The Rev. Jay Passavant founded North Way Christian Community Church 30 years ago with nine families who met in a basement.
Now, the Pine church has 4,000 members, two satellite campuses and dozens of programs for everyone from small children to seniors.
Passavant, 64, last month retired as the church's senior pastor and will take the title of founding pastor. He will be succeeded as senior pastor by the Rev. Scott Stevens.
"This has been an amazing chapter in my life," Passavant said. "Having begun with just nine couples meeting in a basement 30 years ago, I am humbled and thrilled that God has chosen to show such favor upon our congregation."
Passavant said he never really intended to build such a large church.
"It was not out goal to be big. We committed to small groups, neighborhood groups and small Bible study groups or groups that were formed to study the sermon. There are 200 of those groups in the church right now," Passavant said.
Passavant is the great-great-grandson of William Alfred Passavant, a Lutheran pastor who founded several churches, numerous charitable organizations and the McCandless hospital that still bears his name.
Jay Passavant was ordained in the United Presbyterian Church and decided to leave that church to "set up something more contemporary."
"The worship style incorporates contemporary Christian music and is less formal," he said.
North Way is known for its varied programs, which include Priority Two -- which helps unemployed people look for work -- and The Wexford Starlite Car Cruise, which the church says is the largest weekly car cruise event in the Northeast.
Passavant's successor, Stevens, is a Pittsburgh native and has been North Way's family pastor for six years and executive pastor for three years.
"I feel humbled by this opportunity, yet I am confident in my ability to lead North Way forward into the future," he said. "I am thankful to have Pastor Jay's continued involvement and I am looking forward to the challenge of fulfilling the vision that Jay has already set the foundation for."
