Celebrations 2022

Celebrations

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary

Fall 2022

Managing Editor

Melissa S. Logan (mlogan@pts.edu)

For changes of address, call 412-924-1388 or e-mail dkeys@pts.edu

For other editorial matters, call 412-924-1373 or e-mail mlogan@pts.edu.

Associate Editor

The Rev. Erik A. Hoeke (ehoeke@pts.edu)

www.pts.edu

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary prepares students for ministries in established and emerging Christian communities around the world. Rooted in the Reformed tradition and with a centuries-old history of mission and scholarship in service of the church, the Seminary is committed to relationships of mutual learning and serving with Christ-followers from other traditions and theological viewpoints. Our faculty and educational resources cultivate theologically reflective and contextually engaged Christian leaders. Our programs nurture vocational formation for bearing witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

President

The Rev. Asa J. Lee, D.Min.

Vice President for Institutional Advancement

The Rev. Charles L. Fischer III

Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty and Associate Professor of Pastoral Care

The Rev. Leanna K. Fuller, Ph.D.

Vice President for Finance and Administration

Thomas A. Hinds, CPA

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

We have so much to celebrate this year at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. As you read this issue you’ll discover promising students already contributing to God’s mission, an award-winning professor, the dependable excellence of two of our long-time staff members, and the innovative work of alumnus Gene Walker. You’ll also notice that all of these wonderful stories are the result of abundant generosity from our many donors. We are thankful for those who have made this Seminary all that it is today, as well as for those whose gifts will advance us toward our hope-filled future.

Paramount among our celebrations this year is the installation of five faculty into endowed chairs. We have been observing these installations throughout 2022 with individual faculty installation lectures, and the festivities will culminate in a combined installation service for all five professors. It is a unique opportunity to magnify the strength of our faculty as a whole, while recognizing these faculty members and the donors for whom the faculty chairs are named.

Pittsburgh Seminary has a long history of honoring and celebrating ministry, faith-filled theological scholarship, and commitments to serving Christ in our lives. To that end, I’m particularly excited to recognize all of the wonderful ways our faculty, staff, and alumnae/i live out their vocations in the church and beyond. Join me as we celebrate their ministry among us.

Gratefully, The

Rev. Dr. Asa J. Lee

The power of SCHOLARSHIPS

The Seminary is grateful to the individuals, churches, and foundations who provide scholarship funding to ensure our students can receive a quality education without incurring heavy educational debt. Listed here are the endowed scholarships established in the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Thank you for your generosity.

THE CHRIST UNITED CHURCH PRESBYTERIAN AIM GRADUATE NETWORK PROGRAM ENDOWMENT was established in January 2022, and supports the Center for Adaptive and Innovative Ministry at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. This endowment is funded by Christ United Presbyterian Church, Youngstown, Ohio, and supports in perpetuity the Seminary’s mission of forming and equipping people for ministries familiar and yet to unfold and communities present and yet to be gathered.

THE FRANK AND CAROL SPARKS MERIT SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT was established in May 2021, to honor William Franklin Sparks and Carol Cowden Sparks. This endowment supports students entering into, or those who are currently engaged in, pastoral ministry, and aids students in perpetuity.

82% of the Class of 2022 graduated without educational loans from Seminary

THE REV. FRANK DAVID AND MARY BURNHAM THROOP SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT honors the lives and ministries of David and the late Mary Throop, graduates of the Class of 1971 from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. David received a master of divinity, and Mary earned a master of religious education. Both exhibited a loving passion for ministries which served the Gospel of Jesus Christ during the six years David was pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Sac City, Iowa, and then during the 34 years he was pastor of Placentia Presbyterian Church, Placentia, Calif. David previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of PTS from 2005 to 2014. Established in May 2022, the endowment provides merit scholarships for students who seek to serve Jesus Christ in a pastoral or specialized ministry.

67% of our students received aid in the 2021-2022 school year

18% of current master’s students receive Expanding Access to Theological Education scholarships

MESSAGE FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR SEMINARY ADVANCEMENT

In this issue of Celebrations, we showcase the many ways that our friends have had a positive effect on Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Every gift that the Seminary receives has enabled us to teach, to do research, and to enrich communities today and into the future. All of the donations that have been given year over year are not only appreciated, but also help the Seminary to evolve and grow. There is never a limit to how often one can say, “THANK YOU.” We marvel at the wonderful opportunities that have been provided through the generosity of many. PTS is grateful for all that you have done and continue to do.

At the end of each fiscal year, members of the Seminary administration reflect upon the year that has concluded. We take the time to discuss the impact that so many individuals, congregations, foundations, directors, and others have made on the Seminary by their fiscal contributions. We are well aware of what these gifts have allowed PTS to do, and your faithfulness in trusting that we will continue to be obedient to our mission in being “a community of Christ joining in the Spirit’s work of forming and equipping people for ministries familiar and yet to unfold and communities present and yet to be gathered.”

As a Seminary, we honor and acknowledge the generosity of all who have given and continue to give, and encourage others who may be interested in giving to learn more about how gifts can alter the trajectory of the Seminary, the students, the faculty, and many others.

Again, we say “THANK YOU” for the gifts that have been received which allow for Pittsburgh Theological Seminary to continue to be and grow into the seminary that prepares students to participate fully in God’s work in the world.

The Rev. Charles L. Fischer III

SEMINARY GIVING SOCIETIES HONOR DONORS

THE JOHN S. McMILLAN SOCIETY

Members of The McMillan Society have expressed their commitment to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary through a very special and important form of financial support— as the ultimate beneficiary of a planned gift. These gifts might include a bequest and/or charitable income gifts, such as charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder unitrusts, charitable remainder annuity trusts, or gifts of life insurance.

Once you complete your estate plans, fill out our member profile form at www.pts.plannedgiving.org (click “The McMillan Society”, “member profile form”) to let us know. We would like to thank you for your generosity by including you in The McMillan Society.

