran Seminary in Philadelphia, he was ordained to the Lutheran ministry in 1961.

He served congregations in East Bangor, Wilkes-Barre and St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, Allentown. He served twice as an assistant to the bishop of the northeastern Pennsylvania synod, under Bishop Wilson Touhsaent and Bishop Harold Weiss. At various times during these ministries, he served on the board of directors of Lutheran Welfare Service of northeast Pennsylvania, Lutheran Congregational Services and the Good Shepherd Home. He also served on the board of Church World Service Disaster Response and the Interfaith Advisory Committee of the American Red Cross. He was released from other duties in 1975 to work with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, helping with resettlement of refugees from Vietnam and Cambodia at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Egland Air Force Base, Fla. and Fort Indiantown Gap.

He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from the Lutheran Seminary at Philadelphia in May, 2012. A frequent traveler to Asia and Europe, he often visited pastors and congregations in the former German Democratic Republic, East Germany. In January, 1990, in Leipzig, he took part in demonstration marches that led to the unification of Germany. He was an active supporter of Lehigh County's sister county partnership with Saarbruecken, Germany and served as president of the organization.

Retiring in 1998, he served interim ministries at St. John's Lutheran Church, Allentown, St. Stephen's Lutheran Church, Allentown, St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Allentown, and St. John's Lutheran Church, Emmaus. At the time of his death, he was serving as appointed pastor at St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Allentown.

He is survived by his wife; sons, Leon Ray and his wife Sally of Washington, D.C., Robert E., of Nazareth, and Teresa Freeman, of Hanover; daughter, Janet and her husband Jim Hammond, of Pleasant Prairie, Wis.; grandchildren, Amy, Christina and Jeremy Balzer, Sara and Lee, Paul, Peter, Rebekah, Abdi, and Bontu Hammond; great-grandchildren, Natalie, Caitlyn, and David Balzer. A great-grandchild, Elizabeth Rose, preceded him in death in 2005.

Contributions may be made to St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, 26 S. Tenth St., Allentown, 18102.

Arrangements were made by the Stephens Funeral Home Inc., Allentown.