Pastor KJ has a passion for creating spaces where people of all ages and from diverse backgrounds can come together to worship God and love one another. After being a high school physics teacher in Philadelphia, KJ received a call on her life to go to seminary. At Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, KJ earned an MDiv with a certificate in Urban Ministry, was awarded the Michael Wilson Keith Memorial Homiletical Prize for preaching, and was published as the Chief Editor of the Pittsburgh Theological Journal.
Since her ordination in 2017, Pastor KJ has led a small church which prayerfully turned its manse into a counseling center. She also served as the Interim Program Coordinator for the Metro-Urban Institute which gives voice to people of color and those too often on the margins to share their stories and link together to form healthy communities. Pastor KJ is known for her service in the community including volunteering at the Allegheny County Jail, encouraging other pastors and churches in their calls through the Pittsburgh Presbytery Commission on Ministry, and serving with the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank.
In her free time, Pastor KJ can be found digging in the community garden with her sister Kimberly or riding her bike with her parents Bob and Linda. She mentors several children and can be found hanging from the jungle gym and laughing in the sunshine as often as possible. Pastor KJ became our Minister of Word and Sacrament on November 15, 2021.