Why I'm here: My passion is for the Bible and the lands of the Bible. In my sermons, I love to dig into the stories of Jesus, or of the prophets, and put these stories in their context within the rolling hills of Judah or along the shores of the Sea of Galilee. But then it is time to search for the text’s meaning for us in our world, now. This process fascinates me, and I hope you will join me in this quest.

Education: I majored in history at Bucknell, then studied theology at Harvard Divinity School and did a PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at Harvard.

John Betlyon
Senior Pastor

My research interest is in the biblical time called the “Persian Period,” when the Persians controlled the lands of the Bible. This was the time of the books of Esther, Ezra, Nehemiah, 1-2 Chronicles, Job, Ecclesiastes, etc.—circa 540-330 BC.

Favorite Scripture: I have many favorite scriptures, but among them is the little known Psalm 133.

My little secret: I admit that I am a chocaholic who is definitely “out” of the closet! I also must unashamedly admit that I love football and especially watching the Penn State Nittany Lions do battle in the BIG 10.

At home: Married to wife, Sandy, who I met in college. Together in our blended family we have nine children ages 28 to 16, two dogs and a cat.

Why I'm here: I believe God called me to one simple task and that is to tell people He loves them no matter what. I don't care who you are, where you've been or what you've done...He loves you.

My day begins with this small prayer, "God, send me the ones no one else wants." My passion is to reach out to the overlooked people of the world and find ways to care for them. I know what it's like to want to contribute and find meaning and to have everyone overlooking what you have to offer, so I passionately seek out all walks of life who are neglected or ignored.

My goal at Trinity UMC is to be approachable and connected to the lives of the people God has placed in my path. Ultimately, I am here to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in helping the people of God connect to Jesus on a deeper and deeper level.

Education: I've lived many lives. I hold an associate's degree from Broome Community College and an almost associate's in accounting from the same school. I finished my undergraduate degree at Binghamton University majoring in English and general literature. The choice to major in literary criticism came from a desire to delve more deeply into Scripture and mine its rich and diverse texts as completely as possible. In 1996, I received my Master of Divinity from Boston University. Unfortunately, as an older student I spent all of my time studying and failed to go to even one Red Sox game though Fenway Park was within walking distance of BU.

Favorite Scripture: I passionately love all of Scripture but if someone were to say you can keep only one page of the Bible and have that to reflect on for the rest of your life, I would choose Luke 15. This passage deals with lost things found, especially the story of the lost son (more commonly known as the Prodigal Son). I know what it's like to be lost and how amazing it is to be found again by the Father. I have tried life with God and without God and knowing that He stands with open arms waiting for me still amazes me and drives my mission to help other lost ones. Hanging over my desk is a large rendering of Rembrandt's "The Prodigal Son." I keep it there to remind me of the father's great love for us. I purchased the print after reading Henri Nouwen's small book "Return of the Prodigal Son" where he describes in detail reflecting on the original for several hours.

My little secret: I really CAN cook when I want to. I just don't tell that fact to every church I go to so I get asked out to eat a lot. Also, I am a recovering work-aholic. I love working for Trinity UMC and can't seem to get out the door on time each night. Also, I sometimes root for the Yankees, but please don't tell my family who are all live or die Red Sox fans. (And don't tell Pastor John. He said it was a job requirement to be a Red Sox fan.)

At home: Married to husband, Norman, for 15 years and have five grown children.