Bethel United Methodist Church has stood at 150 Alder Street in Lower Burrell, Pennsylvania, for more than sixty years, but its roots reach back to a borrowed living room in 1953 and to an even older Methodist witness in Westmoreland County. Today the congregation of more than 250 members describes itself as a Christian community that is joyful in praise, caring in service, and committed to passing on the grace it has received in Jesus Christ. Bethel lives out that calling through Sunday worship and Sunday School, a busy calendar of music and small groups, and a long list of partnerships that feed families, support an orphanage overseas, and bring the church's traveling puppet troupe into schools and shelters across the Alle-Kiski Valley.
From a Living Room to a Sanctuary on Alder Street
In November 1953, Robert Hall opened his home at 200 Nebraska Drive to neighbors who wanted a Methodist presence in Lower Burrell. After meeting with representatives of the Pittsburgh Conference of the Methodist Church, he helped organize a new congregation. The first worship service was held in the Stewart Elementary School auditorium with fifteen prospective members, and Organization Day followed on September 12, 1954. The young church was named Bethel Community Methodist Church, in honor of Old Bethel Church, the second oldest congregation in Westmoreland County, which had been organized in 1843 near what is now Lower Burrell City Hall and was lost to fire in December 1923.
The fledgling group bought a parsonage on Ben Davis Avenue in May 1955 and, a year later, acquired the cornfield at 150 Alder Street from the Methodist Church Union for one dollar. Ground was broken for the sanctuary on December 8, 1957, the cornerstone was laid on June 15, 1958, and the building was consecrated one week later with all forty-four charter members present. Construction cost fifty-seven thousand dollars. Worshippers initially sat on folding chairs so the room could serve many purposes.
An educational wing followed almost immediately: ground was broken on April 24, 1960, and Shaffer Hall, named for the Rev. A. H. Shaffer, was consecrated that November. A new eight-room parsonage was built on the Alder Street property in 1972, and a 1989 expansion added Friendship Hall, a new kitchen, the pastor's study and church office, additional Sunday School rooms, and accessible restrooms. Membership now stands at 250-plus and continues to draw individuals and families of all ages.
Sunday Worship and Sunday School
Worship is the heart of life at Bethel. From the Sunday after Labor Day through the Sunday before Memorial Day weekend, the service begins at 11:00 a.m. During the summer, from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, worship moves to 10:00 a.m. Sunday School for all ages meets at 9:45 a.m. between the two seasonal schedules.
The service lasts about an hour and opens with a prelude from the church organist, followed by announcements and a call to worship. Congregational prayer, scripture reading, offering, and a sermon by the pastor make up the core of the morning. The audiovisual system supports the service without overpowering it, and printed or spoken directions move everyone through the order of worship together. Bethel also streams its service live on YouTube and records it for shut-ins; cameras generally catch the backs of heads, and anyone concerned about appearing online can choose a pew near the rear.
Friendly greeters stand at each entrance to the sanctuary, hand out bulletins, and help visitors find their way. Friendship Pads are passed at the end of each pew for those who want to leave their name, though no one is obligated to do so. After the service, the pastor is available in the narthex to greet newcomers and answer questions.
Coming as a Guest
Bethel's goal is to make a first visit feel like coming home. The church describes its atmosphere as "come as you are"; members and guests wear everything from shorts and polo shirts to business casual, and there is no dress code. As a courtesy to members with severe allergies, visitors are asked to skip the heavy perfumes and colognes.
The main entrance puts visitors directly into the vestibule behind the sanctuary. Side and rear doors connect the building to the choir room, fellowship hall, and Sunday School wing, and greeters are posted to help with directions. Restrooms are off the hallway to the right of the sanctuary; anyone leaving during worship is asked to use the back doors to minimize distractions.
Parking includes three visitor spaces in the front lot on the right and five handicapped spaces (three in front and two by the back door). The front and rear lots are small and reserved for those with limited mobility, so anyone able to walk a stretch is encouraged to use the funeral home lot just to the right of the church. Bethel sits all on one floor with wide doorways and flat walkways, and there is a small ramp at the rear entrance.
Babies and young children are welcome in worship. For families who prefer, a staffed nursery serves children from birth through kindergarten age. It is the last room on the left in Shaffer Hall - past the restrooms, then right down the hallway. A paid child-care worker, Miss Kathy, provides consistency week to week and is assisted by volunteers to give every child a safe, supervised experience during both Sunday School and the service.
Music That Fills the Sanctuary
Music is woven into almost every part of Bethel's life. The Chancel Choir welcomes volunteers from seventh grade upward who want to "make a joyful noise in praise of the Living God"; rehearsal is Tuesday at 7:00 p.m., and the choir sings for Sunday morning services. The Sonshine Singers, a children's choir from preschoolers through sixth grade led by music educator Erin Moran Pattison, takes the pulpit on the fifth Sunday of months with one, giving young voices a regular place in worship.
Beyond the sanctuary, the Let It Shine Blacklight Puppet Ministry has been a Bethel signature since 1999. It began when twelve youth and four adults traveled to Youth '99 in Knoxville, Tennessee, and were captivated by blacklight puppetry. Back home, they put together a Noah song called "Rise and Shine," rigged a makeshift stage from old partitions, and watched the congregation respond with so much enthusiasm that the group kept going. Today Let It Shine performs a roughly forty-minute program of music, puppets, special effects, and skits for audiences across the Alle-Kiski Valley and beyond. The group travels to schools, churches, and community events for a fee of $175, with ten percent of proceeds going to a mission project chosen by the youth.
