Dear CPC members and friends,

We are delighted to announce the hiring of Ruth Schmidt as CPC’s Commissioned Interim Associate Pastor for Outreach, effective April 1.

Following an intensive three-month search, CPC’s seven-member Leadership Discernment Team chose Ruth as the best candidate to continue vibrant outreach efforts for our congregation. Not only is she extremely qualified for the position, but her warm, enthusiastic personality is a great fit for our worshiping community.

On March 27, CPC’s Session approved a 12-month, full-time contract with Ruth, which can be renewed for an additional 12 months if needed.

Her responsibilities will include providing leadership and supervision to church programs that support families and youth, including Village Church, Waffle Church and CPC’s Children’s Center. Ruth will serve as the primary liaison to The Haven, a new worshipping opportunity for the LGBTQ community. And she will participate in weekly worship leadership at CPC, including regular preaching.

Ruth earned an M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena in 2022. Under care of a United Church of Christ congregation in Altadena, she has completed most requirements for ordination in the UCC denomination. Since the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is in full communion with UCC, Ruth will work toward ordination as a Presbyterian minister by the end of this year.

During her pastoral training, Ruth served as a chaplain at USC Arcadia hospital and pastoral staff at Hollywood Presbyterian Church, which included staffing a winter shelter for the unhoused.

Ruth also served as senior director of Fuller’s Brehm Center for the arts and worship from 2020 until earlier this year. However, Ruth, who identifies as queer, separated from Fuller in January after declining to sign Fuller’s mandatory agreement that prohibits “homosexual forms of explicit sexual conduct.”

In addition to her personal beliefs affirming the LGBTQ community, Ruth declined to sign the statement because she was working toward ordination in a denomination that sanctions marriages of LGBTQ couples.

Prior to seminary, Ruth spent a decade working in advertising agencies writing for some of the world’s largest corporations, all while church planting in her evenings and weekends.

Her professional writing and marketing background will serve her well in leading CPC’s outreach efforts.

A resident of Pasadena, Ruth enjoys hosting potluck dinners for friends and hiking with her dog Hero.

Please join us in welcoming Ruth to CPC! She will join us in worship on Easter Sunday.

Peace,

Sam Atwood Jennifer Brooks Karry Denton Tracy Doebler Barbara MacKenzie Ginni Rassieur Karen Sapio, ex-officio

Members of the Transitional Leadership Team