REVEREND DR. LISA FARRELL
Rev. Dr. Lisa C. Farrell was born and raised on the Main Line. She attended Franklin and Marshall College and won an Andrew Mutch Scholarship to attend the University of Edinburgh for her junior year. Having grown up Presbyterian, she of course rebelled as a teenager and declared herself an atheist. She came to faith in her freshman year of college. She felt God’s call to the ministry early on, but the idea was very was foreign. It was a male dominated field and Lisa had never met any women ministers. While at Edinburgh University she decided to take a class in New Testament to test her sense of call. She was permitted to do so only because she was an “Andrew Mutch Scholar.” The providence of God not only provided the means to study in Scotland, but it opened doors that would otherwise have been closed. By the end of the year, she had transferred from Franklin and Marshall to the University of Edinburgh to do a joint B.A. B.D. degree. A B.D. (Bachelor of Divinity) is the Scottish equivalent of an M.Div.
Lisa met and later married a fellow seminary student she met at the University of Edinburgh. They had three children, Anna, Mark, and Paul. For a number of years she was a highly qualified full-time minister’s wife. The marriage unfortunately ended in 1990, and Lisa returned to her family home in Wynnewood. At this low point in her life it was time to seek God’s guidance once more, and once more God said “ministry.” Having already graduated from seminary in Scotland she came under care of the Philadelphia Presbytery, completed additional requirements for the PCUSA, and worked part-time at a church in Northeast Philadelphia. She was installed as the pastor of Penn Wynne Presbyterian Church in 1995. In 2013 she completed a further course of study at the Lutheran Seminary of Philadelphia earning a Masters in Sacred Theology and a Doctor of Ministry. Lisa retired from full time ministry at Penn Wynne in January of 2025.
Lisa is passionate about the need to approach scripture within its historical context. Without a correct understanding of context many scriptures are misunderstood. Translation is also a challenge, and human bias can affect the outcome. Her Masters Thesis completed in 2013 is on “Translation Bias in the Texts Relating to Homosexuality.” Lisa believes that the Word of God in scripture is inspired, but not infallible. It is the living Word of God, Jesus, who we are to worship. The Bible points to God. It should never be placed above God.
On November 25, 2017, Lisa married the love of her life, Vicki Darring, with the blessing and support of the Session of the Penn Wynne Presbyterian Church. Rev. Kevin Porter, the Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of Philadelphia presided. They currently live in Drexel Hill with their dog, Fiona and cat, Phil.
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