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1. November 1974 - A feasibility study group from the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (UFMCC) met with Rev. Frank Scott to discuss starting a Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) in Pittsburgh.  (Rev. Frank Scott was an ordained Southern Baptist minister.) 

 

2. January 26, 1975 - 2:00 p.m. - The first worship service of MCC Pittsburgh was held at the University and City Ministries (UACM) building on the corner of Bellfield and Fifth Avenues in Oakland.  There were 6 people in attendance.

 

3. The first services were held in a parlor, which was called the Martin Luther King, Jr. room.  There were 10 people at the first service, 5 at the second, 8 at the third, and 12 at the fourth.

 

4. February 1975 - The group moved from ‘Feasibility Study’ to ‘Study Group’ status.

 

5. March 1, 1975 - Clifford Turpin moved to Pittsburgh from Akron, Ohio to share in the ministry of MCC Pittsburgh.  Clifford was an exhorter (i.e. Student Clergyperson).

 

6. Spring 1975 - Attendance had increased to the 20’s, and MCC began meeting in the Paul Younger room.

 

7. August 1975 - Rev. Frank Scott transferred his credentials to MCC Pittsburgh, at the Dallas General Conference.

 

8. August 10, 1975 - The first Holy Union was performed out of MCC Pittsburgh.

 

9. September 1975 - The congregation began holding worship services in the main sanctuary.  Average attendance was in the 30’s.

 

10. October 1975 - The church moved from ‘Study Group’ to ‘Mission’ status.  (Mission status was an interim step before becoming a ‘Chartered’ church.)

 

11. November 1975 - The first Board of Directors was appointed.

 

12. 1976 - This was a time of ongoing growth.  Attendance was in the 40’s and 50’s and Bar Ministry, Gay AA, Women’s Rap and Bible Study were ongoing ministries.

 

13. October 1976 - MCC Pittsburgh applied for Chartered Church status and was accepted.

 

14. February 20, 1977 - MCC Pittsburgh hosted the Northeast District Conference and celebrated its official Chartering Service.

 

15. Spring 1978 - MCC Pittsburgh participated in a gay rights rally when Anita Bryant performed at the Civic Arena.

 

16. Fall 1978 - Rev. Frank Scott and Clifford Turpin resigned the pulpit in Pittsburgh, to move to Richmond, Va. and start a new church there and in Norfolk, Va.

 

17. November 1978 - Rev. Joseph Houle [who died around 2003] was installed as pastor.  He came out of a monastic Roman Catholic background and had been licensed as MCC clergy in 1977.

 

18. September 28, 1979 - MCC Morgantown is formed as a parish extension out of MCC Pittsburgh.  Rev. Sherri Kennedy was appointed as worship coordinator.

 

19. 1979 - Growth in attendance was continuing and was to reach a high in the low 60’s.  Ministries at that time included: Campus, Bar, Lenten groups, Fundraising, Shepherding and Christian Lesbians in Action.

 

20. February 1981 - MCC Morgantown was approved as a study group.

 

21. July 1981 - Rev. Bobbie Dunn, who was then student clergy, was appointed as worship coordinator of MCC Morgantown.

 

22. August 31, 1982 - Rev. Joseph Houle resigned as pastor of MCC Pittsburgh.

 

23. November 1982 - Rev. Karon Van Gelder was called to pastor MCC Pittsburgh, and was installed during an anniversary service on January 29, 1983.

 

24. 1983 - MCC Morgantown had grown and was approved as a mission church.

 

25. 1983 - Rev. Roberta Dunn was appointed to the first Community Advisory Board of the Pitt Men’s Study.

 

26. February 1984 - MCC Pittsburgh is involved in cosponsoring a weekly radio show and a gay & lesbian coffee house.

 

27. July 1984 - Rev. Bobbie Dunn resigns as pastor of MCC Morgantown.

 

28. April 14, 1985 - This is the first Sunday that MCC Pittsburgh meets at the Friends Meeting House.  The church moved there when the church on Bellefield Ave. was sold and torn down.

 

29. May 1985 - Rev. Patrick Mechem is called to pastor MCC Morgantown.

 

30. July 14, 1985 - Rev. Karon Van Gelder resigns as pastor of MCC Pittsburgh.  One of Rev. Van Gelder’s major contributions to the Pittsburgh Gay and Lesbian community, was her involvement in helping to found the Lambda Foundation.

 

31. 1985 - A layperson is appointed worship coordinator, and three clergy are recruited to assist with liturgy and pastoral care, while the congregation does a pastoral search.

 

32. Fall 1985 - Due to poor attendance and offerings MCC Pittsburgh lost its original charter as a Chartered Church, going down a step to a Commissioned Church.

