Rev. Tim Ahrens
Senior Pastor, First Congregational Church (UCC) - Columbus, Ohio
Rev. Tim Ahrens is senior minister at First Congregational Church (UCC) in downtown Columbus, Ohio, where he has doubled membership rolls, doubledstewardship and mission commitments and increased worship attendance by 150%. Rev. Ahrens is the founder of We Believe Ohio, a diverse clergy-led movement dedicated to social justice and providing a positive alternative to state's religious right. We Believe Ohio aims to engage congregations in the electoral process and preach from the pulpit about God's call to work toward social justice for all. He is a founding pastor and past co-president of B.R.E.A.D. (Building Responsibility Equality And Dignity), an interfaith organization working for economic justice and social change. Before coming to First Church, he served as Senior Pastor of North Congregational United Church of Christ in NW Columbus for over 10½ years. Prior to that, he served in four urban settings of ministry, St. Louis, New Haven, Philadelphia, and Cleveland. Rev. Ahrens writes for The Columbus Dispatch's "Faith and Values" section and is the author of Acts Comes Alive, 12 Keys for Reviving the Church.
Areas of Expertise:
• Religion and Politics in Ohio
• Social Justice/ poverty
Recent articles:
• The Washington Post: Religious Liberals Gain New Visibility: A Different List Of Moral Issues
• Associated Press: New clergy group hopes to influence political debate
• Columbus Dispatch OpEds: Progressive Christians Need Better, More Courageous Leadership; Holy Spirit's Guidance Does Not Point Toward Theocracy
Rev. Tim Ahrens has expertise in the following areas. To find members of the Voicing Faith Media Bureau with similar backgrounds, click the relevant links below:
