Bishop Tom Bickerton has announced the appointment of the Rev. Don
Scandrol, pastor of Dutilh UMC, as Pittsburgh District
superintendent, effective July 1.
Scandrol will follow the Rev. Martha Orphe, who has served since 1999,
a year longer than the usual term.
Scandrol said his appointment is evidence that “God has a sense of
humor.” He said he has always attempted to avoid jobs that require a lot
of paperwork, something that has been associated with the position of
superintendent. But there are other aspects of the job that Scandrol may
relish.
“I would like to see our churches and our pastors work together in
ministry, partnering to reach out and making new disciples,” he said. “I
am a counselor. I can get people together and talk about possibilities.”
Scandrol’s bachelor of science degree and one of his master’s degrees
are in counseling and social work. He earned both at the University of
Pittsburgh. Scandrol also studied at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary,
earning a master of divinity degree in 1975 and a doctor of ministry in
1981.
For about 20 of his 34 years as a pastor, Scandrol worked part-time (8
hours a week) as a pastoral counselor with the Lutheran Social Services.
“I am into asking people to fulfill their calling and
responsibilities,” he said. As a superintendent, he hopes to help pastors
develop “skills and gifts that can be used to help people to grow and
churches to grow.”
During his ministry, Scandrol said, he served “just about every kind of
church you can, from urban to suburban to rural.” He servedHays UMC
as a student pastor.
He was appointed as an associate at First UMC in Murrysville
after being ordained, then moved to serve nine years at Madison UMC,
nine years as pastor of Coraopolis UMC and has been pastor of
Dutilh since 1997.
Scandrol has been involved in leadership positions beyond the local
church throughout his ministry. He has served as a district youth
coordinator, chaired the Conference Christian education and camping
committees, served on the Conference Council, and currently is secretary
of the WPA United Methodist Foundation board. Scandrol also teaches
preaching and pastoral care at the annual Local Pastor's Licensing School.
He has completed the three-year course of study at the Beeson Institute
for Advanced Church Leadership, a program he said he would encourage other
pastors to attend.
Scandrol has always been involved in the community. “As the people are
involved in these things, the pastors ought to be where the people are,”
he said. He noted that he is always proud when he sees his church members
serving in the community. When his children were growing up, Scandrol
coached Little League and was involved in the PTA. He was a Boy Scout as a
youth and remains active in scouting.
Scandrol’s son Matt, 30, is a school principal; his daughter Paula is
an addictions counselor with Mercy Behavioral Health, and his 19-yearold
son Jesse is a freshman at Allegheny College. His wife Georgia died of
pancreatic cancer shortly after he was appointed to Dutilh.
He has been married the past six years to Barbara, who manages payroll
for a company in Moon Township. Like Bishop Bickerton, Scandrol describes
himself as a “huge sports fan,” although he doesn’t share the bishop’s
interest in golf. “I preferring cutting grass,” he said. “I like to drive
my big green tractor around.”
Because he’s spent all of his life within about a 27-mile radius of
Pittsburgh’s Point, Scandrol said he’s delighted to serve as
superintendent of the Pittsburgh District, where he knows the people, the
communities and most of the pastors.
“I have a lot of contacts with people in the area. I know the history
and how it got to be what it is — and maybe what keeps it from being what
it could be,” he said. “Sometimes it’s hard for people to change.
“I care about it (the area) a lot. I have great concerns about the city
and the deterioration of the city. It’s a great metaphor for churches. In
terms of the church, we have to look at how we could use our resources in
a way to affect people’s lives for the better.”