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, Minnesota, resides in the North Hills with Judy, his wife of 43 years. They have four sons and four grandchildren. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, 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 PCUSA.
davidbantonson@comcast.net
412-367-3946

JIM DONNELL, from Waterloo, Iowa 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
724-553-5138

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

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 Pennsylvania 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 Maryland. Skip has four 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 1990. 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
412-435-8655

JEAN HENDERSON (Coordinator) grew up in Fairmont West Virginia and graduated from Davis and Elkins College and Pittsburgh Seminary. She and David, her husband of 40 years, a retired architect, live in Ben Avon and have two adult daughters living in Washington, 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 Association 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 Pittsburgh Theological 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 Ruth, his wife of 56 years, are the parents of two children. They enjoy their grandson and treated him to overseas tours during his school years.
rrkpitt@aol.com
412-489-3850

STEWART LAWRENCE grew up in Richmond Virginia and currently lives in Sewickley Heights with his wife Jeannette; they are parents of three adult sons. After graduating from VPI, Union Seminary in Virginia, and the US Army War College, Stew spent 46 years in active ministry in the PCUS, PCUSA, Army Chaplaincy and Reserves. He was very active in ecumenical activities.  Stew retired in 1995 and now enjoys walking, golf, travel and time with his grandchildren.
sewlaws@earthlink.net
412-741-1203

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 Presbyterian Church. A graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania 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 Crestfield Camp & Conference Center, 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 the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. And would you believe, he’s officially retired!
bullcreek@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 the University 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, Mary Anna, of 40 years, died in 1992 after many illnesses – a difficult time for him. Three sons and two grandchildren round out his family. George is now cancer-free after prostate cancer surgery.
gleitze@zoominternet.net
412-787-0256

HETZ MARSH, Pittsburgh born and bred, is a graduate of Westminster College, Pittsburgh Seminary, and has an MSW from West Virginia University. Hetz retired in 2008 after 40 years in ministry which included serving as an associate and a senior pastor. For several years he and his wife, Dr. Barbara Marsh, have had an independent counseling practice. They also enjoy two children and five grandchildren.  Hetz and Barbara live in the North Hills. His hobbies include tennis and every sport that Pitt plays.
marshes@comcast.net
412-367-7139

PAT MASON is a Pittsburgh native with three children and eight 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 gardening and interior decorating. Pat is the founder of Joyful Sound Community Christian Resource Center located at 418 Rodi Road in Penn Hills. She enjoys supply preaching in our churches and occasionally preaches in non-presbyterian churches as well. Her ecumenical activities include participation in the Penn Hills Clergy Association.
drpatmason@aol.com
412-241-2044 or 412-277-3027

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

BRUCE MOUNTS grew up near Washington, PA and is a graduate of Washington and Jefferson College and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. A member of Pittsburgh Presbytery since 1969, he continues as pastor of Amity Presbyterian Church in Dravosburg where he has served for 38 years. His wife, Peg, is a retired middle school teacher, having taught 35 years in Baldwin-Whitehall School District. They enjoy spending time at their retirement home in middle Tennessee where Bruce digs in his garden, plants flowers and tries to improve his golf game.
margrbru@aol.com
412-469-1856

SUSAN SHIRA NILSEN, now retired and living in the South Hills, attends worship in Bridgeville when she's not working. Ordained in 1977, she grew up in New Castle, attended Denison University and Pittsburgh Seminary and served the East Liberty Presbyterian Church and Olivet United Presbyterian Church in West Elizabeth (pastor emeria). Susan is divorced and has two sons in Massachusetts and Tennessee and three grandchildren. Susan leads life skills groups for incarcerated and newly released women with an emphasis on recovery from addictions. She enjoys traveling, knitting and reading. She is a breast cancer and open heart surgery survivor and works with families struggling with alcoholism and other addictions.
susanshira@aol.com
412-257-4732

BILL PAUL, originally from Mercer Pennsylvania, 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 the Malawi partnership of Pittsburgh Presbytery. 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.
pghpauls@zoominternet.net
724-591-5264

Click here to download bio sheet!