A Bethel Park Congregation Born in an Elementary School
John McMillan Presbyterian Church sits on Clifton Road in Bethel Park, a southern suburb of Pittsburgh, and has shaped the spiritual life of the community since 1965. What began as a single worship service held in the William Penn Elementary School, with 118 people in attendance, has grown into a full congregation with a sanctuary, a preschool, a packed calendar of children's and youth programs, and mission partnerships that stretch from a struggling mill town a few miles away to Malawi and Chiapas.
The church's own introduction is simple and direct: "At John McMillan Presbyterian Church, we are a warm and friendly community of people who come together to know, serve and glorify God." Members describe their congregation as "more than a church" in the sense that it is a working community, a school, a fellowship and a network of volunteers, all gathered around traditional Presbyterian worship.
The Reverend Dr. John McMillan: Namesake of the Congregation
The church is named for the Rev. Dr. John McMillan, a Presbyterian minister and educator of the Revolutionary War era who founded two churches in Southwestern Pennsylvania. McMillan also served as the first president of Jefferson College, which later merged with Washington College in 1865 to form Washington and Jefferson College. The decision to honor him with the church's name is a daily reminder that this Bethel Park congregation belongs to a much older Presbyterian story in the region.
Sunday Morning at 10:00
The principal weekly gathering is the Sunday worship service at 10:00 a.m. The service is traditional in character and includes hymn singing, congregational and choral music, prayer and preaching, as well as the two Presbyterian sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Worship is led by the pastor and the music staff and is supported by a chancel choir, a handbell ensemble called the Celebration Ringers, soloists and a band, and an organist who has been at the church since 2001.
Visual elements of the service are part of the worship experience: paraments on the Communion table, banners hung in the sanctuary, fresh flowers and seasonal decorations mark the church year. In addition to the Sunday morning service, the congregation gathers for monthly contemplative services, a Christmas concert, and special liturgies on Christmas Eve, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.
Worship is also broadcast on Facebook Live for those who cannot attend in person, and a digital bulletin is posted for each week. A staffed nursery for children ages three and under is open during the 10:00 service in Room 7 so parents can worship with younger siblings cared for nearby.
A Preschool That Has Served Bethel Park Since 1973
John McMillan Preschool has been part of the church's ministry for more than fifty years, opening its doors in January 1973. It is a half-day, weekday preschool for children ages three through five, located in the same building complex on Clifton Road. The program is grounded in the conviction that "the creative, social, cognitive, emotional, physical and spiritual growth of each child is nurtured in a developmentally appropriate manner by qualified and caring staff," and works in partnership with families to prepare children for kindergarten.
The school offers Pre-Kindergarten classes for children who are four and a half by September 30, four-year-old classes meeting three days a week, three-year-old classes meeting two or three days a week, and enrichment classes that extend the normal preschool day. A separate Preschool Director leads the program. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis with a non-refundable registration fee per child.
Children and Youth at the Heart of the Church
Children and families sit at the center of the congregation's life. Alongside the nursery and preschool, several programs give children and teenagers a place in the church community week by week.
- Children's Church meets on Sunday mornings from 10:00 to 11:00 in Room 16, September through May, for children ages three through third grade. The class engages with Bible stories through games, crafts and hands-on activities.
- Kids' Klub gathers on Wednesday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 for children in grades three through six, with a shared dinner and high-energy games and learning. A small weekly donation is suggested for the meal.
- Youth Group is for students in grades seven through twelve and meets on Wednesday evenings from 5:00 to 7:00 with dinner, games and Bible study. The youth also take part in retreats, service projects, mission trips and lock-outs.
- Confirmation Class welcomes eighth graders and older who want to explore Christian faith, ask questions and grow as disciples. The class is celebrated with a written statement of faith, a retreat and a Confirmands dinner with the church session and families.
- Duquesne Kids' Club is a Monday evening partnership with First Presbyterian Church of Duquesne, in which older JMPC students travel to Duquesne to lead Bible lessons, dinner and recreation with younger children there. Students in ninth grade and above can participate.
Vacation Bible School is a week-long, half-day summer program for children ages three through sixth grade, typically held the last week in June from 9:00 a.m. until noon. Older elementary and middle school youth participate in a Snowball Mission Challenge focused on local mission and leadership, while teens and adults are invited to volunteer as leaders.
Music as a Living Part of Worship
Music is a defining piece of who John McMillan Presbyterian Church is. The chancel choir and the Celebration Ringers (a handbell choir) share leadership of the music ministry with the organist, who has served since 2001, and the music director. Soloists and a band are part of the mix. Worship music runs from organ-led hymn singing to anthems and seasonal offerings, with a Christmas concert and a Children's Christmas Pageant rounding out the year.
