Meet our New Pastor
The Reverend Janet L. Saddel, Elder in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the UMC, will begin her appointment at the Church of the Good Shepherd on July 1, 2021. We are very excited for Pastor Janet to lead our congregation and to see what the Lord has in store for COGS under her leadership. Please join us for a casual meet and greet with Pastor Janet on July 11th from 12-1pm at the Pavilion. There will also be a special assimilation service on July 11th for the congregation to get to learn more about Pastor Janet and how God has been using her in ministry throughout her life.
Janet grew up in Blue Bell and was raised at Calvary UMC in Ambler, PA where she was very active in the church through choirs, serving on boards, leading the Sunday School worship, teaching the Senior High Sunday School and serving as the volunteer Youth Director for 11 years. With a BA in Philosophy from West Chester University, she worked as a full-charge bookkeeper for a paper company before receiving a call to serve as a missionary for one year to Novosibirsk in Siberia, Russia. While in Russia she recognized God’s call to fulltime ministry and entered seminary, obtaining a Master’s of Divinity degree. As a seminary student, she participated in a two-week mission project to Sombrerete, Mexico, and participated in a student trip to Israel and Palestine, with visits to refugee camps in Bethlehem and the Gaza Strip. Her mission service has also included ASP mission trips.
Her first appointment was as an Associate Pastor for two years in a large church in Springfield, PA. She was then appointed as the first full-time pastor of East Bangor UMC where she served for 8 years. Her next appointment was in Warrington PA as the Senior Pastor of St. Paul’s UMC, serving for 7 years. She is currently appointed to First UMC in Lancaster, PA, a large downtown church where she serves in partnership with the Lead Pastor.