| James H. Ritchie |
Dr. James H. Ritchie, Jr., a clergy member of the Western Pennsylvania Annual
Conference of The United Methodist Church, is under extension ministry appointment to
Ritchie Faith Span Ministries, providing leadership, resources, consultation, and training in
the area of multigenerational ministries. From 1994 until 2002 he served Monroeville United
Methodist Church as associate pastor/minister of Christian education. Prior to serving as an
editor of children’s curriculum at The United Methodist Publishing House (1987-1994), he
pastored Western Pennsylvania United Methodist churches in Bradford (Hill Memorial,
1976-1981) and Brush Valley (1981-1986).
At UMPH Dr. Ritchie edited vacation Bible school, music, and human sexuality resources
for children, and resources for parents and pastors. He continues his relationship with The
Publishing House as a freelance writer, editor, composer, and consultant. He developed the
Created by God sexuality education resources for preteens and their parents (Abingdon). He
is the author of Always in Rehearsal: The Practice of Worship and the Presence of Children
(Discipleship Resources) and his music has appeared for over two decades in curriculum,
choral, and worship resources including The United Methodist Book of Worship, The United
Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement, The Faith We Sing, and VBS units such as “Peter
Rock: A Drama of Faith,” “Beneath the Storytelling Tree: Parables Jesus Told,” and “Club
Can-Do: Kids Called to Care.”
The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native received his B.A. from Mount Union College in
Alliance, Ohio; M.Div. from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio; and Ed.D. in
religious education from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee (Dissertation:
Liturgical Community: A Vision and A Focus for Religious Education and Children). He
regularly teaches on the subjects of children and worship, music and education, curriculum,
and human sexuality education for children, and writes for and about the preteen/middle
school audience. Since 1991 he has taken over 1300 young persons and their parents through
the Created by God study. A member of the Christian Educators Fellowship Board of
Directors, he edits CEF’s quarterly publication, Christians in Education, and is an advisory
board member and writer for the Westminster/John Knox online curriculum library, The
Thoughtful Christian.
Following a 2000 study tour, “Hope for the Children of Africa,” Dr. Ritchie served as a
mission ambassador throughout Western Pennsylvania, doing presentations on children and
children’s missions in Angola, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. In 2001 he coordinated a team of
20 persons and took the first-ever vacation Bible school to the Aleutian island of Unalaska.
He recently was a keynote speaker, worship leader, and preacher at “The Heart of Worship,”
a conference on worship held in North Wales and sponsored by The Methodist Church in
Great Britain; and led an ecumenical workshop on multigenerational worship at Wesley’s
Chapel in London.
Dr. Ritchie’s wife of 34 years, Tracy, is executive administrative assistant for Christian
Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania. They are the parents of three adult sons, Joshua,
Daniel, and Benjamin, and the grandparents of one grandson, Zachary.
Conference of The United Methodist Church, is under extension ministry appointment to
Ritchie Faith Span Ministries, providing leadership, resources, consultation, and training in
the area of multigenerational ministries. From 1994 until 2002 he served Monroeville United
Methodist Church as associate pastor/minister of Christian education. Prior to serving as an
editor of children’s curriculum at The United Methodist Publishing House (1987-1994), he
pastored Western Pennsylvania United Methodist churches in Bradford (Hill Memorial,
1976-1981) and Brush Valley (1981-1986).
At UMPH Dr. Ritchie edited vacation Bible school, music, and human sexuality resources
for children, and resources for parents and pastors. He continues his relationship with The
Publishing House as a freelance writer, editor, composer, and consultant. He developed the
Created by God sexuality education resources for preteens and their parents (Abingdon). He
is the author of Always in Rehearsal: The Practice of Worship and the Presence of Children
(Discipleship Resources) and his music has appeared for over two decades in curriculum,
choral, and worship resources including The United Methodist Book of Worship, The United
Methodist Hymnal Music Supplement, The Faith We Sing, and VBS units such as “Peter
Rock: A Drama of Faith,” “Beneath the Storytelling Tree: Parables Jesus Told,” and “Club
Can-Do: Kids Called to Care.”
The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native received his B.A. from Mount Union College in
Alliance, Ohio; M.Div. from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio; and Ed.D. in
religious education from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee (Dissertation:
Liturgical Community: A Vision and A Focus for Religious Education and Children). He
regularly teaches on the subjects of children and worship, music and education, curriculum,
and human sexuality education for children, and writes for and about the preteen/middle
school audience. Since 1991 he has taken over 1300 young persons and their parents through
the Created by God study. A member of the Christian Educators Fellowship Board of
Directors, he edits CEF’s quarterly publication, Christians in Education, and is an advisory
board member and writer for the Westminster/John Knox online curriculum library, The
Thoughtful Christian.
Following a 2000 study tour, “Hope for the Children of Africa,” Dr. Ritchie served as a
mission ambassador throughout Western Pennsylvania, doing presentations on children and
children’s missions in Angola, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. In 2001 he coordinated a team of
20 persons and took the first-ever vacation Bible school to the Aleutian island of Unalaska.
He recently was a keynote speaker, worship leader, and preacher at “The Heart of Worship,”
a conference on worship held in North Wales and sponsored by The Methodist Church in
Great Britain; and led an ecumenical workshop on multigenerational worship at Wesley’s
Chapel in London.
Dr. Ritchie’s wife of 34 years, Tracy, is executive administrative assistant for Christian
Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania. They are the parents of three adult sons, Joshua,
Daniel, and Benjamin, and the grandparents of one grandson, Zachary.
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