45 Maple Drive, Beaver Pennsylvania 15009 | 724.495.6820 | Worship Time: 11:00 am
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Meet Pastor Margarethe Galbraith-Cordes
Hello, I am Pastor Margarethe Galbraith-Cordes. I was born and grew up in Germany and came to the US as an exchange student while I was a student at Tübingen University to do Clinical Pastoral Education at a hospital. I graduated from Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary and my first call was as an Associate Pastor in Warren, Pa. After my husband Martin Galbraith graduated from Philadelphia Lutheran Seminary a couple of years later, we accepted a call as a clergy couple in Beaver Falls. During our time there, our twins Angela and Max were born. A few years later I accepted the position of Director of Spiritual Care at Glade Run Lutheran Services in Zelienople, where I served for 14 years. In 2016, I returned to parish ministry. For over 2 years I have now been serving as the interim pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Connoquenessing and Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Prospect.
I feel called to share God’s light, hope, and healing with others. I believe that gathering as the body of Christ and trusting in a loving, caring, accepting and forgiving God can change our lives and our world. We are invited to live vibrant and joyful lives, and to share our hope found in Christ with others.
My vision for congregational ministry is to guide vital and vibrant faith communities that are motivated to grow spiritually, and then, out of our relationship with Jesus Christ, extend God’s love to others who are in need in the community and beyond. I see myself offering pastoral care and visitation in order to share the valleys and mountaintop experiences of our faith and our lives; being a guide, individually and in group settings, on the journey of faith formation; and encouraging and inviting all to gather as the body of Christ in worship and in Bible study, so our relationship with our Savior can be strengthened and our relationship with one another can grow as we are together on the journey. I believe that we are called to live in community with one another to support and encourage each other, and to share hospitality and welcome to those not already part of this community of faith. I believe that all people have been created in the image of God, and that we, as followers of Jesus, are called to live a life that reflects God’s love to all. My vision is for the church to be a safe place of hope and grace where people of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life can feel welcome, supported and valued, and where God’s light shines brightly.
I am excited to serve together as the body of Christ with you to share God’s love and God’s hope in Beaver and beyond.