About Our Sangha

The Buddhist Sangha of Bucks County is a community(sangha) that practices Buddhism, provides meditation instruction and community service in a manner consistent with the teachings of the Buddha. The sangha is open anyone who wishes to learn about and practice meditation and Buddhism.

We meet Monday nights at 7pm to put our intentions into practice. A member volunteers to lead a short service which consists of selected readings from the service booklet compiled by our members, followed by a 20 minute meditation period and another 20 minute meditation period where some people practice walking meditation . We close service with selected readings from the service booklet followed by tea, snacks and a dharma discussion in the social hall adjacent to the sitting room on various topics (check our newsletter and/or facebook for the latest). The sangha holds periodical meditation day long retreats, welcomes special guest teachers, and engages in community service.

About Community Service

  • Every Monday everyone is encouraged to bring donations for those in need. Currently we are supporting the Bucks County Homeless Shelter and The Valley Youth House (VYH).
  • Road Cleanup is held twice a year at New Falls Road, which the sangha has been doing for the last 11 years.

BSBC Board Members

Any member can become a board member and get involved more deeply in the sangha. Let any of the board members know if you would like to join the board and/or one of the committees. You do not need to be a board member to be involved of course. Click here for information on how to become a member

Phil Brown – Immediate Past President & Advisor.  Professionally, Phil is a senior consultant for the National School Climate Center, and serves on a number of education-related non-profit boards devoted to improving school culture and climate. He is also a Fellow of the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University following retirement from a career working for the New Jersey Department of Education and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. He is co-editor of the Handbook of Prosocial Education (2012).

Dave MermelsteinDave Mermelstein – Co-President
Dave is a professional stage technician at the State Theatre Regional Arts Center in New Brunswick, NJ. He is proud to be a member of Local 21 of IATSE, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. He first came to the BSBC in early 2010, and is happy to give back to the sangha in the role of Co-President this year.


Joe BeckJoe Beck
  – Co-President
After many years of dabbling in meditation and the Dharma, Joe came to a few BSBC Monday night sessions in 2013. Then sometime in 2014 he began to attend regularly and has never looked back. There is a Sanskrit phrase “ehi, paśya” meaning come, see. The Buddha didn’t want anyone to follow blindly based on what he found. He invites us all to put his teachings to the test and come see for themselves. Our spirit is such a personal thing and must be investigated individually. There are certainly maps out there but it does require a good deal of self navigation. Eventually each of us realizes through sangha, books, retreats, teachers, etc how to progress along the path

Members At Large and Their Service Committees: 

Edna Telep – Book Club Coordinator & Introductory Meditation Trainer

Eugene Pevzner – Chair Communications Committee

Moira Kowalczyk – Chair Program Committee

Ann Favaloro – Outreach and Service Committee

Any member can become a board member and get involved.  Let the president or vice president know if you would like to join the board and one of the committees. 

We would like to thank all our members who contributed to the sangha over the years.