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.”