Ginny Tschanz is a Coloradan who paints and writes from her home in Westminster. Her first book, "Under the Condor’s Wing : A Memoir of South America” is available in HB, PB, and ePUB. Her latest book, “A New Sky and a Strange Earth” is the story of her ancestor, Capt. John Farrar, who went into Kentucky in 1775 with Daniel Boone. He then fought throughout the Revolutionary War, married, and fathered nineteen children by his two wives, Betsy Abernathy and Elizabeth Williams. In 1810 he road horseback to Missouri to visit Boone, his lifelong friend, and to help with his financial difficulties, but to no avail. Boone died a poor man, dependent on his son, Nathan, and bereft at the loss of his beloved wife, Rebecca Bryan. It will be published by LuLu.com ISBN 978-1-329-48969-1 first in PB and then ePUB.

Educated at Stanford University, she was a reference librarian from 1986-1993 at the University of Denver, where she received her MA.

Ginny's husband, Mac, was a geologist who loved adventures and traveling. The couple enjoyed Mediterranean cruises and Road Scholar programs in South Africa, Turkey, and Spain. They saw most of the Americas by road, rail, and bus. Ginny’s travel journal, "From Shore to Summit" covers 58 years.

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Written by Dr. Michael Basham, published in St. Luke's eNews.

A FORCE!! Ask any member of St. Luke Church what comes to mind when they think of Virginia “Ginny” Tschanz and the term, “A force”, would be their immediate response. In fact, describing her as, “A force”, could well be an understatement. Mother, grandmother, academic, scholar professional, author, and artist are the terms that surround her and yet take second place to her identity as a dedicated Orthodox Christian and her commitment to St. Luke Orthodox Christian Church.

A graduate of the prestigious Stanford University where she met her husband Mac, she has gone on to experience a lifetime of delightful experiences including being mother to three exceptional children, Tor, Michael and Laurel and seven grandchildren all of whom are established and successful in their chosen professions and active in their church homes. One granddaughter, Meghan, spent eight years as a short-term missionary

Ginny and Mac, who was a geologist and worked for the U. S. Geological Survey, spent nine years in South America in the countries of Bolivia and Colombia where their children were born. Under the Condor’s Wing, a book authored by Ginny is about their time in those countries. The book is a masterpiece in providing the reader insight into historical events as experienced by average American citizens. One reviewer wrote:

In her own intelligent and clear-eyed prose, Ginny provides a warm and clear narrative while knitting together the lucid and insightful letters of an American family living exciting and challenging lives in worlds far from home—especially South America.

Not only are there descriptions of daily events; there are penetrating insights about those events. For example, Mac, Ginny’s husband, writes,

"Kennedy’s reorganization of the aid program helped and will pay big dividends as soon as Johnson

gets rid of enough of the brainy and emotional amateurs that interfered with everything under Kennedy.”

Here is historical and political analysis served up by a real person in a real-life situation and not the after-the- fact history that blandly fills the pages of journals and books read only by other historians.  The letters shared between Ginny and Mac are priceless and should be used by historians to capture the mood and ethos by those years.

Returning to America in 1969, Mac was assigned field work in northern Idaho while the family grew-up in Lakewood. Mac, after 33 years of government service, retired and then dedicated his life to serving those in need by assisting in establishing the “In Jesus Name Shelter for the Homeless” where he served on the board of directors along with being the volunteer chief and helper of those most in need. The shelter provided 88,000-person nights of shelter for the homeless during its nine-year ministry.

Ginny completed her Master’s degree at the University of Denver and worked there as a Reference Librarian from 1986 until 1993 when she resigned to accompany Mac on his travels. During their marriage they visited 36 different countries and 40 states. She and her husband also discovered, during this time, that the mainline Protestant denomination they faithfully attended and supported for many years had moved away from classic Christianity and exchanged the Gospel for “social justice.” Assuredly, authentic Christianity is concerned about social justice but that justice comes from people whose lives have been transformed by an encounter with the Risen Lord of all life.

In 1995 Ginny and Mac became Western Rite Orthodox Christians, although Mac later transferred to the Anglican Mission in America and in 2005 Ginny became a member at St. Luke Orthodox Parish. The next year Mac passed into his forever with the Lord. In that same year Ginny became a member of St. Luke parish. Ginny shares that she was attracted to Orthodoxy by its, “incomparable liturgy and absolute adherence to the Christian faith.”

Soon after finding her spiritual home, she volunteered to help with St. Luke’s library. The system she established is still in effect today. Then, she was asked to organize and manage the church bookstore which she did for six years with the assistance of Jean Orr, Tina Adcock, Bobby Koch and Rita and Michael Rosson. Today, St. Luke’s bookstore stands as an example for the entire diocese to emulate.

Ginny, along with all who assisted her, made certain that the best in Orthodox Christian books and materials were available to adults, young people and children. Ginny’s leadership made the bookstore one of the most critical and important ministries at St. Luke. Not only did she spend time reviewing what was best in Orthodox literature and providing those works to the congregation, she also modernized the process, using a library database, so that books could be easily found and ordered if not in the bookstore. She created sections so that books of the same genre were grouped together.  She, with help from Matt Clyker established a process whereby credit card sales could be transacted. The beautiful icons she displayed and offered for sale gave off a wonderful array of meaningful “theology in color.”

Ginny’s dedication to Christ and His Church has left a permanent impression on St. Luke and its parishioners. She is a kind and gentle person but doesn’t suffer fools gladly. She insists on the truth and holds those who should tell it to a high standard. Assuring the respect and dignity of all people is critically important to her. Along with pursuing her hobby as a watercolor painter, she regularly submits comments to the online edition of the Wall Street Journal. She has published articles in professional and general interest journals, winning a non-fiction prize in 1985 and is now writing an historical novel about her ancestor Capt. John Farrar, who went into Kentucky with Daniel Boone in 1775.

In her own words she says; “I am especially appreciative of Fr. David and his absolute adherence to Orthodoxy. I consider the liturgy to be the most beautiful and faithful in all of Christendom.” She rejoices that St. Luke is her spiritual home filled with loving friends whom she considers her spiritual brothers and sisters.