 

33. Late 1985 - The Gay and Lesbian Community Food Bank was founded.

 

34. July 1986 - Rev. Roberta Dunn was called to pastor MCC Pittsburgh.

 

35. October 26, 1986 - Rev. Dunn’s installation as MCC Pittsburgh pastor.

 

36. September 5, 1986 - The first AIDS vigil is held.

 

37. July 1987 - Rev. Dunn is ordained, at the Miami General Conference.

 

38. October 11, 1987 - The first March on Washington is held.  Many people from MCC Pittsburgh marched with thousands of other members of MCC’s around the world.

(1988 - Rev. Dunn becomes one of the co-founders of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force.)

 

39. September 28, 1988 - MCC Morgantown closes and many of its members transfer their memberships to MCC Pittsburgh.  MCC Morgantown was the longest lasting gay and lesbian group in West Virginia.

 

40. October 19, 1988 - MCC Pittsburgh holds an open house for our new Ministry Center (i.e. church office) in the Friends Meeting House.

 

41. January 1989 - The first Caregivers Ministry training is begun.  Active ministries at that time were: Food Bank, AIDS, Fellowship/Social, Fundraising, Wednesday Sharing, Stewardship and Shepherding.

 

42. 1985-1990 - MCC Pittsburgh members were involved in starting the following community groups: Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, Shepherd Wellness Community, Pittsburgh Interorganizational Council for AIDS, Ministerial Network on AIDS, and the annual Interfaith Pride Service.

 

43. January 21, 1991 - We celebrated a Service of Joy to commemorate our becoming a Chartered Church again.

 

44. Fall 1991 - The R. Stanley Bennett Memorial Fund was started.

 

45. March 14, 1993 - Services are cancelled for the first time since our founding due to the Blizzard of ‘93.

(March 14, 1993 - Many of our members once again travel to Washington, DC for another March on Washington.)

 

46. April 25, 1993 - Many of our members once again travel to Washington, DC for another March on Washington.

 

47. 1994 - This was a long year of slow but stable growth and orientation toward long term future planning.  We recognized that we had outgrown our space at the Friends Meeting House and that we needed to find a larger sanctuary.  The Space Ministry Team (NASA - space ministry team!) was formed and has been working for many months to find us a new church home.

 

48. January 15, 1995 - We moved from the Friends Meeting House to St. Andrews Lutheran Church (corner of Morewood and Centre Avenues).  At the first service there were 134 people in attendance.  Fellowship was graciously provided by the members of St. Andrews.  We look forward to this new space providing us with the room to continue to grow and expand our ministry.

 

[The preceding was from a sheet prepared evidently in 1995 with minor changes to correct spelling, etc.]

 

49. September 29, 1996 - The congregation voted to move back to Friends Meeting House because our attendance had decreased.  A letter was written to Religious Society of Friends October 2, 1996, asking that we again start renting the 1st floor of the Friends Meeting House on Sunday evenings starting on Dec. 1, 1996.

(October 14, 2006 - We celebrate 20 years of Rev. Dunn as the pastor of MCC Pittsburgh.)

(November 2-5 - Pittsburgh hosted the combined District 2 & 3 conference.)

50. December 2, 2010 - Rev. Roberta Dunn submits a letter of resignation effective January 31, 2011.)

51.  April 10, 2011 - Rev. Todd Goewey starts as Intentional Interim Pastor Specialist to guide the congregation through the Pastoral search process as we look for our next Pastor. [This one -- as well as a few additions to the above -- were from a tri-fold we printed

(April 2011 - Rev. Todd Goewey starts as interim pastor for MCC Pittsburgh. [This is the original #51.)

52. May 6, 2012 - MCC Pittsburgh began worship at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Monroeville and added a 11:00 A.M. service.  We continued with the evening service at Friend's Meeting House.

53. January 19,2014 - Our last Sunday at Friend's Meeting House in Oakland.  Morning and evening services continued at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Monroeville.

54.  June 21, 2015 - MCC Pittsburgh moved to its new locaton at 4503 Old William Penn Highway in Monroeville, in the Parish House of The Good Shepherd Luthern Church.  Morning worship time was moved to 11:15am and the evening service remained at 6:00pm.

55. May 14, 2017 - Rev. Goewey submits his resignation.

56. September 17, 2017 - Rev. Goewey's last day with us.

57. September 2017 - offer made and accepted for Norma Jean Stokan to lead MCC

58.  September 2018 - Norma Jean Stokan resigns as pastor effective September 30, 2018.

59.  October 7, 2018 - Louis Martinage begins as pastor

60. November 14, 2018 - we are informed that Rev. Todd Goewey, then as pastor of MCC Charlotte, had passed away.

61. March 21-May 31, 2020 - Service suspended due to coronavirus.

62.  June 6, 2020 - Services begun on Zoom.

63.  July 4, 2021 - In-person meetings with Zoom included begun.

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