Ep 186: Pastor Caitlin Werth of Waverly Presbyterian Church reveals her spiritual journey and plans for the future.

Pastor Caitlin Werth shares her authentic spiritual journey—from childhood faith rooted in love, through social work and jail ministry, to pastoring with wonder and questioning. Discover how she found her call despite resistance and why she believes every person is redeemable. Rev. Caitlin Werth is a Presbyterian Church (USA) pastor and "lover of all people." She began in social work, then answered a stubborn call to ministry. Her first ordained role was directing the Foundation of HOPE Pre-Release Program at Allegheny County Jail, helping incarcerated people reconnect with faith, community, and personal growth. She believes transformation is always possible and that God is love—who made us out of love, to live and spread love. At Waverly Presbyterian Church she deepened her faith in a community that values growth through questioning and engaging mystery.   She is now wrapping up her time there to follow her husband's call to Charlotte, NC. In this conversation you'll hear: • Her slower, steady spiritual journey with no single "aha" moment • How parents who were former hippies shaped her view of God as love • The power of being encouraged to question faith as a teenager • College at a Jesuit university and a formative trip to El Salvador • Discovering authentic church community • The call to ministry and her transformative work in jail • Why "wonder" became the hallmark of her preaching • Reflections on leaving a beloved congregation   0:00 – Welcome & introduction 1:30 – Caitlin's spiritual journey from childhood 4:00 – Parents, love, and never questioning God's existence 6:30 – High school: learning to question and explore faith 8:00 – College at John Carroll & El Salvador trip 12:00 – Finding authentic community at Hot Metal Bridge 15:00 – The call to ministry (and her resistance) 18:00 – Jail ministry & Foundation of HOPE 25:00 – Belief that every person is redeemable 30:00 – Preaching with wonder 40:00 – Time at Waverly Presbyterian Church 50:00 – Transition to Charlotte & reflections 58:00 – Closing thoughts & blessings   Subscribe for weekly interviews with real people sharing their spiritual journeys, transformation stories, and practical wisdom: https://www.youtube.com/@yourspiritualjourneypodcast Website & more episodes: yourspiritualjourneypodcast.com Support the podcast: https://patreon.com/ysjp?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_fan&utm_content=join_link #SpiritualJourney #PastorStory #FaithJourney #Presbyterian #JailMinistry #SpiritualAwakening #GodIsLove #TransformationStories #YourSpiritualJourneyPodcast   Full discloser - the host of this podcast has been a member of Waverly Presbyterian Church for over 30 years.