Rev. Thomas Sweet
There have been plenty of big, defining moments during Thomas Sweet’s time as pastor of Market Square Presbyterian Church.
Renovating the sanctuary, installing a new pipe organ and continuing services during the pandemic are a few. But that’s not what he thinks of when he reflects back on his time at the church.
It’s the regular interactions and acts of kindness among church and community members that have made an impression on him—like when a congregant takes a seat next to a visitor or someone volunteers their time in service.
“Really, it is just in the day to day,” Sweet said. “It’s that sense that we are all one. To care for one other in the little ways has been most special to me because those little ways, for the people on the receiving end, it’s a big thing.”
On a chilly November morning, Sweet sat at his desk in the large church, built in the 1860s, on S. 2nd Street in Harrisburg. Out front, passersby might notice the sky-high steeple, stained glass and the “Black Lives Matter” painted on the entrance steps—the perfect picture of the church’s traditional style and progressive ideals that it’s known for.
With only days left in his role, Sweet reflected on his time as pastor.
After 10 years as pastor of Market Square Presbyterian Church, Sweet retired in November. He came to the house of worship in 2012 after long tenures at churches in the Baltimore area and in New York. It felt good to be back in central Pennsylvania, as he had grown up in York, he said.
Market Square was already steeped in social justice and service work—a passion that Sweet had developed while working at previous churches—which attracted him. The mission statement of the church is the best he has seen, he said. It states that the church’s goal is to “proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ by welcoming friend and stranger alike into our diverse and inclusive family of faith,” among other sentiments.
Sweet took that mission and ran with it, continuing to build upon Market Square’s outreach programs, including its breakfasts for the unhoused population, partnership with refugee-resettlement agency International Service Center and Korean language services. The church has also embraced the LGBTQ community, environmental initiatives and racial justice efforts under his leadership. Sweet’s wife Lori also served in many ministries and as the curator for the church’s Arts on the Square gallery.
“We like to think anyone can find a home here,” Sweet said. “When the Bible says to welcome the foreigner and the stranger, that’s what we do.”
Choreographer
While the church has around 500 members, a regular Sunday morning service typically draws around 150 in-person attendees, a number that has decreased slightly since COVID, according to Sweet. They also broadcast their services on the radio. It’s the church’s openly progressive stance and emphasis on service that attracts people from the city and surrounding areas, he said. Because Market Square is so upfront about what they believe, there fortunately haven’t been many conflicts over ideals, Sweet said.
Those stances of inclusivity and justice have become a non-negotiable part of leading a church for Sweet. To him, it’s simple—those things were important to Jesus, so they’re important to him.
“Church only seems to make sense to me if we are seeking to follow Jesus and loving our neighbors, seeking the welfare of the city, all of those Biblical teachings,” Sweet said.
John Robinson has been a member of Market Square Presbyterian for about 15 years and was on the committee that originally interviewed Sweet for the position. He remembers hearing Sweet preach for the first time and being impressed with the way he could take Biblical teachings and relate them to everyday life situations.
As the years went on, Robinson saw Sweet’s gentle way of caring for church members and his passion for welcoming the less fortunate.
“I think what we will miss about him is a quiet kind of leadership,” Robinson said. “He never said, ‘This is what we are going to do.’ He’s always collaborating.”
That’s also the way Sweet saw his role in the church—as a “choreographer” who gave leadership to all of the already flourishing programs that congregants served in.
While Market Square searches for a new lead pastor to fill this role, one of the church’s other pastors, Kim Wadlington, will serve in the interim.
As Sweet has stepped away from his role, he knows that it will be difficult to leave his church community and the pastoral life behind. But he leaves with two words, “thank you,” to his congregation and community. After 43 years as a pastor, he’s grateful to have finished this chapter in Harrisburg.
“Market Square, for me, was the epitome,” Sweet said. “To be able to end here, in this congregation, has been a real joy.”
Market Square Presbyterian Church is located at 20 S. 2nd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.marketsquarechurch.org.
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