Unless you’re new to Pittsburgh Seminary, you may well remember reading about 2011 alumna the Rev. Rebecca “Becky” Jones—upon graduating, she won the nationally competitive Phillips Talbot Global Ministry Fellowship of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York City. In addition to serving on the pastoral staff of MAPC, Becky spent a year in Zambia working with Theological Education by Extension Zambia, followed by three months of travel through southern Africa and South America to broaden her knowledge of the global church. (Becky’s book on her year in Zambia is available in the Seminary’s Barbour Library.)

What has Becky been up to since then? After completing her two-year fellowship, in the fall of 2013 the Texas-born-and-raised pastor began searching for a permanent call in the U.S., while serving as temporary supply for Covenant PC at home in Austin. That permanent call came from Shelby PC in Shelby, N.C., At the more than 150-year-old, 500-plus member church, Becky now serves as associate pastor. Along with participating in weekly worship and preaching once a month, she works largely with the church’s spiritual life and youth ministries.

“This year I’ve engaged our congregation in the Year of the Bible program, developed and published by retired PTS director of continuing education Dr. Jim Davison,” notes Becky. “As well, I have a very dedicated group of volunteer leaders for our youth program, so I focus on discipling, equipping, and encouraging them in their work with our young people. I also help teach catechism and confirmation classes, and during the summer of 2014 I co-led a mission trip to the Dominican Republic for youth and adults,” she adds.

Since graduating from the Seminary, Becky has been part of a Foundation for Reformed Theology reading group organized by fellow PTS alumna Kelsy Brown ’10, associate pastor for membership and mission at Pinnacle PC in Scottsdale, Ariz. “Our group reads several books each year chosen from the bibliography provided by the Foundation. Then we all return to campus for a week to discuss what we’ve read and to hear from a guest speaker—often a PTS professor—on that topic. Most recently we focused our readings on the Nicene and Apostles creeds. Participating in the reading group has given all of us a wonderful way to support each other in our ministries and in our continued spiritual and intellectual growth,” comments Becky.

Becky has recently embarked on another aspect of her educational development in ministry: this summer, she began work on her Doctor of Ministry degree as part of PTS’s most recent, 18-member Reformed Focus cohort. The diverse group of men and women includes six Americans and a dozen Scottish pastors of a wide variety of ages and several denominations. They studied for two weeks in Scotland at New College, University of Edinburgh, with David Ferguson, Ian Torrance, and Alison Jack. “I’m excited about the international mix, which brings richness to our study, conversation, and growth,” notes Becky, “and I look forward to meeting in Pittsburgh for our second set of courses in January,” she says. “Pittsburgh Seminary prepared me well for holding onto the joy of ministry and the privilege of serving Jesus Christ wherever my call to ministry takes me.”

Unless you’re new to Pittsburgh Seminary, you may well remember reading about 2011 alumna the Rev. Rebecca “Becky” Jones—upon graduating, she won the nationally competitive Phillips Talbot Global Ministry Fellowship of Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York City. In addition to serving on the pastoral staff of MAPC, Becky spent a year in Zambia working with Theological Education by Extension Zambia, followed by three months of travel through southern Africa and South America to broaden her knowledge of the global church. (Becky’s book on her year in Zambia is available in the Seminary’s Barbour Library.)

What has Becky been up to since then? After completing her two-year fellowship, in the fall of 2013 the Texas-born-and-raised pastor began searching for a permanent call in the U.S., while serving as temporary supply for Covenant PC at home in Austin. That permanent call came from Shelby PC in Shelby, N.C., At the more than 150-year-old, 500-plus member church, Becky now serves as associate pastor. Along with participating in weekly worship and preaching once a month, she works largely with the church’s spiritual life and youth ministries.

“This year I’ve engaged our congregation in the Year of the Bible program, developed and published by retired PTS director of continuing education Dr. Jim Davison,” notes Becky. “As well, I have a very dedicated group of volunteer leaders for our youth program, so I focus on discipling, equipping, and encouraging them in their work with our young people. I also help teach catechism and confirmation classes, and during the summer of 2014 I co-led a mission trip to the Dominican Republic for youth and adults,” she adds.

Since graduating from the Seminary, Becky has been part of a Foundation for Reformed Theology reading group organized by fellow PTS alumna Kelsy Brown ’10, associate pastor for membership and mission at Pinnacle PC in Scottsdale, Ariz. “Our group reads several books each year chosen from the bibliography provided by the Foundation. Then we all return to campus for a week to discuss what we’ve read and to hear from a guest speaker—often a PTS professor—on that topic. Most recently we focused our readings on the Nicene and Apostles creeds. Participating in the reading group has given all of us a wonderful way to support each other in our ministries and in our continued spiritual and intellectual growth,” comments Becky.

Becky has recently embarked on another aspect of her educational development in ministry: this summer, she began work on her Doctor of Ministry degree as part of PTS’s most recent, 18-member Reformed Focus cohort. The diverse group of men and women includes six Americans and a dozen Scottish pastors of a wide variety of ages and several denominations. They studied for two weeks in Scotland at New College, University of Edinburgh, with David Ferguson, Ian Torrance, and Alison Jack. “I’m excited about the international mix, which brings richness to our study, conversation, and growth,” notes Becky, “and I look forward to meeting in Pittsburgh for our second set of courses in January,” she says. “Pittsburgh Seminary prepared me well for holding onto the joy of ministry and the privilege of serving Jesus Christ wherever my call to ministry takes me.”