Our Pastor
The Rev. Timothy Wotring was born and raised in Cumberland, Maryland, located in the Appalachian Mountain region. His parents own a flower shop and he has a younger brother. He has been part of the church his entire life. In his younger years, he played drums or guitar in worship bands and preached monthly at a nursing home. In 2008, he moved to Philadelphia to attend Eastern University. He received a B.A. in Theology four years later.
After graduating, Timothy worked at Broad Street Ministry with the Youth Initiative as a Spiritual Life Coordinator. He spent the next year as a youth pastor at Union Methodist Church in Havertown until he matriculated into Union Theological Seminary in New York City in the fall of 2013. Timothy wanted to attend a seminary that was known for creative experimental worship and liturgy, carrying out Christ’s call for peace and justice, and high academic rigor.
After graduating from Union in 2016, Timothy continued working at his field education placement at Broadway Presbyterian Church for four years. He initiated and organized the volunteer program at the church’s soup kitchen and shelter. Timothy redesigned the organization’s Supermarket Pantry and Clothing Distribution, and with the help of the pastor, created a monthly free dinner for the neighborhood. In addition to all of that, he was site coordinator for NYC's Young Adult Volunteer for two years, and the worship leader for Columbia University’s campus ministry. Lastly, Timothy started the Youth Engaging in Service summer ministry at Broadway Presbyterian Church. It lasted for three summers and 10 youth groups attended his last summer there in 2018.
Timothy moved back to Philadelphia in December 2018 and lived with his cousin. He taught Sunday School for elementary school aged kids at Old Pine Presbyterian Church for several months. Timothy also worked at Valley Youth House, a homeless youth shelter, for several months in Warminster, PA. Most recently, he worked with Rev. Sarah Colwill at Church on the Mall, helping with community outreach, social media, and technology. He also led a small faith community in Conshohocken called Church on the Bend; they started in June 2019 and met biweekly. In between all of that, Timothy led worship for Bryn Mawr Presbyterian’s youth group.
Overall, his interests are broad and mostly concern the well-being of those on the margins. For more than a decade, Timothy has either worked for or volunteered at homelessness nonprofits. Moreover, he is a lifelong learner and completed the Church Planting and Revitalization Certificate Program at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in September 2019. He is currently working on his Doctor of Ministry at Boston University School of Theology in Transformational Leadership. Timothy is a member of the Mid-Atlantic Pop and American Culture Association and presents papers on cartoons, horror movies, and their intersections with theology.
Timothy and his wife, Meagen, live in Fox Chase with their cat Moo.
Timothy is excited and blessed that MPCFC is his first call!