1794 GIVING SOCIETY

The 1794 Giving Society is named after the establishment of the Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary—one arm of the history of our antecedent institutions—which began with the founding of Service Seminary in 1794 by the Associate Presbytery of Pennsylvania. Prior to that time, the Presbytery was dependent on a supply of ministers sent from Scotland. The Rev. John Anderson, D.D., was elected as the first teacher of divinity and the school began with an enrollment of six students. Service Seminary moved twice, first to Ohio, where it became Xenia Theological Seminary, and later to Missouri. In 1930 it merged with a seminary that was founded in Pittsburgh in 1825 and together they formed Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary. This institution was later augmented by the resources of Newburgh Seminary, founded in New York City in 1805 by John Mitchell Mason.

This society recognizes donors who have contributed $1,000+ to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

1959 GIVING SOCIETY

The 1959 Giving Society recognizes donors who have supported the Seminary for 10+ consecutive years of giving.

This society is named after the consolidation of two previously separate institutions, Pittsburgh-Xenia Theological Seminary of the United Presbyterian Church of North America and Western Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America in 1959, which led to the formation of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Since the 1959 consolidation, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary has been located on the former Pittsburgh-Xenia Seminary campus in the Highland Park/ East Liberty section of Pittsburgh.

GIVING CIRCLES

The Seminary recognizes a number of giving circles based on gift amount.

• Visionaries $10,000+

• Founders $5,000-$9,999

• Leaders $1,000-$4,999

• Patrons $500-$999

• Sustainers $250-$499

• Sponsors $1-$249

GIVING CLUBS

Giving Clubs recognize donors who have given $10,000+ in lifetime giving.

• Neighbors $1,000,000+

• Mentors $500,000-$999,999

• Classmates $100,000-$499,999

• Friends $50,000-$99,999

• Colleagues $10,000-$49,999

Gifts to the Seminary come from many sources including our alumnae/i, friends, Board members, employees, churches, judicatories, and foundations. These gifts support the Annual Fund, financial aid, resource programs, and beyond.

2021-2022 UNAUDITED OPERATING BUDGET

REVENUE

Endowments 66 percent $8.6 million The Endowment Fund at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is truly a living legacy supporting the Seminary’s mission. The Finance Committee of the Seminary’s Board carefully monitors the fund and ensures that the draw from the endowment is conservative enough to support long-term growth, thereby ensuring the Seminary’s future.

Tuition and Fees 10 percent $1.3 million Years ago the church supplied seminarians with the funds to cover the cost of tuition, housing, and fees. Today, students must provide part of their own educational and living expenses. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the income from endowment, these costs are kept as low as possible for the students at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

Gifts and Grants 10 percent $1.3 million Unrestricted gifts to the Seminary’s Annual Fund support the overall ministry and mission of Pittsburgh Seminary and provide generous financial aid. Restricted gifts and grants from individuals, foundations, and corporations fund special projects and programs.

Auxiliary Enterprises 3 percent $0.5 million This category includes income from campus housing, food services, and other items.

Other Sources 11 percent $1.4 million Other sources of income include interest on working capital, vending machines, etc. Total Revenue $13.2 million

2021-2022 UNAUDITED OPERATING BUDGET

EXPENSES

Instruction 28 percent $3.5 million Instruction costs represent faculty salaries and benefits, support staff and materials for faculty, the Center for Adaptive and Innovative Ministry, the Center for Writing and Learning Support, the Metro-Urban Institute, and the World Mission Initiative.

Institutional Support 30 percent $3.8 million This figure includes expenses related to offices providing support services such as Field Education, Human Resources, Information Technology, Advancement, the President, and beyond.

Financial Aid 10 percent $1.2 million At the master’s level, 75 percent of our students received financial aid this year; at the doctor of ministry level, 60 percent of our students received aid. Our goal is to increase aid to students so that the amount of money borrowed by students through loan programs decreases.

Academic Support 9 percent $1.1 million Included here are the expenditures related to the Academic Dean’s Office, the Barbour Library, the Kelso Museum of Near Eastern Archaeology, and worship.

Auxiliary Enterprises 8 percent $1.0 million While the Seminary does receive income from auxiliary enterprises including housing rental and food services, the actual costs of these services are subsidized. This subsidy helps keep students’ seminary-related costs at a minimum.

Student Services 7 percent $0.9 million This item includes services provided to students prior to and following enrollment. Expenses include the offices of Admissions, Registrar, and Financial Aid, counseling, the Student Association, the Miller Summer Youth Institute, and other items.

Operation and Maintenance of Plant 6 percent $0.8 million These expenditures include items related to the ongoing routine care and maintenance of the Seminary’s campus through buildings, grounds, and security services.

Church and Community Services 2 percent $0.3 million The cost of the Seminary’s Continuing Education program is included here. By subsidizing the full schedule of lectures, workshops, and events, the Seminary serves the Church and community.

PTS ALUM SERVES UP GRACE AND LOVE

Pittsburgh’s newest restaurant will have a PTS connection. Café Momentum, expected to open later this year, will offer fine dining to the public while equipping 15- to 19-year-olds who have been part of the criminal justice system. Its executive director is Eugene (Gene) Walker ’20, who completed the Seminary’s Graduate Certificate in Church Planting and Revitalization (now called Adaptive and Innovative Ministry).

Gene is passionate about helping teenagers envision a future where they can thrive. For eight years, he worked for The Pittsburgh Promise, which helps public school students go to college. He is also in his first year of a four-year term on the school board for Pittsburgh Public Schools.

“All of [Café Momentum’s participants] will have had a criminal history, from minor misdemeanors all the way up to the most serious of crimes,” says Gene. “It's about providing a safe space . . . where we can help work on the things that need to be addressed, whether it be food, housing, mental health or physical health, or job training.”

The job training comes primarily in the form of an internship that allows program participants to work in a restaurant and learn every aspect of the service industry. Café Momentum will be downtown, and the storefront next door will function as a community services center for the participants. That center will offer team building exercises, life skills training, and educational tutoring. A licensed counselor will be on staff. Participants will have responsibilities

and requirements to meet in order to progress through the program, but the consequences will never escalate to being kicked out.

In addition to this balance of accountability and grace, Gene explains that the staff won’t make participants earn trust. In fact, their approach is the opposite: to come to work and try to earn the right to work with these young people.

Recently, an acquaintance pointed out to Gene that this vision of Café Momentum sounds deeply Christian, with grace being given at the start and with unconditional love and forgiveness as central to the program.

