July's Guest Preacher - Rev. Paul Roberts

Rev. Paul Roberts is a retired PCUSA pastor after serving for 39 years. Paul is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary (‘84) and started his ministry as pastor of Friendship Community Church. Friendship was an inner-city church in which Paul was able through the Power of Jesus to create an interracial church which was 50% black and 50% white. It also experienced unprecedented growth during his 11-year tenure, and he left it very healthy. Pastor Paul then went to Summit Presbyterian where he led the church to its largest worship attendance and started the Confessing Church movement in which over 2,000 churches joined. Paul then left Summit after 8 1/2 years to lead Eastminster Church. He was called to once again build a cross-cultural church and to also increase the worship attendance. When Paul retired the church was 48% Black ,48% white and 4% other and worship attendance was on the upswing after Covid. Paul’s gifts are in Racial reconciliation and congregation redevelopment.

Paul is primarily a family man who has been married to his wife (Lisa) for 42 years. They raised 3 children Jeremy, Nicole, and Philip. Jeremy is the assistant minister of music at First Plymouth Church of Lincoln Nebraska, a 4,700 member Church. Dr. Nicole Roberts is a Senior Program Evaluation Research Manager at Highmark. Philip is the Allegheny County Assistant Solicitor and married to Christin who is also a lawyer. They have two children, Noah (4) and Dalia (2) Lisa and I spend about 20 hours a week watching our grandchildren who are the stars in our life. We are awaiting the birth of our third grandchild.

It is a joy to be able to preach at Saxonburg Memorial for the month of July. I hope it will be a wonderful time together.

God Bless,

Pastor Paul