Weekly Message

Dear Govans family, Now that I am officially installed as your pastor, my heart is full of gratitude for Sunday’s joyous, celebratory, and deeply moving service. I am not usually one for pomp and circumstance, yet crossing this threshold with you meant the world to me. The afternoon was filled with warmth, laughter, radical welcome, and a shared commitment to justice. From the music and preaching to the worship leaders, Presbytery representatives, staff, and the volunteers who hosted a wonderful…

Dear Govans Family, I love being part of the Govans family, and my heart is filled with gratitude for the journey that brought me to you. This coming Sunday, November 8, marks a meaningful threshold for us as we take our next faithful steps together. We celebrate it twice. At 10:30 AM, I will preach on Psalm 46 in a sermon titled “The Sacred Pause.” At 3:00 PM, the Presbytery of Baltimore gathers at Govans for a service installing me…

Dear Govans family, This Sunday we welcome November with an extra hour of sleep, as daylight saving time ends and our clocks fall back. The church year is also turning. All Saints Sunday begins the final weeks of the Christian calendar, and on November 29 the First Sunday of Advent opens a new year. This Sunday, November 1, we celebrate All Saints Sunday. We remember siblings who have gone before us and the full stories of their lives, their struggles…

Dear Govans family, Our hearts are heavy this week as we hold the Sharp family in our deepest love and prayers following the passing of Joanne (Dotty) Sharp on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Dotty shared life and ministry alongside her husband, the late Rev. John (Jack) Sharp, who served as pastor of Govans for 27 years and whose visionary leadership helped found GEDCO. Together, Jack and Dotty poured their lives into this congregation and neighborhood. While I did not have…

Dear Govans family, Days have become weeks, and weeks are growing into months here in Baltimore. Being part of this community brings me deep joy, found in the everyday flow of our ministry together. Even our challenging conversations are grounded in trust, because we are pulled together by the soul of our church rooted in hospitality and the conviction that we are one body. In our daily encounters, we are cultivating a sacred bond between pastor and congregation. On Sunday,…

Dear Govans Family, Many of us grew up with the sentiment, “Well, that’s just the way things are.” Without realizing it, that phrase trained our unconscious minds to numb out, accept cruelty and injustice as normal, and stay silent. It forced us into hiding and fractured our sense of self. In the end, it resigned our society to the fatalistic lie that nothing can ever truly change. We gather in worship this Sunday contemplating Matthew 22:1–14, a story that confronts…

Dear Govans Family, I am overjoyed to write to you as we prepare to worship together for my first Sunday after Candidating Weekend! Since starting on Monday, I’ve gotten my first week under my belt, taken part in a couple of committee meetings, and experienced firsthand the incredible teamwork and support of our staff, as well as the warm welcome from so many people who have stopped by the church office. This Sunday is especially meaningful because we gather for…