Celebrations

Pittsburgh Seminary has so much to celebrate!

early two years ago we began to pray, gather, and work to discern God’s call for Pittsburgh Seminary in the coming season and document that direction in our next strategic plan. Keeping our mission at the forefront of our discernment, we sought to deepen our work of contextual engagement while building new ways of forming and equipping students for ministry. Now, I am excited to say that we have refined confidence and clarity about next steps in continuing our mission.

Our new strategic plan names three priorities the Seminary will center over the next five years: People, Partnerships, and Place. People: we are investing in those whom God has called here to connect, grow, and become equipped to live out their faith in the world. Partnerships: we are strengthening existing relationships and building new connections to extend our witness in the world. Place: we are ordering our campus spaces to support a future of study, formation, and worship, and we reaffirm our commitment to our neighborhood in Pittsburgh. 

On the following pages, you will read stories of faithful ministry in both new and familiar forms. We honor the work of three Kelso Museum curators, who have continued a tradition of bringing encounters with ancient cultures to churches, scholars, and the broader community for more than 100 years. And we celebrate the successful launch of the Preaching in a Post-Christian Age Initiative, which brings leaders together to shepherd communities toward effectively living and sharing the gospel in the context of institutional decline. We continue to affirm the good work of our stellar faculty as theological educators and experts, and we beam with pride at the good work of new alums like the Rev. Ebony Grisom ’25. We remain humbled by the longtime friendship of faithful servants of the gospel like Jo Ann Griffith ’59. We recognize that PTS relies on the work of those who have joined the Seminary recently, like Bobby Jarsulic, recipient of this year’s Calian Award, and of those who have served with us across seasons, like the Rev. Dr. Carolyn Cranston ’99/’25, director of alumnae/i and church relations. All participate in the Seminary’s mission; all are a part of our community’s life and witness.

I hope the stories you read here will inspire you with hope about where we are headed and encourage you to consider how you might join this good work in the coming years. As we launch into a new season, the deepening of established roots and the nurturing of new growth will both be essential for walking in our call. I invite you to journey with us as we build the next chapter of our ministry.

In gratitude and faith,

The Rev. Dr. Asa J. Lee

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