Skip to Main Content Skip to Footer
Home
The top of Pioneer Hall through vibrant fall leaves on the trees.

Paul Abernathy

Fr. Paul Abernathy Founding CEO, Neighborhood Resilience Project


Father Paul Abernathy is an Orthodox Christian priest and the founding CEO of the Neighborhood Resilience Project. Since 2011, Fr. Paul has labored with his community to address community trauma with Trauma-Informed Community Development. This framework facilitates the transformation of trauma-affected communities into resilient, healing and healthy communities so that people can be healthy enough to sustain opportunities and realize their potential. Under Fr. Paul’s leadership, innovative trauma-informed grass-roots strategies have been developed and implemented to address acute, historical, transgenerational and complex trauma on a community level. In addition to programming, millions of dollars in various kinds of support have also been distributed to the Greater Pittsburgh Area with his direction. Community groups from across the nation have worked with Fr. Paul to be trained in the Trauma-Informed Community Development framework.

Fr. Paul was selected for Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders Program. A former non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, Fr. Paul is also a combat veteran of the Iraq War. Fr. Paul is also an author. His work has been featured in film as well as local, national and international media.

In addition to his work with the organization, Fr. Paul is and has been a member of multiple community, state and national boards and has received numerous community awards. Fr. Paul is the pastor of St. Moses the Black Orthodox Church, and a husband and father of two children.

Education

  • B.A. international studies, Wheeling Jesuit University
  • Master's in public and international affairs, University of Pittsburgh
  • Master of Divinity, St. Tikhon's Orthodox Theological Seminary