Let us introduce our Pastor and his family:

Reverend Brett Porter Morgan, D.Min

    With 25 years as a Minister of the Word and Sacrament, Brett offers a wealth of pastoral experience, training, and vision to Ashland Presbyterian Church.  He is a well-known and respected member of Baltimore Presbytery, having served as Pastor of Roland Park Presbyterian Church for 9 years, and Interim Pastor at Christ Our Anchor Presbyterian Church in Annapolis and at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Reisterstown.  He is an active participant in the Presbytery and the Synad of the Mid-Atlantic as well.

     Prior to moving to Baltimore in 1989, Brett served as Pastor of John Knox Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and before that as Associate Pastor of Second Presbyterian Church, also in Louisville.  He also has experience in the fields of pastoral counseling, non-profit development, and public relations. A member of Spiritual Directors International, his current ministry also includes service as a spiritual director or "companion" to a number of individuals.

     Brett grew up in Dallas and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1972.  He holds the Doctor of Ministry degree with a concentration in pastoral care from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, a Masters degree in historical theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, a Masters degree in pastoral counseling from Loyala College in Maryland, and a certificate in Spiritual Direction from Oasis Ministries, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.  His hobbies include playing guitar (acoustic, electric, bass), family history and genealogy and hiking.

     Brett and his family live in Towson.  His wife, Suzette Florendo Morgan, works in research administration at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.  The couple have four wonderful children, two each from previous marriages.  Rachel Morgan, a graduate of Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia is a media analyst for the American Diabetes Association.   David Morgan is a senior at Towson High School.  Sophia Stevens is a sophomore at UMBC.  Marielle Stevens is a senior at Damascus High School in Montgomery County.

     We would like to share with you several excerpts taken from his Personal Information Form that we feel distinguish him as the right person to serve as pastor of APC.

• At heart I see myself in ministry as someone who, by training and practice, is able to help others view their experience in light of spiritual realities and aspirations.
• Transition appears to be a constant feature of contemporary life.  Rapid change creates crisis in our families, our institutions, our communities, and our world.  We look for help reconnecting with the spiritual dimension of our lives, and our souls need attention.   That said, retreat to a nostalgically imagined past cannot be the way forward.  The only god is the living God.  We require grace, a will to listen for and to discern God's voice within ourselves, and fresh vision to observe the traces of God in the world.
• I believe God calls each of us to an expression of ministry that reflects our one-of-a-kind ensemble of talents, gifts, and circumstances.  Diversity within the Body of Christ strengthens and enhances the whole.  I understand ministry to be about assisting in the discovery of who and what God is calling us to become.
• Times like ours create anxiety and confusion.  Extremism does not help and needs to be resisted lovingly, with strength grounded in faith.  Trust in God is called form in our age of rapid change, as is courage.  And a sense of humor helps a lot too!

Pastor Morgan has been at Ashland Presbyterian Church since July 1, 2003.