Pastor Nominating Committee

The pastor nominating committee (PNC), representative of the whole congregation and elected by the congregation, has the ultimate responsibility for nominating a minister to the congregation for election as the next pastor or associate pastor. Over a number of months, the PNC will journey through the pastoral search process, seeking to hear the call of Christ and “to participate in God’s own choice” for our next pastor.

PNC Update October 13, 2020

Westminster's Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) is bursting with excitement to share big news. Soon the PNC will announce its nomination for Westminster's next senior pastor. The PNC felt your prayers and was inspired by your well-wishes over the past two years. The pool of candidates was extraordinarily talented. The members of the PNC feel strongly that we have found the person God has called to lead us into the future; a future that will be forever changed by the events of 2020. All the members of the PNC are feeling joy, excitement, and hope. We can't wait for you to meet our nominee!

Save the date! Mark your calendar for November 1, 2020, when we will be able to reveal our nominee during the 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. in person and livestream worship services. More details will follow regarding how to watch the candidate sermon, how to find out more about our nominee, and how to vote. We understand you may have questions. The PNC is committed to making sure you have answers. Don't hesitate to reach out to any of us and we will do our best to help.

You may email an individual member of the PNC by clicking on their name listed further below or email the group at [email protected].

Ours is a God of hope and the future looks bright.

Grace and Peace,

the Pastor Nominating Committee

PNC Update August 3, 2020

The Pastor Nominating Committee is making progress. During August we will be conducting our final interviews with the finalists for our recommendation for Westminster's next senior pastor. These interviews will be in person. Like many of you, the PNC has had to get creative in finding ways to conduct business while making safety a top priority during the pandemic. Our in-person meetings with the finalists will be conducted largely outdoors. When we are indoors, we will be wearing face coverings and staying six feet apart. We are excited and energized about this latest chapter and for what God has planned for Westminster's future. The PNC is grateful for your prayers and your support. We ask that you keep those prayers going.

PNC Update May 13, 2020

The PNC continues to work towards its mission of finding Westminster's next leader. Thanks to Zoom, we meet at least once a week and continue to research and interview candidates for Westminster's senior pastor/head of staff position. There is much work we can do during the stay-at-home order and we are doing it. We are heartened by the caliber of candidates we have encountered so far. We have a long road ahead. The pandemic means we cannot see candidates in person right now. Like many of you, we are finding ways to keep working toward our goal.

We accept that the pandemic may lengthen our search process. We humbly ask for your prayers for patience, perseverance, and wisdom in our effort. Recommending a person for you to call as our fifth senior pastor is a task we take seriously and we are committed to seeking God's will for our church during the challenging times of 2020.

PNC Update April 9, 2020

The PNC is still prayerfully hard at work searching for Westminster's next senior pastor. We entered the interview phase and have conducted many telephone interviews with candidates from all over the country. We will soon be interviewing candidates on video-chat and eventually in person.

We also cast a wider net to spread the word about our position. That means we advertised in The Outlook, a Presbyterian periodical, both in print and online. It also means members of the PNC are reaching out to Presbyterian leadership throughout the country so God will open our ears and our hearts to suggestions of potential candidates. As always, we are open to suggestions from the congregation. Please continue to pray for the PNC.

