Pittsburgh Presbytery - Ministry Teams

P.E.A.L. - Pastors Encouraging And Listening
Sponsored by the On-Going Care Team of Pittsburgh Presbytery

Pastors, active and retired, and their families are often like the shomaker's children who have no shoes! Many pastors feel we need our own "pastors" to share our good times or rough times with...to talk with, celebrate with, cry with, even just to be with.

Several retired pastors from our presbytery are ready to serve you as encouragers and listeners: The P.E.A.L. Team.

We encourage you to contact any one of us anytime!

HERE'S WHAT WE WILL DO:

Be responsive to your needs when you contact us
Initiate contact with you when appropriate
Provide an e-newsletter so we can stay connected

HERE'S WHAT WE WILL NOT DO:

Betray any confidentiality
Serve as professional counselors or references

Click here to download the full brochure!

P.E.A.L. TEAM MEMBERS:

DAVID ANTONSON, from Duluth MN, resides in the North Hills with his wife of 43 years, Judy. They have four sons and four grandchildren. A graduate of the Univ. of MN, Columbia and McCormick Seminaries, Dave retired in 2007 after 42 years in ministry. Small town and suburban churches, 35 to 2700 members, solo pastor, associate and head of staff – Dave’s done it all. He enjoyed studies at World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the World Council. Dave’s hobbies include swimming, tennis, sailing, genealogy, biking, church history, and international travel. Heart problems and cancer took his parents – a tough time for him. He believes in the mission and worship in all varieties of the PC(USA).
davidbantonson@comcast.net
412-367-3946

ROSEMARY DODSON was born and raised in Illinois. She was ordained in 1964 after graduating from the College of Wooster and McCormick Seminary. She also holds graduate degrees from Univ. of Rochester, Colgate Rochester Divinity School and Duquesne University, as well as a diploma from the Graduate School of Ecumenical Studies in Switzerland. After serving churches in New York and Pennsylvania, Rosemary was Associate Executive Presbyter of Pittsburgh Presbytery and Director of Placement at Pittsburgh Seminary. She enjoys playing the violin, string quartets, tennis, and reading. Rosemary retired in 2004.
412-343-4623

JIM DONNELL from Waterloo IA is a graduate of Princeton University and Yale Divinity School. After 39 years in ordained ministry, having served a small church and a mid-sized church, Jim retired in 1997 from the staff of Pittsburgh Presbytery. During his ministry he was quite active in several ecumenical organizations. Jim’s wife Babs died suddenly in early 2004, leaving three adult children and four grandchildren. Jim and Sally Oates were married in late 2006 and live at Sherwood Oaks where he is active in leadership.   Jim is a cancer survivor, having had surgery for melanoma in 1975. His hobbies include traveling and stamp collecting.
donnellj@zoominternet.net
724-776-8207

DON DUTTON grew up in Iowa and now lives in Brighton Heights.   A graduate of Iowa State University and McCormick Seminary, Don also studied at the University of Basel and the University of Heidelberg where he met his wife, Rev. Christiane Dutton. He served yoked parishes and small congregations during his 30 years in ordained ministry and retired in 2000. A very important part of Don’s ministry has been with interfaith and inter-religious relations and activities. Many of his friends consider Don an expert on Karl Barth. Sports, music, and politics are important hobbies for Don. Don and Christiane enjoy traveling in the US and Germany to visit family.
cddutton@gmail.com
412-734-2868

BOB FORSYTHE grew up in Baltimore and now lives in Allison Park. He graduated in Business Administration from the University of Maryland and received his M. Div. and D. Min degrees from Pittsburgh Seminary. After 37 years of ordination, Bob retired in 1998.   He spent 8 years working in the pharmaceutical industry. Bob served several small and large churches in Washington, Redstone and Pittsburgh presbyteries. He also was Executive Director of Christian Associates of Southwest PA and for 25 years taught at the Byzantine Catholic Seminary. Bob, a widower for a while, is now married to Marlene. He enjoys repairing antique clocks and watches.
CASPEXEC@aol.com
412-400-8184

SKIP AND CATHY GILLIS, a clergy couple, met during a pilgrimage to Iona, Scotland, and were married in October 2001.
SKIP (Gaylord Sibley Gillis) was born in PA and graduated from Albright College and Princeton Seminary. He retired in 2002, having served small town and urban churches. His dad is 96 and lives in MD. Skip has 4 sisters. His hobbies include singing in the Beulah Choir with the Barbershop Harmony Society. He loves to travel and is active in Rotary International. Skip’s first wife of 29 years died in 1998 from a massive stroke. They had no children.
CATHY was raised in St. Louis and graduated from Grinnell College and Pittsburgh Seminary (’90). She taught elementary school for 11 years while raising two sons and was divorced in 1987. Before retiring in 2001, Cathy served the Braddock church. She loves traveling with Skip, visiting her four grandsons around the US and is a warm-weather golfer. Cathy had surgery and therapy for cancer in 1994.
revscathyandskip@comcast.net
412-871-0846

JEAN HENDERSON (Coordinator) grew up in Fairmont WV and graduated from Davis and Elkins College and Pittsburgh Seminary. She and her husband of 40 years, David, a retired architect, live in Ben Avon and have two adult daughters living in DC. Jean retired in 2006 after 35 years serving small, medium, and large sized churches in many capacities. She also worked at Pittsburgh Seminary for a decade in field education and placement. She enjoys knitting, reading mysteries, and traveling with the International Assn. of Women Ministers. Jean and David are both cancer survivors. Jean’s only sibling, Nancy, died at age 54 after a 10 year battle with Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease.
jhhh21942@aol.com
412-734-2263

