I grew up in the Church.  My parents were (and still are) members of the Carmel Presbyterian Church in Glenside, where I was a regular part of Sunday School and Youth Fellowship.  In my early teenage years, I began to consider some of the more difficult questions of life, death, and eternal life.  I began to wonder about the existence of, and the presence of, God.  As I did, the Holy Spirit, began to "nudge" me.  Through family, friends, and Church people, and I began to consider that God was indeed real, and that he loved and cared for me.  Much of this happened through the outreach and nurture of the Church, as well as through the ministry of my Youth Pastor, Jim Lacy.  But there were many other experiences along the way!

In about my 11th grade year in Abington High School, I began to feel in my heart that I should consider the possibility of ministry for my life’s work.  As I began to move in that direction, I started to see "affirmations" of this "call" through other people’s comments and observations, and through the passion and love for God and his people that was growing within me.  I felt more of that confirmation throughout my years at West Chester State College.  I felt it through Christian fellowship, through friends, and through my time as a youth leader at a local Presbyterian Church.  I felt a great excitement as I began to take steps to apply to seminary at Princeton.

I was accepted early to Princeton, where I studied from 1978-1981.  During that time, I served as student pastor at a number of Churches in the New Jersey, Maryland, and Philadelphia areas.  I was also a chaplain for the summer of 1979 at the Ockanickon Scout Camp in Bucks County.  Those were wonderful years, and through that time I was learning a lot of the "ins and outs" of everyday Church life and ministry.  Macalestor-Torresdale Presbyterian Church in Northeast Philadelphia was the closest I came to Eddington in those days.  During my first semester, (Fall, 1978) I gave a ride to a classmate, David Perkins, who was student pastor at Eddington.  So I actually drove to the Eddington Church every Sunday to drop him off and pick him up!

Following my graduation in 1981, I was ordained at my home church and called as Assistant Pastor at the Neshaminy-Warwick Presbyterian Church in Bucks County.  There I shared ministry on a staff of three, specializing in Youth Ministry and Christian Education.  After 4 wonderful years there, I felt the call to move on, and I became the Pastor of the Central Presbyterian Church in Topeka Kansas.  I served there until August 2005.  Throughout those years, I stayed closely connected to Youth, at the local church and the presbytery (and synod) levels, and I gained valuable insights into the needs of the Church in that area of ministry.  There are too many Churches in our denomination with "solo pastorates," in which the pastor is not connected with the youth of the Church.  I believe there is a great need for that connection!

After some wonderful years in Kansas (and some difficult times, as well) I "came home" to Pennsylvania and to the Eddington Church.  I am enjoying watching this new stage of my life unfold.  I continue to seek to know God’s will for my life, and to live in his amazing Grace.  As I do so, two major themes keep coming back to my mind again and again.  They are, the abundance of life in Christ, and the importance of knowing God’s presence.  The God of all creation desires to have a close relationship with us, and wants for us to have the great joy that is to be found in his kingdom.

I describe myself as a fun loving person.  I believe there is great joy in the living of this life.  I have also described myself as a "Renaissance Man" - meaning that I love learning new things and I am fascinated with everything I learn.  (My two favorite TV channels are "History" and "Discovery.")  From my earliest years, I have loved taking things apart, figuring out how they work, and putting them back together.  I love building things, and figuring out how to do things I've never done before!  I also enjoy many "active" things.  I've been a runner for more than 30 years, and I've run a number of marathons, incluing the Boston Marathon, which I ran five times.  (So far!)  I also love bicycling, skiing, snowboarding, wakeboarding, and I've recently taken up riding motorcycles.  I've been a pilot for over 25 years now, and I love seeing God's creation from several thousand feet up.  (Note the aerial pictures of the Eddington Church on the home page of this website!)  I am also one for whom family is extremely important.  Some of my most treasured times are those found in the fellowship with those closest to me.  In my ministry, I want to continue to support families in every way I can.

After being single for many years, on June 19, 2005, I became engaged to Patty Burgess.  Patty is a girl from my High School class with whom I reconnnected at our 30th Reunion.  We were married November 12 of that year in a small ceremony at my home Church, and in December we had a bigger celebration for all the people in our new Church family!  Together we are very excited about the future! 

Many of you have also met my two children from my previous marriage.  They are among the greatest joys of my life!  Jenny, now 25,  is in Graduate School at Kansas State University, about to finish her MBA.  She was recently married to Ben Sebree, on August 14th, 2010.  Every father should have that experience!!  My son Paul, 23, is in his Senior year at Sterling College, which is a small Presbyterian College in central Kansas.  Paul is very much into debate, forensics, and theater.  He has been in many shows and I see them whenever I can!  I hope you will get to know them better, as they will be here in Pennsylvania just as often as I can arrange it.  My parents, George and Millie, live in Bluebell - when they are not wintering in Phoenix, Arizona.  My older sister, Lynne, lives with her family in Abington, and works as a secretary at "our High School."  My younger brother Bill, works as an "IT guy" for a subsiderary of Dunn and Bradstreet in Tucson Arizona.

That's the latest update of my story.  (Updated to November, 2010)  But let me end this by saying that God is still working on me, and I am eager to grow!  In some ways I am still on a "learning curve" here at Eddington!  (Believe it or not!)  At the same time, I have already felt God challenging you, through me, in a number of ways.  (And vice-versa!)  I believe that process is ongoing.  As we travel this road together, let me continue to remind you that I know I won't always get things right.  I will blow it sometimes.  So I continue to ask for your patience with me and for your grace as we continue to grow together!  I promise you mine!

May the Grace and Peace of God be with all of us!

George "Skip" Brecht, Pastor, Eddington Presbyterian Church