An LGBTQ-Affirming Christian Home in Squirrel Hill
Metropolitan Community Church of Pittsburgh, a member congregation of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, has gathered Christians together in the Pittsburgh area since January 26, 1975. After several decades in Oakland and then Monroeville, the congregation moved in April 2026 to the Parlor of Sixth Presbyterian Church at 1688 Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill, where it holds Sunday afternoon worship and identifies itself as "a safe and sacred church celebrating God's diverse creation" and "a house of prayer for all people." The church describes itself as an all-inclusive LGBTQ+ community Christian church that shares God's love and compassion in the name of Christ.
People who have been hurt by other religious communities, who have been told that they do not belong, or who are simply looking for a Christian church that takes an inclusive reading of Scripture seriously, find a regular rhythm here: a Sunday afternoon service, a Thursday evening Bible study, a daily devotional rooted in a beloved inclusive prayer book, and a community that has helped found some of the most important AIDS and food-pantry ministries in southwestern Pennsylvania.
Fifty Years of Ministry Since 1975
MCC Pittsburgh began in November 1974, when a feasibility study group from UFMCC met with the Reverend Frank Scott, an ordained Southern Baptist minister who had pastored Gateway Baptist Church in Pittsburgh as a Home Missionary of the Southern Baptist Convention, to discuss starting a Metropolitan Community Church in the city. On January 26, 1975, at 2:00 p.m., the first worship service was held in the University and City Ministries building on the corner of Bellefield and Fifth Avenues in Oakland. Six people attended. Services began in a parlor called the Martin Luther King, Jr. room; attendance grew through the twenties and thirties; and in October 1975 the group moved from Study Group to Mission status. On October 1976, MCC Pittsburgh applied for and was granted Chartered Church status, and the official Chartering Service was celebrated on February 20, 1977, when the congregation hosted the Northeast District Conference.
The church moved several times over the decades. In April 1985, after the building on Bellefield Avenue was sold and torn down, MCC Pittsburgh began meeting at the Friends Meeting House. In January 1995, attendance of 134 at the first service marked the move to St. Andrews Lutheran Church at the corner of Morewood and Centre Avenues; the congregation returned to the Friends Meeting House in late 1996 when attendance declined. Beginning May 6, 2012, worship was held at St. Martin's Episcopal Church in Monroeville, and on January 19, 2014, the Friends Meeting House chapter ended when all services consolidated at St. Martin's. In 2015, MCC Pittsburgh moved to the Parish House of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at 4503 Old William Penn Highway in Monroeville. In early 2026, after Good Shepherd Lutheran announced the sale of its property, the search for a new home led the congregation to Sixth Presbyterian Church in Squirrel Hill, where worship in the Parlor began on April 12, 2026.
Through five decades, MCC Pittsburgh has also helped give birth to organizations that serve the wider community. Members of the congregation founded the Gay and Lesbian Community Food Bank in 1985, and they were involved in founding the Lambda Foundation, the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, Shepherd Wellness Community, the Ministerial Network on AIDS, and the annual Interfaith Pride Service. In its first forty years, the church nurtured and sent out nine church leaders who continued in ministry both within MCC and in other denominations.
Pastors Who Shaped the Congregation
Eight pastors have served MCC Pittsburgh across its history. The Reverend Frank Scott, a Syracuse University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary graduate, founded the church in January 1975 and pastored until fall 1978, concurrently serving as District Coordinator of the Northeast District of UFMCC; he continued in MCC ministry in Richmond, Norfolk, Ventura, Bournemouth (where he founded mission churches in Bath and Southampton), and Asheville before retiring in 2005. Clifford Turpin moved from Akron to share the ministry from March 1975. The Reverend Joseph Houle, who came out of a monastic Roman Catholic background, was installed in November 1978 and served until August 31, 1982. The Reverend Karon Van Gelder was called in November 1982 and served until July 14, 1985, helping to found the Lambda Foundation. The longest-serving pastor, the Reverend Roberta Dunn, was called in July 1986, installed October 26, 1986, and ordained in July 1987 at the Miami General Conference; her January 31, 2011, retirement was marked by a twenty-year celebration in October 2006. The Reverend Todd Goewey served as Intentional Interim Pastor from April 10, 2011, until May 14, 2017, when he resigned to pastor MCC Charlotte; the church learned of his death in November 2018. The Reverend Norma Jean Minnix (Norma Jean Stokan) led the church from September 2017 until her September 30, 2018, resignation.
