Rev. Robert H. Lewis was born September 27, 1955, and grew up as a Methodist in Baltimore, Maryland where his parents still reside. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1977 from West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, West Virginia. He worked for two years in a state hospital in West Virginia and three years in an outpatient clinic in Pittsburgh. Rev. Lewis met his wife Barb while they were doing volunteer work at Forbes Hospice in Pittsburgh. Mrs. Barbara (Shigo) Lewis is a native of Hazelton, PA. They married in 1982 and have 2 adult children, Christopher and Katrina.

Rev. Lewis earned a Master's degree in Divinity in 1986 from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. While he was in seminary, he served as a student pastor at a Disciples of Christ church in Rockville, MD from 1983 to 1985. He then studied for a year in clinical pastoral education at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.  He became a probationary pastor in 1986 and was ordained an elder in 1988.  Reverend Lewis was appointed in 1986 as Associate Pastor at First UMC in Irwin, PA, where he served that congregation for four years. In 1990, he began a ten-year pastorate at Cascade UMC in Erie. In 2000, he moved to Masontown in southwestern Pennsylvania and served nine years as Pastor at Masontown UMC.  In March 2009, he was appointed to be the new pastor at Lakewood and returned to the Erie area in the summer of 2009. 

Bob & Barb Lewis moved into the parsonage on the eventful day of the summer flood, June 30, 2009 with their two dogs, “Kiki” and “Fudgie”. His first Sunday worship service with us was July 5, 2009.  On July 26, he was formally installed as our new Pastor with the installation ceremony conducted during worship, and a welcome reception was held in Fellowship Hall. 

The Lakewood congregation is very blessed to have Bob & Barb Lewis with us.  Reverend Lewis is a talented leader known for his friendly, outgoing persona, his fostering of personal face-to-face relationships and his caring touch for all members of the church.  He conducts traditional worship services featuring both the old-style Methodist hymns and some praise songs, and enjoys telling lighthearted jokes to start his sermons.  He is also known as Pastor Bob or “PB” to the children. Reverend Lewis is working on personally meeting or visiting all members of the church and reminds all that they are welcome and there is place for you in the pews on Sunday mornings.