A MESSAGE FROM REV. LINDSEY ALTVATER CLIFTON: MEET OUR TRANSITIONAL PASTOR
Dear FPCB Friends,
For those of you who may have missed this announcement at Sunday’s Congregational Meeting, we’re thrilled to have Rev. Karen Kinney joining us as our Transitional Pastor on March 1! Let’s meet her:
Karen has long been interested in helping people 
and organizations thrive through her professional and personal relationships. Known as the Ann Landers of her crew in high school, she took that role seriously, listening deeply to concerns, fears and hopes, asking hard questions, and guiding folks to discern a path forward.
In her previous 30-year nonprofit career, Karen worked with hundreds of organizations through raising money, recommending grants, helping build their capacity to deliver services and programs, and creating coalitions to work on housing, economic development, and racial justice among others. She says one of her favorite parts of the job was the privilege of hearing people’s dreams and helping make them reality.
For the last 10+ years, Karen has been an ordained Teaching Elder in the PCUSA. She finally said yes to the call to ministry and seminary in 2006, graduating from Wesley Theological Seminary (there’s a story there – ask her) in 2013 and ordained and installed in 2014.
Karen carried her commitment to listening to dreams and hopes, connecting to the community, and building the capacity for churches to be loved in their communities by spreading the Gospel message far and wide into her work as a pastor. She is an ecumenical (she’s been Methodist and Baptist), and interfaith voice having experienced the value of working together across boundaries to bring understanding and the desire to work together with and on behalf of those who are too often “otherized.”
Karen is the proud mother of two adult children. In her spare time, Karen likes to read and watch murder mysteries (not the super violent kind…), be with friends and family, visit the ocean and go to the mountains. She often says that being born in West Virginia means mountains are part of her DNA providing a place of joy, rest and renewal.
At the moment, Karen is wrapping up a year-long position as the Merger Coordinator for the Lehigh and Lackawanna presbyteries. Before that, she was the designated pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church of the Slate Belt in Roseto, PA.
We’re so excited to welcome Karen to the FPCB staff, and we’d like to invite the congregation to an informal Meet & Greet after each service on Sunday, March 2. Please plan to stick around after worship at both the 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. services (where she will be preaching) to enjoy some refreshments and conversation with Karen in Fellowship Hall.
I’d like to extend deep gratitude to the Transitional Pastor Search Team for their hard work and Spirit-led discernment! The dedication and perseverance of that group – Jon Conrad, Kate Arrington, Rich Gorton, Linda Filipovits, and Ted Masthay – are certainly a big part our having found such a wonderful Transitional Pastor.
On a personal note, I’m also incredibly grateful for all the extra support during the seven months that I’ve been serving as Acting Head of Staff. Parish Associates, FPCB leaders and members, and staff all stepped up to help carry the load, and getting through this season of ministry wouldn’t have been possible without everyone’s shared efforts and mutual commitment!
Blessings as the journey continues,
Lindsey