Dennis Gingerich, an alumnus of Eastern Mennonite University and Eastern Mennonite Seminary, has been recognized for his generosity to his hometown of Cape Coral, Florida. He was awarded the 2018 Elmer Tabor Generosity Award from the Cape Coral Community Foundation at an October ceremony.
Gingerich earned a bachelor’s degree in Bible and social work in 1976 and a Master of Divinity in 1979. With his wife Linda Augsburger Gingerich ‘77, he has served his community of Cape Coral, Florida, since 1986.
Gingerich is the founding pastor of Cape Christian Fellowship, which is now attended by 3,000 each weekend. The church built a park with a splash pad for city residents, and started a holistic health center for working uninsured and underinsured residents. It has served 6,000 in the last four years.
He is also the lead chaplain for the Cape Coral Police Department, a position he has held for 22 years, and has served on several local non-profit boards. His award-winning nature photography has been featured on travel magazines and elsewhere.
The Cape Coral Community Foundation’s Elmer Tabor Award was established to recognize outstanding philanthropists in the community who have a record of exceptional generosity, show civic and charitable responsibility, and demonstrate leadership that inspires others to a life of generosity.
Dennis Gingerich has provided remarkable leadership at Cape Christian Fellowship over the last 32 years. His vision and leadership has had an effect on thousands in the Cape Coral Community! Having visited with Dennis and Linda and the church several times over a number of years, I have personally witnessed the expansion of the ministry from rental facilities to an large complex, a place that has shared the gospel with many Floridians!