City Church welcomes new pastor
The Rev. Brandon Petras has taken over as pastor of Butler City Church, 311 Second St.
The new pastor heads a new church.
“We've only been Butler City Church since the beginning of summer,” said Petras.
“We are a new church in the area. The congregation right now is pretty small, about 25 people attend on a Sunday. Like I said we just started,” said Petras.
Butler City Church has a 10 a.m. Sunday worship service and a 7 p.m. Wednesday worship service.
“The Wednesday service is an evening service and a Bible study service,” said Petras. “It's more informal, a small group time and discussion time.”
Petras was born and grew up in Kittanning, Armstrong County.
After graduating from Ford City High School in 2003, Petras enlisted in the Army where he served for eight years as a tank crewman, including a year in Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as stints in Fort Knox, Ky., and time in the Pennsylvania National Guard.
Petras said, “I have a bachelor's degree in tech education, a master's degree in educational leadership and Bible training from Global University. I am credentialed with the Assemblies of God.”
Butler City Church will be Petras' first posting as a lead pastor, although he has served as a youth pastor and an assistant pastor in the past.
Petras said that as an Assemblies of God church, “our doctrine lines up with that of the Assemblies of God. We are a Pentecostal Church.”
Its core values include integrity, purpose, family and investing and leading the next generation, according to the church website.
“Our initial goal is to get established in the community. We're on Institute Hill, surrounded by homes, obviously we want to grow and we want to make an impact in the community,” he said. “And as we grow, our impact grows with the church.
“So it's a twofold plan to grow and have a greater impact,” said Petras.
Church member and secretary Cheri Uhl said a church board offered Petras the position.
“He's very good. His sermons are easy to understand,” said Uhl. “He's very knowledgeable and he knows the Lord.”
For now, Petras said he is living in Kittanning with his wife, Katelyn; and two sons Cooper, 6 and Parker, 4, but added he is in Butler at least two days a week.
For now, he said, the best place to get news of the church is at its website, www.butlercitychurch.com.
Petras said, “If you are looking for a church that you can come as you are, be yourself, connect to other people, find answers to questions you may have, this is the place you want to be.
“It's a great place for young families,” he said. “We have a children's church service that runs the same time as the adult service that ranges from birth through sixth grade. My wife is the children's ministry director.”
Petras added, “We are having a big event at 7 p.m. Sept. 28 called 'Slavery Ends Tonight.'
“It's a night to expose human trafficking, an issue that's coming closer and closer to home,” Petras said.
“We will show a 30-minute film produced by A21, an organization committed to the eradication of human trafficking,” he said.