“We are not a faith-based organization, but we will be led by faith-based principles,” Gene says. “We can do God’s work in a lot of different ways.” He hopes that people will recognize his faith through his actions, allowing him a chance to talk about his faith when opportunities arise.

Gene credits his PTS education for teaching him how to apply this faithbased approach to a non-faith-based organization, allowing God to move and work in Café Momentum even without overt spiritual language and practices. He also believes his PTS studies helped him to discern where his skills and talents were calling him in his life’s work.

“We are not a faithbased organization, but we will be led by faith-based principles . . . We can do God’s work in a lot of different ways.”

ALUMNUS REFLECTS ON PAST, LOOKS TO FUTURE

As the Rev. Dr. Robert (Bob) Cassell ’66/’78 and his wife, Judy, recently reflected on a lifetime of ministry and service, they thought about their time at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in the 1960s. Bob had followed God’s call to ministry by enrolling at PTS, but struggled to afford the cost of education. Even a work-study position and a part-time job at a grocery store wasn’t enough. He also received financial assistance from a Seminary grant and from his home church, First Presbyterian in Pittsburgh.

As a result, Bob graduated with an M.Div. and became a pastor to churches in New Jersey, Indiana, Illinois, and California. During the 1980s he felt a strong call to interim transitional ministry, and building on the D.Min. he earned at Pittsburgh Seminary in 1978, Bob earned the Professional Transition Specialist designation from the Interim Ministry Network. He went on to serve as interim pastor for nine congregations in California and one in Arizona. Judy, with whom he recently celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary, was a partner in ministry along the way. She eventually earned a master’s in marriage and family therapy and served as a licensed therapist.

Both Bob and Judy know their ministry would not have been possible without the need-based grant they

received while Bob earned his M.Div. That’s why in February 2020, they established the Robert T. and Judith S. Cassell Scholarship Endowment with PTS.

“Reflecting on our personal experiences and being aware of how God has blessed us financially, we wanted to establish a means whereby assisting the basic needs of those who are called to explore and validate their gifting and call to ministry can become a continuing reality,” the Cassells say. Bob knows the value of a PTS education. He notes, “PTS provided an environment that expanded my understanding of Scripture and theology, racial/ethnic/cultural identities, as well as social/political issues of the day—thus broadening my understanding of how faith lived out in communities beyond the walls of the Seminary can be transformative.”

The Cassells are not only glad for their past experiences with PTS; they’re also excited about where the Seminary is going. Having already made acquaintance with President Asa Lee, the Cassells are confident that his vision for developing church leaders is consistent and compatible with their own assessment of what produces effective ministry.

Bob and Judy hope other PTS alums will follow their lead. “Consider your ministry and the ways God called you to serve,” he says. “Focus on what has been most important in helping you reach your most valued outcomes. Prayerfully seek God’s leading. Find a way to help a person who is now just like you were way back then.”

M.DIV. STUDENT PREPARES FOR MINISTRIES OF MUSIC AND ACTIVISM

When M.Div. student Suzanne (Suzie) Hager (they/them) began sensing a call to ministry, they lived more than 500 miles from their hometown in Sterling, Mass., having moved to Pittsburgh when their husband began graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh. At the time, Suzie worked as a private music teacher while also balancing up to four other jobs to make ends meet. So when they looked for seminaries to attend, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary was not only the closest theological school but also the best fit. They appreciated the Seminary’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, social justice, and ministering to the local and global Christian community.

Now in their second year at PTS, Suzie has found the Seminary to be a home away from home. “It is a place where I can engage in meaningful discourse and learn broad subject matter about the Church, Scripture, and spirituality. I have been able to grow into a better version of myself through supportive friendships, and especially supportive administrative staff who have helped me every step of the way,” Suzie says.

However, were it not for scholarships and grants from PTS, Suzie

would not have been able to afford pursuing their M.Div. The financial aspect of attending graduate school would be challenging. In addition to working several jobs and being married to a graduate student, Suzie still carried debt from their undergraduate education, where they earned a bachelor’s in music education.

Fortunately, through Pittsburgh Seminary scholarships and grants Suzie was able to attend their first year with no cost. “I would not be able to attend PTS if it were not for the financial aid package provided,” Suzie admits. “It allowed me to have my dreams and goals accomplished.”

Those dreams and goals are still coming into focus, but will certainly include music ministry. Suzie says the most ideal role would be as a minister of music, but they are staying open to other possibilities, including serving in activism and pastoral care

for the LGBTQ+ community. They hope to eventually return home to New England, where they and their husband are both originally from.

Suzie is grateful for the financial aid they have received at Pittsburgh Seminary, and is an example of the far-reaching impact of financial gifts. Suzie says: “If you are considering supporting students at PTS, then you are supporting the future of the Church. Many incredible individuals hear God’s call and just need the opportunity to make it happen. Your gift can be the difference that will change a life, rippling into helping other Christian communities.”

TRAVELING WITH HANNAH: 2022 VALENTOUR SCHOLAR

It was a globe-trotting summer for PTS Valentour Scholar Hannah Ostlund, who traversed to Peru, Malawi, and the U.S./Mexico border over 10 weeks, studying the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on short-term missions and what it means for the future of God’s mission in our world. Here are brief excerpts from Hannah’s travel blog written during her journey.

PERU

“As I think about the pandemic’s impact on our world in general, I’ve been chewing on what the expansion of virtual opportunities could mean. While the increased virtual opportunities sound like they could be a great improvement, it fails to take into account the churches, communities, and individuals that do not have access to the Internet. I don’t say this to argue against using virtual opportunities as a way to connect, but as a reminder of the importance

of understanding the realities of the communities we work alongside.”

MALAWI

“While the pandemic has had a great impact on Mulanje Mission Hospital, there has been a positive development in the partnership relationship with the Pittsburgh Presbytery. As the pandemic impacted travel, these groups were able to connect via Zoom more regularly to discuss programming, fundraising, and impact. The head doctor of the hospital voiced how this addition to their practices allows them to expand their connection beyond the occasional visit to something more long-term.”