Louis Martinage became pastor on October 7, 2018, and continues to lead the congregation today as both pastor and treasurer. Most Sunday sermons are preached by Pastor Lou, with regular messages by Bill Maydak and occasional guest preachers such as the Reverend Roberta Dunn, who returned on May 17, 2026, for a sermon titled "The Sacred Journey."
Sunday Worship at Sixth Presbyterian
Weekly Sunday afternoon worship begins at 2:00 p.m. in the Parlor of Sixth Presbyterian Church at 1688 Murray Avenue, at the corner of Murray and Forbes Avenues in Squirrel Hill. Visitors enter through the double wooden doors and proceed through the first room; the Parlor door is on the left. Parking is available on the left side around the corner, next to the church. From the Parkway East, drivers take exit 77 toward Edgewood/Swissvale, turn right onto South Braddock Avenue, then left onto Forbes Avenue for about 1.5 miles, right onto Murray Avenue, and an immediate left into the church drive. From the Parkway West, drivers take exit 74 toward Squirrel Hill/Homestead, merge onto Beechwood Boulevard, turn left onto Forward Avenue, continue onto Murray Avenue, and turn left into the church lot after crossing Forbes.
Since July 4, 2021, the service has been offered both in person and over Zoom, so that members and friends who cannot travel can still take part. The order of worship follows the Christian liturgical year, with themed series that move through Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, and Ordinary Time. The preaching is biblical and sermon-driven, often working through a book of the Bible or a series of related texts. Communion, baptism, and the blessing of holy unions are part of the church's regular sacramental life.
Joining From Anywhere Through Zoom
For those unable to attend in person, the Sunday service is accessible in two ways through Zoom. With video, participants enter the URL us02web.zoom.us/j/7132405491 in a browser; the link is also available on the home page and in emails from the church. Anyone who would like a text message containing the URL may send a request to lpmartin1950@gmail.com, including a phone number, and the link will be texted back. With audio only, participants call 1-929-205-6099 (or 1-301-715-8592 as an alternative), enter meeting ID 713 240 5491 followed by the pound sign, and press pound again when prompted for a participant number. Those who prefer to remain anonymous can dial *67 before calling to block their number.
The Zoom connection is also the home of the Thursday evening Bible study at 7:00 p.m. The Bible study is offered on Zoom only; instructions for joining are the same as for the Sunday service.
Prayer, Sacraments, and Pastoral Care
Prayer is woven through the life of MCC Pittsburgh. Members of the congregation bring prayer requests during Sunday worship, and the church also receives requests through an online form. Prayers and praises received during the week are included in the following Sunday's service. The most recent list of prayer requests is posted on the church's prayer page, where first names are used (and the option of anonymity is honored); requests older than about a month are removed. Visitors who light a virtual candle at a partner site can mark a moment of prayer from anywhere.
The church offers the sacraments of baptism and marriage and the service of funeral. Pastor Lou is available for baptisms, which are performed in the context of Sunday worship. Holy Unions have been a part of the congregation's ministry since August 10, 1975, when the first Holy Union was performed out of MCC Pittsburgh; the church now performs same-sex weddings recognized by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Weddings may be held in the church's space at Sixth Presbyterian or at a site of the couple's choosing, and arrangements are made with the Reverend Roberta Dunn at mccpghrev@gmail.com. The church notes that it does not currently have anyone who can perform funerals, and Pastor Lou continues to provide pastoral care and visits to those who are homebound or hospitalized when requested.
Same-Sex Marriages and Holy Unions
For more than forty years, MCC Pittsburgh has been uniting same-sex couples. That ministry began in August 1975 and continued through the long years before marriage equality. With the blessing of the State of Pennsylvania, the church now performs same-sex weddings, and couples can also choose to mark their relationship with a Holy Union celebrated in the same spirit. Couples work directly with the Reverend Roberta Dunn to plan a ceremony that reflects who they are, and the church's aim is "to make your special day a unique, wonderful, blessed event."
A Feeding Ministry Born of Community
In 1985, members of MCC Pittsburgh founded the Gay and Lesbian Community Food Bank to address hunger in the wider LGBTQ community of southwestern Pennsylvania. The food bank has remained one of the congregation's signature outreach ministries and a continuing expression of the church's understanding that Christian faith is acted out in concrete care for neighbors. Members of the church were also among the co-founders of the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force, Shepherd Wellness Community, the Pittsburgh Interorganizational Council for AIDS, the Ministerial Network on AIDS, and the annual Interfaith Pride Service. From its earliest years, the church's ministry of presence extended into Pittsburgh's bars and college campuses, ran a Gay AA group, and gathered women in rap groups and Bible study; the Caregivers Ministry training that began in January 1989 grew out of that same impulse to care for one another during the worst years of the AIDS epidemic.
