Staff
Pastor Janet Hellner-Burris
Pastor Janet lives at the crossroads of deep contemplative prayer and engaged social action and peacemaking. Since 1990 she has been leading our congregation in becoming an inter-racial fellowship and now embraces being a co-pastor with Pastor Cecilia Sims. Pastor Janet, also, directs the Wilkinsburg Sanctuary Project for Peace which seeks to end youth violence as it lifts Wilkinsburg as a wonderful place to live, work, attend school and worship.
Pastor Janet grew up in Alexandria, Virginia with her home congregation being the National City Christian Church where she learned to love working with the youth of that urban neighborhood in Washington, D.C. She is a graduate of St. John’s College and Princeton Theological Seminary. She is the wife of Steve who is the Chief Operating Office at Hosanna House, her partner in ministry and the love of her life. She, also, is the mother of Kaitlyn, a veterinarian, and Ben, a coding engineer and grandmother of one amazing grandson named Connor. Pastor Janet is a writer who has written four
books, one on her journey through breast cancer, two on forgiveness which she taught for many years at the county jail and her latest book is about the congregation’s journey in becoming an inter-racial, peacemaking family of faith. (See “Retreats and books” to order one of her books).
Whenever she can, Pastor Janet loves to play her Navajo flute, write, kayak, hike and take photographs
in the beauty of God’s creation.
Co-Pastor Cecilia Sims
Pastor Cecilia Sims is Co-Pastor, with Pastor Janet Hellner-Burris at the Christian Church of Wilkinsburg. Pastor Sims is commissioned by Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She serves not only our congregation, but on the Pennsylvania Regional Board and Executive Committee. Pastor Sims gave her life to the Lord Jesus Christ in her senior year of high school and has been serving in the church in some capacity ever since. She attended CCAC and Virginia Tech. She has worked in the Social Service field for many years. She loves to pray, sing, and study God’s word. Her mission is to put God’s word into action daily, so lives are changed, and this world is a better place for all people.
She is the proud mother of 3 adult children and 12 grandchildren, which she counts as her greatest blessings.
Maja Petrovic
Maja Petrović was born in Serbia, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from the Music Academy in Eastern Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She went on to earn her Master’s degree at the Faculty of Music in Skopje, Macedonia. During her studies she won over 30 awards, and is currently an Artist Diploma student at Duquesne University under David Allen Wehr.
Jennifer Castelli
Jennifer grew up in our congregation and is the daughter of former long-time members ,Paul and Helen Long. She graduated from the University of Pittsburgh Greensburg in Biological Sciences. She works for Smithfiield Foods as a production supervisor. She is the mother of Alyssa and Kylie, who often assist her in her work around the church as co-chair of the deacons and cook for Kingdom Kids events.