STATE COLLEGE – University Baptist and Brethren Church (UBBC) formally installed the Rev. Jeremy Richards as its new pastor during a worship on Sunday, Sept. 21.
The service featured scripture, liturgy, children’s time, special music from the choir, and a sermon delivered by the Rev. Dr. Valerie Andrews, Interim Executive Regional Minister for the Philadelphia Baptist Association. A reception followed in UBBC’s Fellowship Hall.
Richards began his ministry at UBBC on July 14, moving with his spouse, Brie, and their daughter, Esther, from Oregon to central Pennsylvania. He previously served as University Chaplain and Director of Service Leadership at Linfield University in McMinnville, Ore. and before that, as pastor of an American Baptist congregation in Portland for six years.
For Richards, the installation is more than a ceremonial welcome.
“Ritual is a big part of any religious community, and a big part of being human,” he said. “My family and I moved across the country to be a part of this community, and that speaks to what an exceptional church UBBC is. While I could certainly begin my ministry here without an installation service, there’s something powerful for both me and the congregation in marking this substantial transition with a ceremony.”
The transition is particularly meaningful following the long tenure of the Rev. Bonnie Kline Smeltzer, who pastored UBBC from October 2002 through July 2022.
“The installation of a new pastor is always a milestone because it is the beginning of a new chapter in ministry,” Kline Smeltzer said. “Pastor Jeremy brings unique gifts and skills to lead UBBC into a new era. Together, pastor and people will be open to the Spirit’s calling to be a faith community responding to each other’s needs and those of the world.”
Kline Smeltzer noted that the service also marks a spiritual covenant.
“Calling a new pastor is a time filled with interviews, visits, questions and contracts. Installing Jeremy Richards as UBBC’s pastor is a time in worship where before God and each other we make a covenant to be in ministry together. We acknowledge and commit to being partners in ministry.”
Though Richards is hesitant to define a “new” vision for UBBC, he emphasizes the church’s identity as a Spirit-led community.
“UBBC is not me, it’s the body of Christ gathered in this unique place at this unique time. Every member of UBBC is a minister in their own right. My role is to pay attention to how the Spirit may be moving among us, and then to help give voice and direction to that movement,” he explained.