Mission Near, Far and Farther Still
Outreach is woven into the congregation's identity. The church partners with First Presbyterian Church of Duquesne in one of the poorest communities in Pennsylvania, sending volunteers regularly and running the Monday-evening Duquesne Kids' Club alongside that congregation. Members also volunteer with Brothers' Brother, World Vision, and the regional Produce to People food distribution, and the church garden grows fresh vegetables that are given to the South Hills Interfaith Movement for distribution to neighbors who cannot afford fresh produce.
Nationally, the church has sent teams for disaster relief, and every summer the youth group takes a week-long mission trip. Recent destinations have included Houston, Washington D.C., Gatlinburg, Chicago and Indianapolis, where the 2025 team worked with organizations serving people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity. Each summer a new trip is planned, with fundraising help available.
Internationally, JMPC has long-term partnerships with the Chigumula CCAP church in Malawi and with Hebron USA on construction projects in Chiapas, Mexico. The church also connects with reformed churches in Iraq through its pastor.
The Christmas Affair: A Local Tradition That Gives Back
Each year on the first Saturday of November, the church becomes a winter marketplace. The Christmas Affair Craft Show draws hundreds of shoppers to the campus, with crafters selected and judged for their work, candy and jelly makers filling the church kitchen with the smell of baking, and shoppers leaving with hand-decorated shopping bags. The event has raised more than $10,000 in a single year for ministries serving people who are homeless and in need. A poem written by member Linda Huffington captures the rhythm of the day, from late-summer preparations to the overnight reset of the sanctuary. The craft show has become as much a part of Bethel Park's November as Thanksgiving.
Pastoral Care, Fellowship and the Rhythms of the Week
Pastoral care at JMPC is shared by the senior pastor, the associate pastor and the Board of Deacons. Pastors meet with members for conversation and fellowship, serve communion to those who are homebound, and provide comfort in difficult moments. Deacons pray, deliver meals to the sick and bereaved, and send cards to mark life's milestones and hardships.
Fellowship is treated as central, not incidental. Members gather through pickleball, book groups, gardening, shared meals and card playing, and at family events such as Trunk or Treat, the Fall Festival, the Christmas Concert and the Children's Christmas Pageant. Many stay after Sunday worship to chat over coffee in the Narthex, and Wednesday nights combine learning with fellowship across generations.
Pastors Who Have Shaped the Congregation
John McMillan Presbyterian Church has been served by a long line of pastors since its founding. The Rev. Richard Davis served as organizing pastor beginning in July 1965 and led the inaugural worship service that September. After Davis left in 1968, the Revs. William Barker and Max Conley served as interim pastors. In April 1969, the Rev. Arthur Webster was called and led the church through the early 1970s, including the founding of the preschool in 1973. The Rev. James Eby served for ten years, followed by the Rev. Dr. Dan Merry, under whose leadership the current sanctuary and office space were built. The Rev. Deborah Evanovich was called as Associate Pastor in 1995 and briefly led the church as a transition.
Other pastors include the Rev. John Free, the Rev. Dr. Beverly James, the Rev. Charlie Berthoud, and Louise Rogers, who served as Director of Christian Education before being elevated to Associate Pastor upon her ordination. The Rev. Doug Marshall served as interim in the early 2010s, and the Rev. Jeff Tindall, a former Pittsburgh attorney, led the congregation for ten years from October 2014 through January 2025, including the difficult years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rev. Matt Fricker, a 2013 graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, currently serves as pastor, with ministry experience that includes three other Pittsburgh-area churches and a downtown San Antonio congregation, as well as service in Iraq with the United States Army. The Director of Spiritual Development, Stephanie Castlen, a Pittsburgh Theological Seminary graduate, is on track to be ordained as a PCUSA minister and serve as Associate Pastor.
Music Staff, Office and Operations
Carolyn Brow, an Otterbein University graduate who also studied vocal pedagogy at the Ohio State University, directs the church's music program after decades of teaching voice and piano and directing choirs in Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. Elisabeth Jefferies has been the church's organist since 2001. The Preschool Director, Kim Doughty, brings more than two decades of classroom and administrative experience to the early-childhood program. The Office Manager keeps the doors open during weekday office hours, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., answering the phone and welcoming visitors.
Worship Schedule, Giving and Getting in Touch
Sunday worship is at 10:00 a.m., with the service also broadcast on Facebook Live. A weekly bulletin can be downloaded in advance, and prayer requests may be submitted online and are kept confidential. Visitors are invited to fill out a Connect Card either online or in person. Office hours run 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays. Donations can be made online, by automatic bank deduction, or as part of the Sunday morning offering.
The church is located at 875 Clifton Road in Bethel Park, just south of Pittsburgh. The building is part of the Pittsburgh Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), and the congregation's life is rooted in the same Reformed and Presbyterian tradition that produced its namesake more than two centuries ago.