Our Staff

Rev. Dr. Brian Janssen
janssen@bethanypresby.org

The Rev. Dr. Brian Janssen, better known as Pastor Brian or PBJ, began his ministry here at Bethany in January of 2021. Having previously served churches in Harrisburg, and the North Hills of Pittsburgh. Brian has a heart for the church and God’s people, and is excited to see what God is up to here in Bridgeville. “As we get to know our neighborhood, we will begin to see what God is doing there and join Him in that work.” The call of God has been made readily apparent in all the conversations with the PNC and Brian is looking forward to getting to know the congregation, engaging in ministry and mission, and begin prayerfully discerning with the church the direction God is calling us as we move into His future.
 
Brian is married to his amazing wife Lisa who works in finance for American Eagle Outfitters. Together they have a dog named Buddy and currently reside in Upper St. Clair. Brian and Lisa love traveling, spending time with family, exploring the amazing city of Pittsburgh, and rooting for the Steelers, Pirates, and Penguins. They can’t wait to begin ministry at Bethany and look forward to meeting you all and sharing the love of Jesus with people in Bridgeville, and around the world.
 
Brian is in the office most days when he is not out visiting parishioners or learning more about the neighborhood. You should always feel free to stop by and say hello, have a conversation, a time of prayer, and a cup of coffee, but  not necessarily in that order.

Rev. Ellen Dawson
dawson@bethanypresby.org 

Rev. Ellen R. Dawson is a pastor and missions mobilizer with a passion for equipping leaders, transformative worship, and frontier mission. Most recently, Ellen served as the Associate Pastor for Membership and Missions at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh. Her previous work includes Campus Ministry at Marshall University and at The University of Arizona.
 
In the summer of 2013, Ellen led a team of 6 college students to Nepal for six weeks, in conjunction with the New Wilmington Mission Conference Summer Service program. In her capacity as a pastor, she has led mission trips to Peru, Las Vegas, Miami, Costa Rica, West Virginia, Maryland, Guatemala, and Haiti; she has also been on mission teams to Jamaica, Vietnam, and Mexico.

Ellen served as a Young Adult Volunteer (YAV) in the town of Tiquisate, Guatemala from 2004-2005. That year was one of the many steps that led her to finally giving in to the call to full-time ministry. She graduated with an M.Div. from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in 2009. She also has a degree in Communication and Public Relations from Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio.
 
Ellen is an Accredited Practitioner for Integrative Enneagram Solutions, coaching individuals and teams on the benefits of the Enneagram personality typing system. She enjoys writing, hiking, trying new recipes, and exploring all Pittsburgh has to offer.

Abbie Gardner
Youth Ministry Intern
youth@bethanypresby.org

Abbie Gardner is currently serving both Bethany Presbyterian Church and Rennerdale
Presbyterian Church youth groups. She is a student at Liberty University and she is getting a degree in Biblical Studies & Christian Education. She graduated from Chartiers Valley and started attending Duquesne University majoring in Secondary Education and English. During this time, she started working as the youth group director at Rennerdale Church; the church she grew up in and is currently a member.  After working with the youth group at Rennerdale for a couple of months, Abbie realized God’s plan for her was not to teach English, but to learn and teach students about God in a youth group-type environment. She quickly took the jump to apply to Liberty University and continue down the path of youth ministry.
Both youth groups Abbie leads are separate and have their own space, but they will do some
combined things like retreats and mission trips!
While Abbie is not at a church with youth, she can be caught drinking coffee, eating tacos, or
buying unnecessary things from Dollar Tree. She loves crafting, spending time with her family,
and exploring new things. She is engaged to a soulful guy named Joshua, and they are
planning their wedding that will be this summer. Together they like hiking, camping, and just
exploring what God has to offer.
Abbie is so excited to be a part of Bethany’s mission and community – and looks forward to
getting know more of her brothers and sisters in Christ.

Nadina Robusto
Music Director
music@bethanypresby.org

Nadina Robusto has worked in the music field in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area in many different roles. Lots of hats and batons, folders and binders, clipboards and clip lights- in many different roles- leading, directing, conducting, orchestrating, arranging, teaching, and even using music in therapy. Summer camps, mental health services/hospitals, education, nursing homes, private lessons- it's a diverse field! She's studied sacred music, classical/jazz piano, choral conducting, pipe organ and music therapy at Duquesne University, and is blessed to have connected with so many gifted people (and saints) along the way. She's worked at several churches and the blessings outpoured from all of the communities she worshipped with - ranging from Temple Baptist, to St. Benedict the Moor, from Newlonsburg Presbyterian, to Trinity Methodist, from Westminster Presbyterian to her very first summer church job at Concordia Lutheran, substituting for her beloved teacher who joined the church triumphant but lives in Nadina's heart and so many pages of music that she and Nadina shared over the years.
Nadina is looking forward to all the ways music will bring our congregation closer to God.  Like the Psalms teach us- in our songs of ascent, confession, lament, or praise- in community, in our individual prayer lives, and in the way that music connects us with our own church history and Scripture, in the days passed, in the here and now, and through eternity. Let our praise through music be our truthful hearts connecting with our God whom understands us.

"Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!" Psalm 150:6

Debra Gossic
Pastoral Care Associate
parishcare@bethanypresby.org

Ruth Doyle
Pastoral Care Associate
parishcare@bethanypresby.org