U.S./MEXICO BORDER

“When the pandemic caused the visitation of groups to cease, Frontera de Cristo began thinking, ‘If groups can’t come to us, we’ll go to them.’ Out of this thinking

grew ‘Cafe y Conversation,’ which is a Zoom meeting that occurs every two months. In these meetings they uplift a specific topic. The goal of these conversations is to invite the community of FDC together to continue the work despite distance and to discuss ways forward as an organization.”

This fall, Hannah is completing an independent study with the Rev. Dr. Hunter Farrell to revise and adapt a short-term mission guidebook she created as an undergraduate. “Mission is alive and well in God’s kingdom,” she says,“even if it looks a little different since the pandemic started.”

The Valentour World Travel Fellowship was established in 1999 by Louis F. Valentour, a Pittsburgh architect and world traveler wishing to support global learning of students at PTS.

GIVING FROM THE HEART, FOR THE FUTURE OF COMMUNITIES

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is a wonderful place to be employed. Just ask Ellen Frisco, who is in her 41st year in the Seminary’s Business Office. As the assistant controller, she manages student billing, payroll, housing, accounts payable, endowment and gift reporting, and the financial audit—all with the help of her talented colleagues.

“In all my years at the Seminary, taking care of employees has always been very important to the administration, which I have appreciated. They have always worked hard to come up with great affordable benefits, and considered our needs and well-being, which makes PTS a great place to work,” Ellen says.

Her duties in the Business Office are a seldom seen yet essential part to keeping the Seminary operating and thriving. Ellen’s story at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary began in 1982 while she was working at a car dealership and studying accounting and business management at Robert

Morris, and she applied for an open position in the Business Office at PTS. She has stayed because she believes in the significance of the Seminary’s work as it prepares students for ministry in communities near and far. And that’s why she is not only a PTS employee, but also a donor.

“I believe the world today needs people to teach the Word of the Lord,” she says. “What Pittsburgh Seminary does to educate and bring our communities together is vital. The Seminary depends on gifts which allow us to continue our work.”

Being here for four decades has given her an appreciation for that mission. That’s why she gives to the

Seminary. Handling endowment and gift recording and reporting reminds her daily that it’s only through the generosity of others that Pittsburgh Seminary continues to operate and thrive.

She’s excited about the future of PTS, and enjoys contributing toward that future with both her work and her giving, alongside others who donate. Ellen appreciates all who support the Seminary, and we at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary appreciate Ellen!

“What Pittsburgh Seminary does to educate and bring our communities together is vital. The Seminary depends on gifts which allow us to continue our work.”

OF WORMS, WASTE, AND TRANSFORMATION

The only instance of vermicomposting in Scripture happens in Acts 12. There, it says that Herod Agrippa “addressed the people in the voice of a god,” then was struck down, “eaten by worms, giving up the ghost.”

The Seminary’s Miller Summer Youth Institute’s new partnership with Growing Change, a youth empowerment and decarceration nonprofit based in Wagram, N.C., will also utilize worms—not for judgment, but for reclaiming food waste and transforming it into nutrient-rich soil. The key words here are reclamation and transformation, concepts central to the mission of Growing Change and to the future of SYI.

“The practice of reclamation points to how troubled properties can be used in new, life-giving ways,” says Noran Sanford, Growing Change’s founder and executive director. Beginning next spring, SYI will be joining in this work, where the Growing Change youth team is

transforming a polluted “brownfield” decommissioned prison site into a “greenfield,” an environmental and community asset. The young people in charge of this work are coming from struggles, including encounters with the juvenile justice system.

nationally innovative example of reclamation. The work of Growing Change stands at the four-point crossroads of environmental justice, decarceration, youth empowered social entrepreneurship, and a focus on community wellness. For this work, Growing Change has received state and national recognition.

SYI’s work with Growing Change is driven by a deeper sense of reclamation through the Christian spiritual practice of reclaiming forgotten people and neglected places. As the nonprofit is transforming this decommissioned prison into a sustainable farm and community resource, this partnership with SYI is part of a

The Rev. Dr. Franklin Tanner Capps, director of SYI, anticipates leading small groups of PTS students and/ or area clergy to North Carolina, who will bring back what they learn about reclamation and memory and begin conversations in their own context. Eventually, he hopes it will create North-South and urban-rural connections, expanding the ways in which the Seminary is forming students for ministry.

“I think this is the leading edge of what theological education ought to be doing in concert with the work of the classroom,” Tanner says.

The partnership is possible due to a gift of $8,000 last year from the Hurlbert Family Foundation, designated for SYI. This generous donation will be used as seed money to start the vermicomposting project, which Noran and Tanner hope will grow into a more full-fledged partnership.

“I think this is the leading edge of what theological education ought to be doing in concert with the work of the classroom.”

Michael, with Growing Change, caring for a calf

VIRTUAL LEARNING SPACES PROVE USEFUL

Pittsburgh Seminary has continued to adapt to technology needs created by the COVID-19 pandemic in order to fulfill our mission of preparing students for ministry in the way of Jesus.

In 2020, thanks to a grant from The Rossin Foundation, the Seminary’s Information Technology Department equipped multiple learning spaces with cameras, microphones, projectors, and screens. These permanent installations ensure that expanded modes of learning are possible not only for degree and certificate programs, but also extend the reach of resource programs.

This reimagining of the Seminary’s learning spaces not only addressed the immediate pandemic-related concerns of health and safety, but also increased access to theological education. And this reimagination came just in time as the Seminary anticipates launching a hybrid master’s program in fall 2023, allowing students to learn online in addition to the in-person formation.

At the time of awarding the grant to PTS, Joan Stephans, chair of The Rossin Foundation, said: “We are blessed to have this institution in Pittsburgh and are proud to partner with Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in making education more accessible, supporting the future leaders of the Church, and thereby advancing the cause of Christian witness in the world.”

Danielle Kendig, of Johnstown, Pa., began her M.Div. studies at PTS in August 2020. The HyFlex learning model enabled her to complete coursework online while homeschooling her children through the pandemic. “I’ve been essentially a stay-at-home mom,” she says. “During the whole first year, when I was doing all of their teaching, we set up a classroom and school was something we all did together.”

Despite all her classes being online during the first two years of seminary, she created community with classmates and professors with the use of technology and social media. Though some of her coursework is now in person, HyFlex allowed her to structure her seminary education alongside other important commitments in her life and set her own pace for completing her degree. Though Danielle’s situation sounds novel to many, it’s actually the latest example of the Seminary reimagining the method of course delivery to

expand access. Evening classes have been a mainstay for decades, allowing students who work full time to pursue their degree while continuing to work. And the Seminary’s most famous alumnus, the Rev. Fred Rogers ‘62, completed his degree by taking classes during his lunch break while working full-time in television. Preparing students for ministry in the way of Jesus will always require adaptation and shifts in thought and practice.

The Seminary is thankful that the grant from The Rossin Foundation has helped PTS to be equipped with the necessary technology to continue hybrid learning.

DR. VAN DRIEL WINS 2021 SENIOR ALBERIGO AWARD

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary congratulates the Rev. Dr. Edwin Chr. van Driel, Directors’ Bicentennial Chair in Theology, for winning the 2021 Senior Alberigo Award for his book Rethinking Paul: Protestant Theology and Pauline Exegesis (Cambridge University Press, 2021).

The Alberigo Award, named after religious historian Giuseppe Alberigo (1927-2007) and given by the European Academy of Religion, selects winners from yearly publications across all fields of religious study. Dr. van Driel’s book was chosen to receive this award ahead of 10 other submitted works.

“I take the awarding of this prize as a sign that the book is being taken up in the conversation, and I’m grateful

for that,” says Dr. van Driel. “It’s particularly rewarding to receive the award in the context of the European Academy of Religion—an organization which, like its North American sister AAR, is concerned with the full breadth of religious studies. This prize is awarded to a book selected from that whole field. Sometimes there are tensions between religious studies and the specific Christian commitments of Christian systematic theology. My book is an unapologetically theological book. Given that, I’m particularly grateful that it nonetheless was selected by EuARe for this prize.”

In Rethinking Paul, Dr. van Driel reviews the shifts in Pauline scholarship over the last four decades, in which arguments have been made that the Reformers misinterpreted Paul. Dr. van Driel then explores what

these insights mean for traditional Protestant theology, since the interpretation of Paul was at the heart of the Reformation project.

“Based on a careful reading of contemporary Pauline scholars, I offer new understandings of core Protestant notions like faith, justification, divine righteousness; I explore what differences these entail for our thinking about topics like baptism, church, and salvation; and I also show how these new readings can be situated fruitfully alongside contextual theological conversation on theological anthropology, social imagination and race, and missional thinking,” Dr. van Driel explains.

The award comes with a research stipend, which Dr. van Driel intends to use for work on his next book. “I’m researching an ecclesiology for a post-Christian world, wanting to come alongside the church in the Western world as it wrestles with a new cultural context,” he says. “I believe the North American church can learn especially from the church in Western Europe, which has lived in a deeply secularized context for some decades now.”

Dr. van Driel traveled to Bologna, Italy, this past June to receive the award and give a lecture on Rethinking Paul

“. . . I offer new understandings of core Protestant notions like faith, justification, divine righteousness . . . ”

FIVE FACULTY INSTALLED IN ENDOWED CHAIRS

The faculty of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary—the heart of our students’ educational experience—are worthy of celebration every year. Through teaching, research, publication, and service to the church, our faculty further the Seminary’s tradition of academic excellence and continually adapt to meet the current needs of theological education. This fall, we have the opportunity to recognize five PTS professors in particular as they are installed in endowed chairs. Following separate installation lectures, all will be installed to their respective chairs in one shared installation service Nov. 8, 2022.

Endowed faculty chairs are important because they help to attract and retain talented scholars to Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. This unique recognition of five endowed chairs offers a moment to reflect upon the donors who endowed the chairs, the deserving faculty being recognized, and the leading-edge contributions these professors are making in theological research and education.

W. Don McClure Chair in World Mission and Evangelism: Dr. Scott Hagley

The Rev. Dr. W. Don McClure was born in 1906 in Blairsville, Pa. He earned his B.A. from Westminster College (Pa.) in 1928 and his B.D. from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 1934. Don taught from 1928 to 1931 at American Mission, Khartoum, Sudan, and held a pastorate in Murrysville, Pa., from 1932 to 1934. Returning as a missionary to Sudan and to Ethiopia, where he was field secretary at American Mission, Addis Ababa, Don was later killed (1977) in a guerilla raid after 50 years of missionary service through the Presbyterian Church. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus by Pittsburgh Seminary in 1978. Don’s story is told in Adventure in Africa: From Khartoum to Addis Ababa in Five Decades, by the Rev. Dr. Charles B. Partee, son-in-law of W. Don McClure and P. C. Rossin Professor Emeritus of Church History at PTS.

Dr. Scott Hagley joined the PTS faculty in 2015. Formerly, he served as director of education at Forge Canada in Surrey, British Columbia. He also served as teaching pastor at Southside Community Church, a multi-site church in the Vancouver metro area. Dr. Hagley received a B.A. in youth ministry and communication from Bethel University, an M.Div. from Regent College, and a Ph.D. (with distinction) in congregational mission and leadership from Luther Seminary. His doctoral dissertation attended to the lived theology of an urban congregation in its public, evangelical, and missional dimensions. Dr. Hagley also was a consultant and researcher with Church Innovations Institute. He has lectured at denominational meetings and retreats on topics such as missional communities, faith, and spiritual formation. Beyond preaching, Dr. Hagley’s service to the church has been in the areas of research, curriculum development, and youth ministry. He has published numerous articles and book reviews on church- and missionrelated topics. His

most recent book is Eat What is Set Before You: A Missiology of the Congregation in Context (Urban Loft, 2019).

On May 11, 2022, Dr. Hagley presented his lecture, “Unmasking American Gods: Making Place, Embracing Immanence, and Cultivating Community.” The presentation identified current crises of commodification, imperialist thinking, and the lure of progress, and suggested three ways the church could respond to these crises.