BOB KELLEY is a true Pittsburgher. Born in Mt. Lebanon, he still lives there. He’s a Pitt and a Pittsburgh Seminary grad, with a Th.M. from Princeton Seminary and a Ph.D. from Princeton University. Ordained in 1951, Bob was an educator at Beverly Heights in the early 50s and for 42 years taught New Testament at Pgh. Seminary, retiring in 1997 and was elected a Distinguished Alumnus there. His presbytery service has included two terms on Council. PITT football and basketball have no greater fan than Bob. He and his wife of 56 years, Ruth, are the parents of two children. They enjoy their grandson and treated him to overseas tours during his school years.
rrkpitt@aol.com
412-343-4723

GAIL KING was born in Rhode Island and grew up in Philadelphia. A graduate of The College of Wooster, Gail has degrees from Pittsburgh Seminary as well as a Ph.D. in Applied History and Social Science. She retired in 2007 after 39 years in ordained ministry plus two as an educator, serving in urban and ecumenical settings, including the Assn. of Theological Schools. For 18 years she served a church recognized by 5 denominations.    After a divorce and remarriage, Gail was in a blended family – four young children, now 4 grandchildren. Gail’s husband died suddenly of a heart attack in 2004. She enjoys kayaking, reading, sewing, and cross country skiing.
ggking63@comcast.net
412-563-5050

JIM LEGGE grew up in Monroeville and after ordination in 1967 has served churches in Kiski, Redstone, and Pittsburgh presbyteries. For the last 26 years he’s been pastor at Bull Creek United. A graduate of Indiana Univ. of PA and Pittsburgh Seminary, Jim and his wife Charlotte have a son and daughter and enjoy six grandchildren. Active in both presbytery and synod, Jim is on the ministry team at Camp Crestfield, is President of The Pittsburgh Presbytery Foundation, the Habitat for Humanity of Allegheny Valley, and his local clergy association. Jim also served as Campus Pastor at University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. And would you believe, he’s officially retired!
legge@salsgiver.com
412-952-7990

GEORGE LEITZE, born in Buffalo, has lived in Pittsburgh since 1966, and now resides in Oakdale. A graduate of Erskine College and Seminary with graduate studies at Univ. of Edinburgh, George has spent 53 years in ordained ministry including 15 years of interim and supply work following retirement. Installed in four churches, he taught a decade at Erskine Seminary in Church History. His hobbies include stamp-collecting, fishing, and TV sports. His wife of 40 years, Mary Anna, died in 1992 after many illnesses – a difficult time for him. Three sons and 2 grandchildren round out his family. George is now cancer-free after prostate cancer surgery.
georgelleitze@msn.com
412-787-0256

PAT MASON is a Pittsburgh native with three children and 8 grandchildren. Her D. Min. is from the Interdenominational Theological Center, a part of the Atlanta Theological Association. After 34 years of ordained ministry in United Methodist, Non-denominational, Church of God in Christ, and PCUSA churches, she retired in 2006. She has worked in new church development, church redevelopment, family guidance, clinical therapy and grief counseling. Her hobbies include interior decorating. She has been active in the Penn Hills Clergy Association and enjoys preaching for non-Presbyterian churches.
drpatmason@aol.com
412-241-2044 or 277-3027

TOM MENK grew up in Brentwood and graduated from Robert Morris College. He worked 27 years with Fisher Scientific as Manager of Corporate Accounting until he entered seminary. In 1988 Tom was ordained, and after serving two different churches, retired in 2000. He has also served three churches as interim pastor. Tom’s call to ministry in mid-life was a challenge to recognize and follow, but it has made his life significantly richer. He has enjoyed working with missions and ecumenical groups. Tom and his wife Judy have two sons, two granddaughters and one step-granddaughter. Tom’s hobbies include traveling, reading, investments, photography, and gardening.
TLMenk@aol.com
412-798-8569

BILL PAUL, originally from Mercer PA, retired in 1999 after 47 years in ordained ministry. A graduate of Muskingum College and Pittsburgh and McCormick seminaries, Bill has three children and four step-children with his wife Nancy. During his ministry he’s served varied-sized churches as pastor, associate, interim, parish associate, as well as presbytery staff. His love for mission helped establish our Malawi partnership. Bill loves reading history and theology, is a huge Pittsburgh sports fan, and enjoys music, travel, photography, cinema, and chatting over a meal. Challenges have included an earlier divorce, parenting, and surviving some difficult parishioners.
Pghpauls1@verizon.net
412-635-0215

BILL THOMAS grew up in Brentwood, attended Grove City College and Pittsburgh Seminary and has a graduate degree from New York Seminary.   Ordained in 1959, Bill retired in 1999 after 40 years of ministry. His calls included serving small, rural, suburban, and industrial-area churches and several years in specialized ministries with Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and later with the Mon Valley Ministries working for economic justice. Bill and his wife Nancy have 4 children, 8 grandchildren and are blessed with 6 great-grandchildren, for whom Bill enjoys frequent babysitting duty! In his spare time, Bill enjoys reading.
Mistert560@aol.com
412-466-6965

Click here to download bio sheet!