Bearing Witness - About Joe

About Joe

Husband. Father. Pastor. Photographer. Witness.

My name is Joe Gerhart, and I have the privilege of serving as the pastor of Community Alliance Church of Karthaus.

But “pastor” is only one part of who I am.

I am Amy’s husband, Elizabeth and Bailey’s dad, a preacher, a student of Scripture and the natural world, a keeper of goats, rabbits, chickens, and dogs, a wildlife photographer, and someone who is continually learning what it means to pay attention to the grace of God in ordinary life.

My family and I are grateful to call this community home. We love the people, the woods, the wildlife, the small-town rhythms, and the way life here brings people into one another’s stories.

Why Bearing Witness?

Photography began for me as a way to slow down and notice what was around me.

I started Bearing Witness Photography in January 2026 with an older Canon 40D and a desire to capture the wildlife, landscapes, rural life, and quiet moments found throughout our part of Pennsylvania.

I am still learning the technical side of photography, but Bearing Witness has never been primarily about equipment or perfect images.

It is about attention.

It is about standing quietly long enough to see the elk step from the shadows, the fawn hidden in the grass, the snow resting on an evergreen branch, or an old stump rising from a pond.

It is about recognizing that beauty is often present before we notice it.

That same idea shapes my poetry, writing, preaching, and speaking. We live hurried lives. We pass by people, places, and moments without truly seeing them.

Bearing Witness is an invitation to slow down, look again, and become more attentive to creation, to one another, and to the presence of God.

My Story of Faith

I first prayed a prayer of salvation as a young child during Vacation Bible School at Coudersport Alliance Church.

It was the summer of 1992. After one of the lessons, Ms. Carol asked everyone to bow their heads and pray so that we might be saved. I prayed along, but I cannot honestly point to that moment as the time when I truly placed my faith in Christ.

At that age, I did not yet understand what I was asking for. I knew people said I needed to be saved, but I did not understand what I needed to be saved from. I had not yet recognized the reality of my sin or understood why I needed Jesus.

That began to change during high school.

During my junior year, I started examining Scripture for myself. I began reading the Bible, attending church, and learning who Jesus truly was. Somewhere along the way, I found myself falling in love with Him.

It was also during that season that tragedy struck. Within the course of four months, two of my friends died by suicide.

One of them was my friend Jamie. His funeral was held at Coudersport Alliance Church and during the service, Jamie’s father gave an invitation for anyone who was willing to place their faith and trust in Christ alone for eternal salvation.

This time, I was ready.

I had been reading about Jesus. I had become convicted of my sin. I knew that I could not save myself, and I knew that I wanted to place both my life and my eternal security into the faithful hands of Christ alone.

From that day forward, I had a new purpose and a new passion: to share the good news that Jesus Christ is my Savior.

My faith is not based on the perfection of a prayer I prayed, the strength of my emotions, or my ability to live without failure. My hope rests in Jesus Christ alone.

He died for my sin, rose from the grave, and offers forgiveness and new life to everyone who places their trust in Him. I did not earn His grace, and I do not maintain it through my own goodness. Salvation is His gift.

I am still growing. I still wrestle. I still need grace every day.

But I remain convinced that Jesus is faithful.

A Life Changed by Suffering

There have been seasons when my life went in directions I never expected. Some were joyful. Others were painful, frightening, and deeply difficult.

On May 2, 2012, I was seriously injured in a workplace explosion involving a methanol barrel. I suffered second- and third-degree burns from my chest upward, along with an airway injury and pneumonia. I was sedated for five days, spent two weeks in the hospital, and faced months of recovery.

That experience changed the direction of my life.

It reminded me how fragile life is, how quickly everything can change, and how desperately we need a hope stronger than our circumstances. It also became part of the path God used to redirect my life toward vocational ministry.

I do not believe God wastes our pain.

That does not mean suffering is easy, or that every difficult experience can be wrapped in a simple explanation. It means that Jesus meets us in places we never would have chosen and can bring life, purpose, and grace from what appeared to be only loss.

