Oakmont council celebrates pastor's retirement

Members of Oakmont Council honored the Rev. Steve Wilson at their meeting Sept. 18.

“I met him over 30 years ago,” said Oakmont mayor Sophia Facaros. “He was refereeing our son’s indoor soccer game. I was a coach at the time. I remember I turned to look at him and, for a moment, I thought I saw a halo on top of his head.”

After 35 years of service in the community, Wilson will be retiring from his pastor position at Oakmont Presbyterian.

Aside from his time in the church, he is an active member of Oakmont, refereeing youth sports; serving as Oakmont Volunteer Fire Department fire chaplain; and organizing a communitywide drug and alcohol task force involving the school district, churches, police department and borough council.

“It’s difficult to quantify the results from programs addressing these issues,” Facaros said. “The lives saved are hard to document but there’s no doubt that such programs provide a great benefit.”

The pastor also ensured that the church remained available as a space for Alcohol and Narcotics Anonymous meetings multiple days each week and provided a space for boy scout meetings, Oakmont Lions, the garden club, and bereavement and mental health counseling.

He led multiple collections for a local food bank, and hosted community breakfasts featuring educational speakers.

“Churches, like councils, need a team in order to be successful,” Wilson said. “I had a great team. God bless (the council’s) team, and I’m so grateful for my team at Oakland Presbyterian.”