View the PNC update from January 26, 2020

Meet the PNC

Jim Bacik	Jim Bacik has been a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church for more than 20 years. During that time, he has taught Sunday School, was an Elder, and Chaired both the Endowment Committee and the Finance Committee. Jim is currently the Chief Operating Officer of IBM’s North America Customer Innovation Centers. He has a Masters Degree in business from the University of Pittsburgh. He is married to Bonnie, and together they have three children: Marty, Jacob and Anna.
Paul Conley	Paul Conley first joined Westminster as a confirmand in 1964. Over the course of 55 years, Westminster has been the place where Paul and his family have marked many significant milestones. During his 4 years at Davis and Elkins College, a Presbyterian school in West Virginia, Paul discovered and cultivated a love and passion for Scripture. Over the years he has had the opportunity to teach adult Sunday school and lead long-term Bible studies at both Westminster and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Paul served on the Board of Deacons as chairperson and on Session for two terms, chairing the Worship Commission, Adult Spiritual Development and Outreach Commission. He enjoys hands-on mission projects both in Pittsburgh and in La Croix, Haiti. He has worked on projects in Haiti for the past 21 years. Retired after 44 years in the steel industry, Paul continues to do consulting work for his former employer. He and wife Sandy enjoy traveling and spending time with family, especially their four grandchildren.
Brian Eccher	Brian Eccher is a relatively new member of Westminster having joined five years ago with his wife Tricia and their children Sarah and Colin. However, the Eccher family's involvement with Westminster pre-dates this "event" with their children having attended Westminster pre-school and the annual Vacation Bible School - the latter which has seen them grow from campers to leaders. Brian and his family discovered The Bridge after the first week of attending services and have not looked back. Becoming part of The Bridge family they soon found themselves volunteering for coffee preparation and attempting to master The Bridge set-up. This experience ultimately led Sarah to serve as a Student Deacon and Tricia following in her footsteps as a Deacon this year. In addition to his role on the PNC, Brian is also currently serving on the Endowment Committee. Outside of Westminster Brian is a Principal with Grant Thornton leading the Enterprise Performance Management practice in the East and the Budgeting & Forecasting practice on a national level. A life-long consultant Brian has a love of travel and the clients he is able to work with along the way. Serving on the PNC is an opportunity to not only play a meaningful role in Westminster's future, but the chance to give back to the church in a unique way.
Carol Galbreath	Carol Galbreath has been a member of Westminster for just a little over two years, but it was a bit like "coming home". Her husband, Jay, grew up in the church, and Jay's father, John H. Galbreath, was the founding pastor of Westminster Church (1946-1979). Carol and Jay raised their two boys (now adults) in nearby Mt Lebanon, and then moved to the town of Hickory in Washington County, where they have lots of space for Carol's horses and Jay's little British cars. Carol has been involved in leadership positions in the Presbyterian churches she attended for her whole adult life. She served as deacon just after graduating from college, taught church school, served as elder in three different congregations, Clerk of Session at one, and co-chaired an associate pastor nominating committee when attending Southminster Presbyterian. Carol has been impressed by the friendliness and "family" feel at Westminster, and by the engagement level of so many competent leaders in the congregation. She and Jay are very happy to be part of this family.
Bobbie Hartman	Bobbie Hartman and her husband Tom have been members of Westminster since 2003, when they were drawn by Westminster’s active mission involvement and social justice efforts. Since then she has become deeply engaged. She has served two terms on session as part of the Outreach commission. Under the Outreach umbrella, she leads the Peace and Justice team, which focuses on racism, poverty, and climate change. For ten years she has coordinated our peace and justice summer seminars. Twice a month she gathers Westminster members to meet with an interracial group in the city to discuss racial justice. As Westminster’s liaison to Bread for the World, she coordinates letter offerings on justice-related issues. She has volunteered with the food bank, World Vision, Produce to People, and the rummage sale, and worked with Westminster’s science and religion team. She has participated in a dozen missions to La Croix, Haiti, where she teaches chemistry to the students there. Bobbie is retired after serving as professor and chair of the chemistry department at La Roche College. She and Tom have two adult children and four grandchildren.
Carolyn Kerr	Carolyn Kerr began attending Westminster as a child in 1965. Since then she has served two terms as an elder, chaired both the Communications and Personnel Commissions and served as the President of the Congregation (yes, we have one!). As a youngster, she helped her mother (later Westminster’s Financial Secretary) count the children’s offering, was a member of the high school choir and the accompanist for both the children’s and high school choirs, and occasionally played the organ for what was then the children’s worship services in the chapel. She still has the Presbyterian cross Dr. Galbreath awarded her for her service with the choirs. Her mission work has been inside and outside the congregation. She chaired the SHIM board, spent 12 years on the American Red Cross board and volunteers at Produce to People and for as many other church opportunities as she can. She is the sixth member of her family to serve as an elder at Westminster. She is a corporate communications consultant and has taught in the College of Business Administration at Pitt for more than 20 years.
Maureen Ludwig	Maureen Ludwig and her husband Bill have been members at Westminster for 14 years. They have three grown children and have been blessed with four granddaughters. Shortly after moving to Pittsburgh, they found Westminster to be a welcoming place and quickly became involved. Through the years they have served as Sunday morning ushers, a wonderful way to meet, greet, and get to know the church family. Maureen is a retired elementary school teacher and has enjoyed participating in Barefoot School for many years. She has served as a Deacon and was honored to chair that committee. For 12 years she held various positions on the Town Hall South board, serving 6 years as chair before retiring. Maureen enjoys participating in many Westminster activities. The Chancel Guild, Rummage Sale, Kitchen Committee, World Vision and most recently, the Congregational Care Meal Preparation Group, offer opportunities to “give back”. Serving on the APNC and the PNC, is an honor and an awesome responsibility. As the PNC prayerfully works through the process of finding our next senior pastor, we welcome your input. Please do not hesitate to reach out to any of the members who serve on the committee.
Shannon Radinick	Shannon Radinick has been a member of Westminster Church for six years. She and her husband have three children: two teenagers and a six year old. Shannon has been a Sunday School teacher at Westminster for several years. Her children are involved in Veritas youth group and Cherub Choir. Shannon grew up in the church as a preacher’s kid and has been a member of Presbyterian churches from Coraopolis, to Delaware (where she attended college), to State College, Johnstown, Harrisburg, and several in the Pittsburgh area once she landed back in her hometown. In the past, she has sung in church choirs. Shannon and her husband live in Bethel Park. They often attend the Bridge services at 9:45 am. And occasionally they attend the 11:00 a.m. services. Shannon believes in the mission and identity of Westminster. It has been to her a welcome, warm, loving, and proactive place. It is really easy to find ways to volunteer at Westminster. New members can often hit the ground running to get our hands dirty doing God’s work. “They’ll know we are Christians by our love.” Westminster has helped Shannon strive for that goal.
John Van Cleve	John Van Cleve and his wife Susan have been members of Westminster Church since 1995 and are the parents of two grown children. John has served on the Board of Deacons and served as an Elder on Session. John is currently a member of the Personnel Commission. Over the years John has participated in a number of Westminster mission groups, most frequently to our mission partner in Haiti. John chaired the Steering Committee of the Open Door, a mission of the Crafton Heights Presbyterian Church and has served on several boards and commissions at Westminster. John and Susan generally attend the Bridge service.