Rev. Sterling is senior pastor of Coraopolis United Methodist Church, a post he has held since 1997. His theological stance, according to the newsletter, includes Wesleyan and evangelical with strong liberal social issues interest.

He was associate pastor from 1992 to 1997 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Allison Park, Pa., and was pastor from 1985 through 1992 at McMasters United Methodist Church in Turtle Creek.

Rev. Sterling served on the adjunct faculty for the 1996-97 and 2001-02 academic years at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

He served as part-time staff person from 1976 to 1984 at Grace United Methodist Church in Rocky Grove. His duties included junior and senior high school youth club, Christian education, children's church and co-producing a radio ministry.

He was a student associate at First Presbyterian Church in Irwin in 1984 and 1985, with duties including junior and senior high youth, worship liturgist and teaching.

Rev. Sterling earned a bachelor's degree in communications in 1984 from Clarion University, and a master of divinity degree in 1988 and a doctor of ministry degree in 1998, both from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.

A "second career" pastor, he was executive director of Venango Video Inc. in Oil City from 1977 to 1984.

His wife, Dara Lynn, is a registered dietitian who works at LIFE Pittsburgh. They have a daughter, Shelah Lynn, a 21-year-old junior language arts and music major at Ohio Northern University in Ada who is studying at the University of Wales, Lampeter; and a son, Evan Paul, an Ohio Northern freshman.