Over the years, my faith has carried me through grief, suffering, unexpected change, ministry, family life, and seasons when God seemed near, as well as seasons when I struggled to understand what He was doing.

Through all of it, He has remained faithful.

You can read the original news article of the accident here.

Education and Call to Ministry

Long before photography became an important part of my life, I was already fascinated by the natural world.

I attended Mansfield University, where I studied geography and geology with a concentration in environmental science. I graduated in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in Geography and Geology.

That education deepened my appreciation for landscapes, ecosystems, wildlife, and the physical processes that shape the world around us. In many ways, the curiosity that first led me to study the earth is the same curiosity that now leads me into the woods with a camera.

My ministry journey began at Coudersport Alliance Church, the same church where I first came to understand and trust the gospel personally. I served there as a youth leader, an elder, and a member of the worship team. Those years gave me opportunities to teach, lead, serve people, and begin discerning God’s call toward vocational ministry.

After the workplace accident in 2012 and the changes that followed, that calling became increasingly clear.

In 2014, I completed the accreditation process with The Christian and Missionary Alliance. In February 2015, I accepted the position of Assistant Pastor at Coudersport Alliance Church.

During that same season, I pursued graduate studies through Crown College, focusing on Scripture, theology, and Christian ministry. In 2016, I earned a Master of Arts in Christian Studies.

I served at Coudersport Alliance Church until August 2017, when God called our family to Erie, Pennsylvania, where I became the Lead Pastor of FlightPath Fellowship.

Serving at FlightPath allowed me to grow as a preacher, pastor, and leader while walking alongside people through the joys and difficulties of life and faith.

In September 2023, God led our family to Community Alliance Church of Karthaus. Since then, we have grown to love this church and community deeply.

Pastoral ministry allows me to walk with people through nearly every part of life: births and weddings, illness and death, faith and doubt, joy and grief. It is a privilege I never want to take lightly.

I do not pastor because I have all the answers. I pastor because I believe Jesus is present in the hardest questions, that Scripture still speaks truth, and that no one should have to carry life’s burdens alone.

Life Beyond the Pulpit

When I am not preaching, studying, visiting, or working around the church, I can often be found with my camera somewhere nearby.

Our family also cares for a growing collection of animals, including goats, rabbits, chickens, and dogs. Life around our home is rarely quiet, perfectly organized, or free from chores, but it is full.

I enjoy wildlife, hunting, rural life, community events, fairs, and the stories found in ordinary people and places. I am especially drawn to moments that might otherwise be overlooked.

I am not interested in presenting a polished image of a perfect life.

I know what it is to be weary, to wrestle with questions, to carry responsibility, and to wonder what God is doing.

I also know what it is to discover that grace is still present there.

Speaking Engagements

In addition to serving my local church, I speak for retreats, game feasts, men’s gatherings, ordination services, and other ministry events.

Some of the themes closest to my heart include new life in Christ, faith through suffering, freedom from legalism and performance, the realities of pastoral ministry, and learning to recognize God’s grace in ordinary moments.

My desire is not simply to deliver a message. It is to open Scripture clearly, speak honestly, and help people respond to Jesus.

Click here if you are interested in learning more or inviting Joe to your next event as a speaker.

A Neighbor Before a Name

One reason I wanted to create this page is so that people in the community can know something about the person behind the pulpit and behind the camera.

You do not need to attend my church to speak with me.

You do not need to agree with me about everything.

You do not need to have your life cleaned up before walking through the church doors.

I am a pastor, but I am also your neighbor.

I care about this community and the people who live here. I believe every person carries a story, every person has dignity, and every person deserves to be treated with compassion.

Community Alliance Church seeks to be:

Rooted in Christ. Growing in Grace. Serving Our Community.

That is not only a church statement. It is the kind of life I want to live.

Let’s Connect

Whether you are interested in photography, poetry, a speaking engagement, the church, or simply sharing a cup of coffee and a conversation, I would be glad to hear from you.

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