Beliefs Grounded in Scripture and Inclusive Love
MCC Pittsburgh's beliefs follow the Statement of Faith of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches. The Statement of Faith opens with a preamble that names MCC as "one chapter in the story of the Church, the Body of Christ," a community "grounded in God's radically inclusive love and faith, shaped by scripture and historic creeds." Members are described as a "priesthood of all believers," empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a healing presence in a hurting world. The Statement looks forward to a world where everyone has enough, wars cease, and all creation lives in harmony, and it commits the fellowship to resist systems and structures that destroy the land, sea, and air.
On the question of homosexuality and the Bible, the church teaches that a careful reading of Scripture in its original contexts shows that the Bible does not condemn same-sex relationships and that the stories of God's love are "our story, too." The church's teaching page, "Homosexuality and the Bible," points readers to a denominational study by the Reverend Mona West, and a recommended reading list includes Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality by John Boswell; Is It a Choice? by Eric Marcus; The Church and the Homosexual by John J. McNeill; Jonathan Loved David by Tom Horner; and works by the Reverend Troy Perry, founder of the UFMCC.
The local congregation draws its identity from this inclusive Christian tradition. The church's welcome reads, "God loves you deeply, and made you as you are, and continues to call you to ever greater things." Its mission is to provide a safe and open place to worship God, an environment where each person can grow spiritually, ministries that meet human needs, a voice for equal rights locally and nationally, and partnership with the international body of MCCs in their work for social justice and human rights around the world.
Daily Devotionals and a Year of Sermons
For anyone who wants to pray or study between Sundays, the church posts a daily devotional drawn from The Road to Emmaus: An Inclusive Devotional, edited by Joseph W. Houle, a former MCC Pittsburgh pastor who died around 2003. Each entry follows the liturgical calendar and reads a passage of Scripture with a short meditation written in the inclusive, justice-conscious voice characteristic of MCC spirituality. The devotionals are arranged by date from January 1 through December 31 and are posted on individual pages across the church's site.
The church also keeps a complete sermon archive going back to November 30, 2014. The archives are organized by year (2014-2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026) and include the texts of the sermons preached by Pastor Lou, the Reverend Todd Goewey, Norma Jean Stokan, the Reverend Roberta Dunn, and guest preachers. Recent series have walked through the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the parables of Jesus in Luke, the letters of Paul, the story of Joseph in Genesis, the Psalms, and a long arc through the duties of Christian discipleship: prayer, service, worship, giving, joy, faith, forgiveness, obedience, love, and praise.
Joining, Giving, and Staying Connected
Anyone who would like to support the ministry of MCC Pittsburgh can give in three ways: by check mailed to the church at 1688 Murray Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217; by PayPal sent to MCCPittsburgh@gmail.com; or by check sent directly to the treasurer at the same address. For tax records, donors are asked to include their name and address, and giving statements for the previous year are sent in January. The church also welcomes those who would like to receive event notifications; a form on the events page adds names to a contact list that receives reminders a few weeks ahead, a few days before, and on the day of each event.
MCC Pittsburgh maintains an active presence on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter), where the church shares news, sermon audio, and reflections. Visitors who want to know what is coming up can browse the events and "What's Happening" pages, including charities supported by the congregation and links to LGBTQ news and opinion.
The church's address for mail and visits is the same Sixth Presbyterian location where Sunday worship takes place.
A House of Prayer for All People
From the six people at the first service on Bellefield Avenue in January 1975 to the present gathering in the Parlor of Sixth Presbyterian Church, MCC Pittsburgh has remained a place where LGBTQ Christians, their families, and their allies can pray, study, marry, grieve, and serve together. The congregation that began as a study group meeting around a table in Oakland has helped found organizations that still feed the hungry and care for those living with HIV in southwestern Pennsylvania, has nurtured leaders who went on to pastor other churches, and has kept a fifty-year rhythm of Sunday worship, weekday prayer, and the long, patient work of proclaiming, in the church's own words, that God's love is radically inclusive and that every person is "a beloved child of God."