Joan Marshall Chair in Pastoral Care: The Rev. Dr. Leanna K. Fuller

This endowed chair was established in 1995 by Thomas Marshall, retired chairman and CEO of Aristech Chemical Corporation, in honor of his wife of five decades, Joan Marshall. It is the Seminary’s first academic chair to be named solely for a woman. Joan Marshall’s ecumenical pilgrimage— from the Catholic Church to the Lutheran Church and eventually the Presbyterian Church—gave her faith a strong biblical basis and love for Christ. Dr. Martha Bowman Robbins, Joan Marshall Associate Professor Emerita of Pastoral Care, was installed in 1996 as its first occupant.

The Rev. Dr. Leanna Fuller is associate professor of pastoral care and through December 2022 will serve as interim vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University (Ph.D.),

Vanderbilt Divinity School (M.Div.), and Furman University (B.A.). Her most recent book is titled When Christ’s Body is Broken: Anxiety, Identity, and Conflict in Congregations (Wipf and Stock, 2016). Dr. Fuller has earned numerous fellowships, awards, and honors. She was selected to participate in the 2016-2017 Wabash Center Workshop for Early Career

Theological School Faculty, and she received the Louisville Institute Dissertation Fellowship in 2010-2011. Dr. Fuller’s most recent conference paper, “One Body, Many Parts: An Ecclesiology for Churches in Conflict,” was presented at the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting. Her ministry experience includes serving as associate pastor of Oakland Christian Church in Suffolk, Va., where she coordinated youth ministry and

Christian education programming. Dr. Fuller also worked as chaplain resident at Riverside Regional Medical Center, in Newport News, Va., providing pastoral care for patients.

On Sept. 29, 2022, Dr. Fuller presented her lecture, “To Heal and to Bless: Practicing Reconciliation in a Polarized Age.” In a time of increasing political and social polarization, when many congregations are struggling to cope with difference both within and beyond their walls, Dr. Fuller’s lecture asked what “reconciliation” means when difference has become divisiveness, explored themes of healing and blessing as pathways to peace for communities of faith, and pondered whether healing and blessing might sometimes require gracefully parting ways.

Howard C. Scharfe Chair in Homiletics: The Rev. Dr. Angela Dienhart Hancock

The Rev. Dr. Howard C. Scharfe was born in Ottawa, Canada, in 1907, and served as pastor of Shadyside Presbyterian Church from 1945 to 1971. Howard worked to develop and train young people who would exercise responsibility to preach the teachings of Christ to future generations. Upon the consolidation of Pittsburgh-Xenia Seminary and Western Seminary in 1959, Howard accepted a position on the Board of the newly formed Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He was elected president of the Board in 1969 and served in that capacity until his death in 1971.

The chair was established beginning in the mid-1970s with multiple gifts from members of Shadyside Presbyterian Church, and with lead gifts from the Pitcairn-Crabbe Foundation and several other individuals. The late Rev. Dr. Richard J. Oman was installed to the chair in 1978 as its first occupant.

The Rev. Dr. Angela Dienhart Hancock serves as associate professor of homiletics and worship and will begin as vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty in 2023. She is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and has served as pastor to churches in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Dr. Hancock is the author of Karl Barth’s Emergency Homiletic, 1932-33: A Summons to Prophetic Witness at the Dawn of the Third Reich (Eerdmans, 2013), a contextual interpretation of Swiss

theologian Karl Barth’s lectures on preaching in the early 1930s based on unpublished archival material. Her current research explores Karl Barth’s contribution to the ethics of deliberation in Christian communities and the relationship between political and theological rhetoric. Dr. Hancock continues to preach, teach, and lead worship in a variety of settings.

On Oct. 5, 2022, Dr. Hancock presented her lecture, “More Than Civil: The Witness of Deliberation in the Christian Community,” in which she drew on recent research highlighting the way political identity has become primary for many Americans, including those who belong to Christian communities. She considered the effects of this malformation on our ability to communicate with political others, offered theological rationale for resistance rooted in the work of Karl Barth, and explored how theological educators might better prepare leaders to host deliberative conversations in politically polarized contexts.

DR. HANCOCK NAMED DEAN OF FACULTY

The Seminary has named Dr. Hancock as the next vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty. “Dr. Hancock is the right leader for this time in the Seminary’s history,” said President Asa Lee. “She possesses all the necessary qualities to shape the future of theological education at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary as we continue forming students for service in the church and the community through expanded programs and modalities.”

Reflecting on her appointment, Dr. Hancock said: “I am excited to work with colleagues, seeking to foster educational excellence from this new vantage point in the institution. PTS is well-positioned to respond faithfully and creatively to the ongoing challenge of preparing leaders for the changing landscape of ministry today.”

Hugh Thomson

Kerr Chair of Pastoral Theology: The Rev. Dr. L. Roger Owens

The Rev. Dr. Hugh Thomson Kerr was born in 1871 in Canada. He earned his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Toronto, graduated from Western Theological Seminary in 1897, and was ordained by the Pittsburgh Presbytery. He served pastorates in Pittsburgh, Kansas, and Chicago and then returned to Pittsburgh to become pastor of Shadyside Presbyterian Church, where he served from 1913 to 1945. Hugh was a member of the board of directors at Western Theological Seminary and a Pittsburgh Seminary guest professor in homiletics from 1947 to 1950.

The first minister to preach over the radio, many of his sermons were published by Shadyside Presbyterian Church and are cataloged in the Barbour Library at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

Mable Lindsay Gillespie endowed this chair in 1958, eight years after Hugh’s death. The late Rev. Dr. Gordon E. Jackson was installed to the chair in 1961 as its first occupant, and in 1995 the Rev. Dr. Andrew Purves, Jean and Nancy Davis Professor Emeritus of Historical Theology, was named as its second occupant.

The Rev. Dr. L. Roger Owens received his Ph.D. in theology from Duke University where he was awarded a Lilly Fellowship for the Formation of a Learned Clergy. Before that he completed his M.Div. at Duke Divinity School. As an undergraduate he studied philosophy and Bible/ religion at Anderson University in Indiana. Dr. Owens is a Minister

urban and rural churches for eight years before coming to PTS. Dr. Owens has published several books, the most recent being Everyday Contemplative: The Way of Prayerful Living (Upper Room, 2022). He has preached and lectured across the country, and his work has appeared in The Christian Century, Currents in Theology and Mission, The Journal of Religious Ethics, New Blackfriars, and elsewhere. Dr. Owens serves on the faculty for the Upper Room’s Academy for Spiritual Formation, where he lectures on the history and practice of Christian spirituality.

