Faith was a constant during childhood for the Rev. Ryan Kobert, who is in his sixth year as pastor at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Sewickley.
His devotion began at a young age growing up O’Hara and attending weekly church services at Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Etna.
He graduated from Fox Chapel Area High School and later graduated with a double major in medieval studies and history from Penn State University.
“History is my love,” he said.
But after college, Kobert pondered his career opportunities and drew inspiration from his numerous summers working as a camp counselor at Camp Lutherlyn in Butler County.
He met his future wife, also a camp counselor, at Lutherlyn.
The couple have been married 14 years and have two young children, a dog and cat.
“I grew in my faith during the year and during my summers I would go to Camp Lutherlyn. It’s a wonderful camp,” Kobert said.
Recalling his last worship as a camp counselor, Kobert said he had a self reflection moment.
“I calculated that I had touched the lives of more than 800 campers in my four years as a counselor. That’s a lot of lives that I impacted and I thought ‘Next year I won’t be here so now what?’” he said. “I wanted to impact the lives of others.”
Ordained for 10 years — St. Paul’s is his second congregation — Kobert said being a pastor has its ups and downs.
“Funerals are the toughest. Some are so crushing. The hardest part is the funerals. That’s the final moments people have with their loved ones,” Kobert said.
He holds a masters of divinity from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and completed a seminary internship in Rural Retreat, Va. He previously served at Faith in New Florence near rural Penn View Mountain.
Kobert’s sermon style often incorporates his vast knowledge of history and a trip to Israel.
St. Paul’s was organized in 1907 and the church building was dedicated in 1922. Kobert serves about 70-100 congregants and keeps a separate ‘pastor phone’ that he carries 24/7 during on-call work obligations.
Living in nearby Edgeworth, Kobert said life in the Quaker Valley is rewarding.
“I make connections and I bring that approach to ministry too. We have a community surrounding us and our congregation has been wonderful,” Kobert said. “I grew up around Pittsburgh and people think of Sewickley of this rich place, but it’s much more than that. It’s a vibrant place and a mix. Our food pantry is always emptied within 24 hours because there’s a need.”
St. Paul’s outreach programs include a free Kid’s Community Closet, a Snack Box and Micro-Pantry, Garden Pantry, Annual Bike Rodeo and providing meals to homeless individuals through Northside Common Ministries.
“Connecting with people in this community is one of the joys of being in Sewickley. Sometimes people come up to me for help, or with questions. I may not be able to help them but I can connect them to who can. And sometimes strangers come up and I’ve been told life stories and asked to pray for their loved ones. It’s part of what I do,” Kobert said.
When he’s away from church, Kobert enjoys dad duties, Tae-Kwon-Do with his kids, playing table top games and reading fantasy novels.
“I’m a nerd. I like to build Legos and I enjoy both ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Star Trek.’ That brings me into my nerddom,” he joked.