The Rev. Dr. Stanley Bhasker has been serving as an ordained minister of Word and Sacrament since 1988. He has served the Presbytery of Geneva, Huntingdon Presbytery, and Redstone Presbytery before moving to The Presbyterian Church of Brookville, PA (part of the Kiskiminetas Presbytery) in May 2021.
Mission has been a vital part of Stanley's ministry. He has organized and led several mission trips with young people and adults to distribute food and clothes to the homeless people with Midnight Run volunteers in New York City, help rebuild homes and churches after hurricanes Katrina and Ike in Texas, build schools and churches, and help install safe drinking water systems in India, help organize mission partnerships between the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Sudan and Redstone Presbytery, help build a Community/Church center with Presbyterian Border Ministry at Aqua Prieta, Mexico, and helped raise money to remove landmines in Africa. Currently, he is helping to build a church building in a remote village in India.
Pastor Stanley was born and hailed from a Christian family in Chittoor, a medium sized town in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. He attended Christian Mission schools, Beattie Memorial and Sherman School until 7th grade and continued his education in public school and then the university-level.
Having received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, Economics, and History in 1981, Stanley served as a Community Organizer/Social Worker to help the outcast people of remote villages through Church's Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA). Working with the rural people to help improve each family's economic and social advancement proved to be difficult and challenging, but it was rewarding. After serving for two years, he felt the call and went to Leonard Theological College for theological studies, and received his Bachelor of Divinity in 1987. He earned his Master of Arts in Economics from Sri Venkateswara University in 1989. With a great interest in the Old Testament, he came to the United States to do his doctoral studies under Dr. Norman Gottwald, the author of Tribes of Yahweh, and completed his Doctor of Ministry degree at New York Theological Seminary, New York in 2002.
He wrote his thesis on the "Symbolic Implications of Blood in the Pentateuchal Tradition" for a Bachelor of Divinity degree, and "Indians for Christ: Tamil Christian Congregation" as a demonstration project for the Doctor of Ministry degree. Stanley received the Andrew Murray Peacemaking Award from the Synod of Trinity for his work with the Indian community in Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia. He received three awards for Academic excellence, Homiletics, and Advanced Hebrew at Leonard Theological College. He successfully completed his Executive Leadership at McCormick Theological Seminary in April 2018 and presented a capstone project on the "Small Church Network: Empowerment and Leadership Development."
Stanley has been actively involved in the community through several projects such as the Food Bank/Pantry, Soup Kitchens, and Meals On Wheels. His interest in communal relationships and ecumenism led him to be active in the local ministerium ecumenical activities. Being a student of religion, Stanley taught major religions at the Synod School, ministerium sponsored Lenten studies, and local churches. He is currently serving as a member of the General Assembly Special Committee on Racism, Truth, and Reconciliation. His involvement in the local ministerium's, Presbyteries, Synod, General Assembly, National Council of Churches of Jesus Christ (NCCC), and Interfaith Relations Commission of NCCC enriched his ministry, mission commitment, and leadership skills. He led the Small Church Network of Presbytery of Geneva as a co-moderator to encourage and energize small congregations and to address their needs, use people's gifts and talents, prioritize programs and resources in line with church's purpose and goals. He served in the Committee on Ministry of the Presbytery of Geneva and Redstone Presbytery. Currently, Pastor Stanley is moderating the New Bethlehem Presbyterian Church, New Bethlehem, PA and the Edenburg Presbyterian Church, Knox, PA. He is also serving in the Outreach Commission of the Kiskiminetas Presbytery and the Self-Development of People (SDOP) in the Synod of Trinity.
Stanley has been a certified Transformative Mediator working through the Center for Dispute Settlement, Bath, NY.
Stanley is married to Sarah and blessed with two sons, Andrew and Clifford.
Mission has been a vital part of Stanley's ministry. He has organized and led several mission trips with young people and adults to distribute food and clothes to the homeless people with Midnight Run volunteers in New York City, help rebuild homes and churches after hurricanes Katrina and Ike in Texas, build schools and churches, and help install safe drinking water systems in India, help organize mission partnerships between the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Sudan and Redstone Presbytery, help build a Community/Church center with Presbyterian Border Ministry at Aqua Prieta, Mexico, and helped raise money to remove landmines in Africa. Currently, he is helping to build a church building in a remote village in India.
Pastor Stanley was born and hailed from a Christian family in Chittoor, a medium sized town in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. He attended Christian Mission schools, Beattie Memorial and Sherman School until 7th grade and continued his education in public school and then the university-level.
Having received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, Economics, and History in 1981, Stanley served as a Community Organizer/Social Worker to help the outcast people of remote villages through Church's Auxiliary for Social Action (CASA). Working with the rural people to help improve each family's economic and social advancement proved to be difficult and challenging, but it was rewarding. After serving for two years, he felt the call and went to Leonard Theological College for theological studies, and received his Bachelor of Divinity in 1987. He earned his Master of Arts in Economics from Sri Venkateswara University in 1989. With a great interest in the Old Testament, he came to the United States to do his doctoral studies under Dr. Norman Gottwald, the author of Tribes of Yahweh, and completed his Doctor of Ministry degree at New York Theological Seminary, New York in 2002.
He wrote his thesis on the "Symbolic Implications of Blood in the Pentateuchal Tradition" for a Bachelor of Divinity degree, and "Indians for Christ: Tamil Christian Congregation" as a demonstration project for the Doctor of Ministry degree. Stanley received the Andrew Murray Peacemaking Award from the Synod of Trinity for his work with the Indian community in Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia. He received three awards for Academic excellence, Homiletics, and Advanced Hebrew at Leonard Theological College. He successfully completed his Executive Leadership at McCormick Theological Seminary in April 2018 and presented a capstone project on the "Small Church Network: Empowerment and Leadership Development."
Stanley has been actively involved in the community through several projects such as the Food Bank/Pantry, Soup Kitchens, and Meals On Wheels. His interest in communal relationships and ecumenism led him to be active in the local ministerium ecumenical activities. Being a student of religion, Stanley taught major religions at the Synod School, ministerium sponsored Lenten studies, and local churches. He is currently serving as a member of the General Assembly Special Committee on Racism, Truth, and Reconciliation. His involvement in the local ministerium's, Presbyteries, Synod, General Assembly, National Council of Churches of Jesus Christ (NCCC), and Interfaith Relations Commission of NCCC enriched his ministry, mission commitment, and leadership skills. He led the Small Church Network of Presbytery of Geneva as a co-moderator to encourage and energize small congregations and to address their needs, use people's gifts and talents, prioritize programs and resources in line with church's purpose and goals. He served in the Committee on Ministry of the Presbytery of Geneva and Redstone Presbytery. Currently, Pastor Stanley is moderating the New Bethlehem Presbyterian Church, New Bethlehem, PA and the Edenburg Presbyterian Church, Knox, PA. He is also serving in the Outreach Commission of the Kiskiminetas Presbytery and the Self-Development of People (SDOP) in the Synod of Trinity.
Stanley has been a certified Transformative Mediator working through the Center for Dispute Settlement, Bath, NY.
Stanley is married to Sarah and blessed with two sons, Andrew and Clifford.
