Stoneridge Covenant Church welcomes new senior pastor

As Stoneridge Covenant Church's new senior pastor, the Rev. Jeff Kahl, 43, has replaced the pastor who introduced him to the Evangelical Covenant Church denomination years ago.

Kahl said mutual acquaintances introduced him to the Rev. John DeLancey, who left the Allison Park church after 18 years of service to direct Biblical Israel Ministries & Tours full-time.

DeLancey guided Kahl in determining the denomination in which Kahl should seek ordination.

“I talked with him a couple times, and he just encouraged me and told me a lot about it (the denomination) and I liked everything I was hearing.”

Kahl appreciates the Evangelical Covenant Church's strong Biblical and evangelical focuses, along with its commitment to “ministries of compassion and social justice.”

Stoneridge Covenant Council President Brent Hepner of Glenshaw said the council reviewed candidates for senior pastor based on their communications skills, sermons and commitments to Christ.

“He's personable. He's a good communicator. Definitely on the one-on-one level, he's excellent,” Hepner said of Kahl. Average weekly attendance at the church is 60 people, he said.

Before joining Stoneridge Covenant Kahl was at Saranac Community Church in Michigan, where he began work as associate pastor in 2008. His duties included overseeing the youth ministry, preaching monthly, leading worship and implementing educational ministries, he said.

A Mercer County native, Kahl grew up attending St. Joseph Catholic Church in Sharon.

He studied history and political science at Ashland University in Ohio with the intention of working in the education or legal fields.

During his junior year, he felt called upon to pursue the ministry; by his senior year, he had made plans to attend Ashland Theological Seminary.

“I got involved in some campus ministry while I was at Ashland, undergrad,” he said. “And I led a dormitory Bible study, and I just really felt a strong passion to be doing that and making a difference in the lives of other people.”

Kahl earned a master's in Christian education and a master's of divinity from the seminary.

Throughout his career, he has had a love for leading youth-focused programming. When he was working as Clen-Moore Presbyterian Church's director of Christian education and youth, he concentrated on the New Castle church's Sunday school and youth ministries.

“Each teenager is unique and each one of them really needs kind of a mentor in their life to kind of come alongside them and give them some direction and hopefully help them realize their identity. And, for me, I hope that people realize their identity in Jesus Christ.”

Additionally, as Bakerstown United Methodist Church in Gibsonia's youth and outreach ministries director, he developed a preschool program.

As a classically trained pianist, Kahl also has incorporated music ministries into his job responsibilities.

The Rev. Leeann Younger of the North Side's CityView Church served as Stoneridge Covenant Church's interim pastor during the search for a new pastor.

Kahl plans on moving to Shaler with his wife, Cherith, and their 5-year-old son, Cyrus.

“My goal is to really bring strong biblical preaching and to really help the church re-engage the community,” he said.

Erica Cebzanov is a Tribune-Review contributing writer.