On Oct. 25, 2022, Dr. Owens presented his lecture, “The Good Enough Pastor? Reimagining Pastoral Excellence for a PostPandemic Church.” The lecture explored questions of excellence pastors and churches have been asking for two decades. Dr. Owens argued that “excellence” is still an appropriate way to think about ministry, but that the rapid changes in church and culture over the last 20 years—and especially since the beginning of the pandemic— require us to think differently about excellence. Maybe now, to be an excellent pastor means to be good enough, which is harder—and more beautiful—than we might at first imagine.

Henry L. Hillman Chair in Urban Ministry: The Rev. Dr. R. Drew Smith

Henry and Elsie Hillman were known as leaders and philanthropists. Henry was a graduate of Princeton University. Founder of The Hillman Company and Hillman Foundation, he served as a director for a number of corporations throughout the country in addition to his philanthropic pursuits. Elsie was also a nationally recognized philanthropist. The Pittsburgh community in particular has been enriched many times by the Hillmans’ sensitivity to its needs. They were members of Calvary Episcopal Church. In 2005 the Seminary gave the Hillmans the John Anderson Award of Merit, the highest honor bestowed by PTS, in recognition of their service and contributions to the Seminary community. In 1998, the Rev. Dr.

Ronald E. Peters was installed to the chair as its first occupant.

The Rev. Dr. R. Drew Smith has initiated and directed a number of projects related to religion and public life which have collected research data on political involvements, community development activities, and outreach ministries of churches, especially African American churches. His research grants have totaled almost $2.5 million, and his two current projects at PTS focus on gentrification, race, and theological education and COVID-19’s impact on Black and Latinx communities in metro-Pittsburgh. He has served since 2010 as co-convener of the Transatlantic Roundtable on Religion and Race, an initiative that convenes scholars, religious leaders, and community activists from across the transatlantic region for purposes of advancing progressive approaches to persistent racial problems in various contexts. From 2020 to 2022, Dr. Smith also served as director of the Seminary’s Metro-Urban Institute, for which he now serves as senior research

fellow. Dr. Smith has published widely on religion and public life, having written numerous articles and chapters, and edited or coedited 10 books, including his most recent Racialized Health, COVID-19, and Religious Responses: Black Atlantic Contexts and Perspectives (Routledge, 2022). Dr. Smith earned his undergraduate degree from Indiana University, and his master of divinity, master of arts, and Ph.D. from Yale University.

On March 22, 2022, Dr. Smith presented his lecture, “Urban Imaginaries and Sacredness of Place: Race, Neighborhood Province, and Socio-Religious Vantage Points.” The lecture explored faith-sector and academicsector presence within urban neighborhoods and the vantage points from which they perceive these contexts and imagine possibilities for community. “I view these sectors as potentially strategic in giving voice to what has been fractured within urban spaces and in imagining paths toward community flourishing and wholeness,” Dr. Smith says.

During the annual Alumnae/i Days 2022, the Seminary honored four alums for their many years of distinguished work in the areas of mission, specialized ministry, pastoral ministry, and academia, respectively. We also recognized a fifth graduate with The Fred McFeely Rogers Award for Creative Ministry. Read about these outstanding alums on the following pages.

THE REV. RICHARD P. HANLON JR. ’15

THE FRED McFEELY ROGERS AWARD FOR CREATIVE MINISTRY

Richard (Rich) Hanlon describes himself as a dreamer, adventurer, nature guide, writer, and a neighbor-loving nature nut. As a Pittsburgh native and ordained elder in The United Methodist Church, his professional mission is to help each person discover themselves in the gift, the adversity, and the wonder of nature.

He believes this work is critical for preparing church and community groups to address habitat loss, climate change, and other environmental challenges facing the world today. Rich sees diversity to be the “spice of life,” and believes our willingness to celebrate the diversity of ecosystems can impact how we care for Creation.

Rich has served at Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community (2013-2015), First United Methodist Church of Wellsboro, Pa. (2015-2020), and Athens (Pa.) United Methodist Church (2020-2022). In 2019, with the help of Hamilton-Gibson Productions, a community performing arts group in Wellsboro, Rich organized and led a worship service promoting suicide awareness, prevention, and survivor support.

He holds a bachelor’s in environmental studies from Penn State University and master’s from PTS. He is a certified interpretive guide through the National Association for Interpretation. Rich and his wife, Erin, offer guided tours of the landscape and wildlife as well as spiritual retreats for church and community groups in New York’s Adirondack Mountains with the Wild Neighbors Nature Connection.

THE REV. HARRY L. BURNS ’97 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS IN SPECIALIZED MINISTRY

Harry Burns serves as a chaplain and health educator at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C., and has been an ordained minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church for more than 34 years. He is a graduate of Shaw University and PTS, a member of the Association of Professional Chaplains, and a member of the North Carolina Chaplains’ Association. In 2008 he was named the NCCA Chaplain of the Year.

THE REV. JOHN A. CREASY ’06 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS IN MISSION

John Creasy is the founder and executive director of the Garfield Community Farm. He is also the founding co-pastor of The Open Door Presbyterian Church, a missional community in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Garfield.

John is passionate about helping people and faith communities connect with God and nature through works of social justice, environmental justice, and eco-theology. Garfield Community Farm is a place of experimentation of

In 1987, Harry became the first African American minister appointed to The Citadel. He later served as director of pastoral care at UPMC Squirrel Hill and as a community chaplain at Carolinas Medical Center.

As a health educator, Harry trains professionals and laypersons in the emotional, physical, and spiritual aspects of health care. He has done this work in partnership with the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, United Family Services (Charlotte, N.C.), and Johnson C. Smith University. Harry was one of the founders of the Mecklenburg County Health Department program Village Heart Beat. In 2010, the American Heart Association honored Harry with the Mid-Atlantic Affiliate Award.

Harry serves on several nonprofit boards in the Charlotte region. In professional and volunteer service, he has worked hard to bring a message of hope to faith and health communities.

