Church Staff & Board Members

Get to know HOPE's Staff and Board Members

Church Staff

Reverend Ronald A. Brown

Senior Pastor

Pastor Ron Brown has been serving Hope Evangelical Lutheran Church since March 2003. He has been a rostered pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in the Southwestern Pennsylvania (SWPA) Synod since being ordained in June 1999. Pastor Brown earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from the California University of Pennsylvania in 1995 and a master’s degree in divinity in 1999 from the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Gettysburg. He and his wife, Brenda, an elementary school teacher in the Seneca Valley School District, have two daughters – Nicole Grace and Molly Ann. They reside in Cranberry Township, PA. In his spare time, Pastor Brown loves to spend time with his family, read books, and enjoy all that the Pittsburgh Area has to offer especially the Penguins, Pirates, and Steelers.

“My practice of ministry is simply to lead by example striving to be a faithful disciple of Jesus living out His teachings in my life.”

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Brittany Kellar

Office & Finance Manager

Brittany Kellar started at Hope Lutheran Church in February 2021. She makes sure the day to day financial operations of the church move along efficiently; making sure your contributions are going to the causes you care about. When Brittany isn’t working on excel spreadsheets and accounts payable, she loves spending time with her family as well as keeping up with her musical talents and offering them to various churches in the area.

Brittany lives in Harmony (literally and figuratively) with her “Bobbys” – her husband Bob and son Bobby – and her two rescue puppies, Fischer and Fonzi.

Lamentations 3:22-23: The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.

Jessica Freeman

Youth and Family Ministry Coordinator

Jessica started at Hope Lutheran Church in March 2025 as Youth and Family Ministry Coordinator. As a lifelong Lutheran she attends church at St. John’s Perrysville and is a graduate of Thiel College with a BA in Elementary Education, History and a Secondary Social Studies Certification. Jessica is excited to share the gospel through community and fellowship with all those she meets. She has a passion for working with young people and those young at heart. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching sitcoms, cooking, hiking, and dancing. She lives in the North Hills with her husband Dave and 2 cats, Gizmo and Gidget.

Life verses: Proverbs 3: 5-6

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Reverend Robert Zimmerman

Transitional Associate Interim Pastor

Pastor Robert Zimmerman graduated from Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA in 1979 with a BA in Elementary Education. In 2001, discerning a call to full time ministry, he served as Synodically Authorized Minister at St. John “Stone Church” north of Harmony while attending classes part time at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. In 2004 Zimmerman began full time studies at the Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg in The summer of 2005 was spent in Supervised Clinical Pastoral Education as a chaplain intern in the Pittsburgh Veterans Healthcare System. His internship year in 2005-2006 was spent as vicar here at Hope Lutheran in Cranberry Township.

Pastor Bob’s first call was to St. Luke’s Lutheran in Westview in December of 2007. In 2015 he was called to St. John in Mars where he served until retirement in April 2021. For 2022 and 2023 he served as the transitional interim pastor for St. John’s Lutheran Church of Perrysville. He has served as chairperson of the SWPA Synod Committee on Outreach and is currently a member of the board of directors of Lutheran SeniorLife.

His wife Carol is retired also, from a career as a pension actuary. Carol currently serves as the treasurer here at Hope Church and is an active musician, playing clarinet in several local bands and substituting for organists at area churches. Zimmerman’s hobbies include swimming, sailing with friends, and reading. Both are members of Hope, and enjoy time with their five grandchildren and traveling.

Emily Meloni

Office & Communications Administrator

Emily Meloni started at Hope Lutheran Church, April 2018. She is the church’s office and communications administrator. Her duties include, but are not limited to: answering the phones/door, putting together bulletins, weekly spirits, power points, etc. She is also lead of the church calendar, baptisms, weddings and funerals, facility requests, and any other communication pieces of the church. Emily has grown up in the church as her father is a Pastor outside of Philadelphia, PA. She lives in Monaca, PA with her husband, Shawn, her son, Lucas, her two dogs Hayley (a coonhound beagle) Skye (a blue heeler), and many salt-water fish. On her free time, Emily loves to be outdoors with her family: hiking, riding quads/dirt bikes, fishing, camping, watching airplanes, etc. If you ask Emily what her passion is she would tell you it is being around people! She loves to be social and talk to everyone!

Emily’s life verse:
Matthew 21:22 “If you believe you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer”!”

Beth Wehr

Organist

Beth has always loved music and has served as a church organist since she was 16 years old. She enjoys learning the stories behind the hymns of our Christian faith and the people who wrote them. She is very thankful, and gives God all the glory that she can still play after having brain tumor surgery in 2008. One of her favorite quotes is from J.S. Bach – “I play the notes as they are written, but it is God who makes the music.” Beth lives in Evans City with her husband, Rob and their dog, Cassie.