Sunday School, Youth, and Small Groups
Christian education for all ages meets each Sunday at 9:45 a.m. Teens in grades seven through twelve gather for the Youth Fellowship on Sunday evenings for fellowship, service projects, faith development, work mission trips, and spiritual retreats. Vacation Bible School happens every summer and draws children from Bethel and the surrounding community for a week of Bible study, crafts, recreation, music, snacks, and fellowship, coordinated by Diane Moran.
Adults have several standing options. The Methodist Men meet on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. for service, fellowship, retreats, and fundraisers for church projects. The Ruth Circle, a multi-generational women's group, meets on the second Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. and is known for its twice-yearly rummage sales and popular soup sales, which double as community service and fundraisers. The Bethel Book Club gathers on the third Monday of each month during the school year (excluding December) at 7:00 p.m. for dessert and conversation about the current book. Loaves & Fishes, named for Jesus feeding the five thousand, looks after members with home-cooked meals, rides to appointments, check-in phone calls, and light handyman help; Diane Moran coordinates that ministry. Periodic Bible studies are led by the pastors and other leaders and move between books of the Bible and topical series. A prayer chain of "prayer warriors" lifts up concerns shared by phone, email, or the request form.
Missions Close to Home and Far Away
Bethel takes seriously John Wesley's General Rule to "do good of every possible sort, and, as far as possible, to all." The Compassion Network, made up of local churches, serves families in need within the 15068 zip code. Bethel provides a kitchen for meal preparation and distribution, volunteers, and monetary support. Backpack programs put together bags of snacks and other food designed to last about a week; boxes of perishables and non-perishables are distributed; and on a limited basis, cooked meals are prepared for families in crisis.
Other community partnerships include the Alle-Kiski Hope Center, which supports victims of violence and abuse; Westmoreland County Food Bank and other local food banks; local school district programs that pack weekend food for students experiencing food insecurity; the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches, a fifty-four-church nonprofit that provides temporary housing and services for families experiencing homelessness; and Meals on Wheels programs that keep vulnerable seniors nourished.
For nearly fifty years, Bethel has hosted an annual SNAP Christmas party for individuals with special challenges from the community and beyond. Guests share a home-cooked dinner, sing familiar carols, watch a Let It Shine performance, and greet Santa, who brings a small gift. The congregation also supports the orphanage at Old Mutare in Zimbabwe - the home of the Rev. Dr. Israel Kamudzandu's mother - through donations called Israel's Lilies at Easter and Israel's Poinsettias at Christmas, made in place of real flowers. Through the Western Pennsylvania Conference and the United Methodist Church, Bethel participates in UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) and supplies relief kits for people rebuilding after natural disasters.
A Pastor Whose Heart Is for the Margins
Jenny Gordon began serving as pastor of Bethel on July 1, 2025. An ordained Provisional Elder of the United Methodist Church, she previously served as Associate Pastor for the Charge for Christ and The Remnant Faith Community in the Indiana District. She chairs the Western Pennsylvania Conference Connectional Leadership Table and serves as Director of Lay Servant Ministries for the Greensburg District.
Pastor Jenny grew up in the United Methodist Church in the Indiana and Kane Districts as part of a large, blended family. Her personal relationship with Christ began at Wesley Woods church camp, and Romans 8:28 anchors her ministry: "We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." Before entering ordained ministry, she worked with individuals living with severe and persistent mental illness and provided employment support for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. She is hard of hearing herself and a parent to deaf adults, and she is fluent in American Sign Language. She teaches a beginner ASL class at Bethel and has long been involved in ministry with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community.
Pastor Jenny sings with the WPA Conference Ministers' Chorus, holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management and a Master of Science in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University, and earned her Master of Divinity from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio in May 2025. She attended the 2020/2024 General Conference and the 2024 Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference. She and her husband, Pastor Drew Gordon, a Licensed Local Pastor who serves as Senior Pastor at Trinity Tower UMC in Penn Hills, have four children and three grandchildren.
Beliefs and Heritage
Bethel is a congregation in ministry with the United Methodist Church and holds its theology, social principles, and Biblical standards in common with thousands of sister congregations around the world. The church points to the United Methodist Church's Christian roots, Wesleyan heritage, and Social Principles as the framework for what it teaches and practices. Following Jesus' summary of the greatest commandment - to love God and love neighbor as oneself - Bethel works to grow in faith by "doing good of every possible sort, and, as far as possible, to all," a guiding rule from the early Methodist movement.
Supporting Bethel and Learning More
The church office is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Visitors and members are always welcome to join in person on Sunday morning. Tithes and offerings can be given in the plate, mailed to 150 Alder Street, Lower Burrell, PA 15068, or given electronically through the church's online giving page. Bethel Nursery School operates separately at its own location and is connected to the church's ministry with young families.
A Note on Safety
Bethel affirms that every child, youth, and vulnerable adult has the right to a safe sanctuary. All volunteers and paid staff who work with children, youth, or vulnerable adults in church programs, Sunday School, retreats, or mission trips are asked to read and sign the Bethel Safe Sanctuary Policy and to provide the volunteer and employee clearances required by Pennsylvania law.