He currently serves as pastor of Tranquil AME Church in McCormick, S.C., and is married to the Rev. Beverly Jean Burns.

missional faith practices, sustainable urban food production, ecological restoration, and community activism. The Farm has become an example of what can happen with creative missional theology and a partnership of diverse churches and community groups.

In 2016 John was given a 40 Under 40 Award by Pittsburgh Magazine and the Community Pioneer Award from the Bloomfield Garfield Corporation.

John was a founding board member of Open Hand Ministries, a local ministry working to equip lower income people of color to build equity and wealth through home ownership, and Lamppost Farm in Columbiana, Ohio, from 2009 to 2011. Both are mission partners of The Open Door Church.

John and his family practice permaculture in their 90-year-old home with rainwater collection, solar power, off grid heating, and a backyard food forest. Together they love exploring nature through hiking and backpacking. John and his wife, Alyssa, also create instrumental and Americana music as the musical group This Side of Eve.

THE REV. CASPER I. GLENN ’46 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS IN PASTORAL MINISTRY

At the age of 100, Casper Glenn continues to exemplify a life of devotion to church and community. Casper completed a bachelor’s of divinity at Western Theological Seminary (now PTS) in 1946. Following graduation he served a number of Presbyterian churches.

Throughout his ministry Casper was active in the civil rights movement and the NAACP. Under his leadership the multi-racial Southside Church in

DR. PATRICIA SHARBAUGH ’99 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA IN ACADEMIA

Patricia (Patty) Sharbaugh is associate professor of biblical theology at Saint Vincent College, where she has taught since 2006. She holds a bachelor’s from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, a master’s from PTS, and a Ph.D. in systematic theology from Duquesne University.

Patty specializes in the field of biblical theology. Her engagement in theological questions begins with a critical study of Scripture, which she

Tucson became a central meeting point for the movement and was crucial in bringing about change. While visiting Tucson in 1959, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. asked to meet Casper.

He moved to Los Angeles, Calif., in 1964, to serve as pastor of Bel-Vue Presbyterian Church. The next year he left his pulpit for two months to work in the streets during the Watts Rebellion. His efforts kept area buildings and residents safe and protected.

In 1978, Casper became the first Black synod executive for the PC(USA) to be assigned to the AlaskaNorthwest territory. In this capacity he represented the church domestically and internationally. In the 1980s and 1990s, he pastored Loresho Presbyterian Church in Nairobi, Kenya,

led church development in East Africa, and with his wife, Vernilla, established schools and educational opportunities for young women in Nairobi.

In retirement, Casper continues to mentor young ministers, lead worship, and remain active in community and civil rights initiatives.

seeks to bring into conversation with systematic theology and contemporary theological themes. Her research interests include: Christology in the Gospel of Matthew, Jewish-Christian dialogue, the theology of the cross, and the study of women in Scripture. She is the recipient of numerous academic honors and awards in both business economics and biblical studies. She is a member of the College Theology Society, the Catholic Theological Society of America, and the Catholic Biblical Association.

Patty has written and published many articles and book reviews, and is the author of Irrepressible Light: The Women of the New Testament (Paulist Press, 2019). She maintains a blog of her writings called Everyday Spirituality at patriciasharbaugh.com.

In addition to teaching at St. Vincent, she is frequently an instructor or presenter at academic conferences and local faith communities.

Patty lives with her husband in Ligonier, Pa., and enjoys spending time with their three grown children.

On May 27, 2022, we celebrated our 226th Commencement. Check out photos and videos from the graduation events: www.pts.edu/ graduation_2022. The Seminary also honored a number of students with graduation awards.

DAY OF GIVING 2023

The Fifth Annual Day of Giving is scheduled for Wed., Feb. 8, 2023.

To help us reach our goals, PTS is recruiting Day of Giving ambassadors to promote the event to friends and family members. We are asking each ambassador to help in three ways:

• Make a gift of any amount on the Day of Giving;

• Share Day of Giving social media posts on your personal social accounts;

• Encourage family members, classmates, or friends to support the PTS Day of Giving campaign.

2022 CALIAN AWARD WINNER

Holly McKelvey, administrative assistant for academic support, is the 2022 recipient of the Calian Award for Campus Community Service. The award honors an exemplary member of the PTS community who demonstrates excellence in carrying out responsibilities and volunteer assignments and also expresses a caring spirit of good will and hope, essential in life together as a community.

For the past 18 years Holly has faithfully served PTS in a variety of roles. In her current position, she works with the Seminary’s faculty in class preparation, research, and writing. Holly also supports the operations of the Center for Writing and Learning Support and Field Education. And as the Seminary is currently engaged in

the process of reaccreditation, Holly is an invaluable member of the team doing the self-study work.

Colleagues from across the Seminary have noted appreciation for Holly’s steady presence and willingness to always help as needed. Several people nominated her for the Calian Award this year.

The announcement of the honor at this year’s graduation brunch came with enthusiastic affirmation from all who gave Holly a standing ovation.

The Rev. Dr. Carnegie (Sam) Calian, president emeritus and professor emeritus of theology, Doris Calian, and their children (Lois and Dennis Trautvetter, Jill and Philip Calian, Sara and Raffi Kaprielian) contributed an endowment to establish this annual award.

If you’re interested, please contact Dominick Oliver, director of development, at doliver@pts.edu.

DONOR APPRECIATION EVENT

Save the date for a special donor appreciation event Wed., May 24, 2023, during the Seminary's Commencement week. Additional event details and invitation will follow.

We are looking forward to gathering donors together to celebrate the Class of 2023, their various ministries, and the gifts that make it possible for them to study at PTS.

ADVENT DEVOTIONAL AVAILABLE ONLINE

Pittsburgh Seminary will observe Advent again this year with an online devotional and resource kit. We invite you to read or listen to daily messages from members of the PTS community. Access the devotionals in these ways:

» Read online or print and share

» Receive daily e-mails

» Download our free Android or Apple app

» Request your printed copy

» Embed on your church’s website

Visit our website (www.pts.edu/devotional) to also access our worship planning kit with sermon ideas, prayers and liturgies, hymn suggestions, and more. Beginning in February 2023, look for Lenten devotionals as well.