CLEARFIELD, Pa. — It may take a bit of searching, but sometimes, the right person is in the right place at the right time.
Rev. Dr. Julia Qiuye Zhao was exactly where she needed to be when the Clearfield Presbyterian Church was searching for a pastor.
Zhao was born in a rural community in southwest China. When she was almost 10 years old, her family immigrated to Toronto, where she spent the rest of her childhood. Zhao’s journey into faith began in Toronto.
“I was actually not raised Christian in China,” Zhao said. “I started going to a Baptist church with my aunt when I was in Toronto. That’s where I came to faith. And I think there wasn’t like a concrete moment where I thought, ‘you know, I think I’m called to be a pastor.’ I just always felt like it just always drew me. And actually, nobody ever said you can’t because you’re a woman—which is actually very unique.”
Zhao then attended college and found a blend of academics and ministry that just felt “right.”
“I was really drawn to being in ministry,” Zhao said. “I didn’t really know what it would look like. I was just drawn to it. And then in college, the University of Toronto; that’s where I did my undergrad, I was just really into school, like really academic. I didn’t know how that would work with ministry because I just haven’t seen that—like I haven’t seen pastors with PhDs, or professors who are pastors. So, I thought, okay, maybe I’m called to be a professor at a Christian college or seminary. I went to Notre Dame for a PhD in medieval studies.”
She later earned her Master of Divinity at Princeton to prepare for ministry. Zhao then completed a pastoral residency in Valparaiso, Indiana, about an hour east of Chicago. She ultimately became a Presbyterian because the denomination deeply valued learning.
Around the same time, the Clearfield Presbyterian Church had been without a full-time pastor for about 2 ½ years. As fate, luck, and divine intervention would have it, Zhao had posted her profile on the Church Leadership Connection network as the church was actively seeking a permanent pastor.
“So in my denomination, it’s a nationwide search,” Zhao said. “The church puts their profile in, you put your profile, and then they match you. But you can also self-refer. I think we just stuck out to each other even from the first conversation.”
“They post pastor profiles on the website and we enter the needs of the church,” said Shawn Wilson, chairman of the church’s search committee. “We post the needs of the congregation, their views and beliefs, a profile of who attends, and the website matches us with candidates.”
Wilson said the committee had gone over numerous profiles before finding Zhao. He said the committee first spoke to her by phone while she was still in Indiana.
“We really liked her, but we were worried about how she would fit with the area and with the congregation,” Wilson said, noting that one of the recurring challenges the church faced was finding an individual who was willing to move to such a rural area.
Zhao’s journey into ministry and her academic life had never allowed her to settle down in one place for more than a few years. It had been a long time since she lived in a community where neighbors have known each other their entire lives.
Yet, Wilson and Lay Pastor Judi Bookhamer both agree that the church and the community have been incredibly welcoming.
“She came in wanting to follow the traditions (of the church) but she’s leading the church in a positive direction and only changing small things that the congregation is willing to embrace,” Bookhamer said.
The match became solid when Zhao traveled to visit the church in person.
“It was in February, it was cold, but she came and toured the community and the church,” Wilson said. “I really didn’t know how she felt or what she was thinking until she stood in the pulpit and smiled. That’s when I knew she was in.”
Once Zhao agreed to lead the congregation, the local church voted to confirm her, and the Presbytery; the regional leadership, voted to officially ordain and install her. Wilson noted the vote was nearly unanimous.
“I’m really excited for Julia being here,” Bookhamer said. “She’s very sensitive to the presence of the Holy Spirit in the pulpit and to the congregation in the church. We’ve worked very well together. I’m proud of the church for embracing a female pastor.”
Zhao is the first female pastor to serve the Clearfield Presbyterian Church in its more than 150-year history.
“I think preaching, of all the things I do, that’s what I love the most,” Zhao said. “A few weeks ago, I preached on this first year as an unfolding of love. So, I think that’s probably how that bond formed, I think building that together has been something that has meant a lot to me.”
Zhao mentioned that the church will host its Vacation Bible School this coming week, and she is also looking to launch a new women’s ministry using the book Sensible Shoes, which follows four women who meet at a retreat center, form deep bonds, and grow together in their faith.
Overall, Zhao noted the congregation has been entirely willing to embrace her ideas of balancing sacred tradition with innovation.
“I’m really grateful for how welcoming the church has been, but also for the lay leadership in really working together to build something really good,” Zhao said.
