Chuckles and Conversation about Church--Profile on LaRocca-Pitts

Beth LaRocca-Pitts is a full-time mom, a full time wife, a full time professor, and a full time minister. Yet, despite her busy schedule, she still finds ample time to laugh along as she reminisces about her past and present. Serving at Watkinsville First United Methodist Church, only a few miles from her original appointment, she chuckles as she remembers her beginnings.

“I haven’t come very far in 25 years,” she said. Literally.

At the young age of 12, Beth knew what she wanted to do with her life. Her father was a Catholic, and her mother was a Methodist. Without the general belief and understanding of the Catholic Church where children go to the church recognized by their father, Beth was allowed to choose which services to attend.

One day in Mass, she knew.

“It occurred to me that I wanted to do what the priest did,” said LaRocca-Pitts. “If I had to do some other job instead of that, I wouldn’t be happy.”

After her revelation, Beth started attending Church with her mother and soon met more and more people who do what she wanted to do within the Church.

“I had never met any women ministers who weren't nuns,” said LaRocca-Pitts. “I did meet a woman who was a missionary from Africa.”

After meeting various missionaries, Beth started getting involved in any way she could with her church community. By the age of 17, she applied for a Lays Speaking Certificate. Gaining this certificate allowed her to speak at churches across the area because local churches were in need of speakers to fill their empty pulpits. Beth eloquently tackled her task, even though she was still a teenager.

Years past those gawky, early High School days, Beth advanced toward her college years with attending Seminary at the forefront of her mind. Majoring in Religion at Duke University, Beth continued with her studies at Garrett Evangelical Methodist Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. Beth also finished her Masters with Divinity while attending Garrett.

After graduation, she came back to Georgia where she appeared before the board of Ordained Ministry and received her first appointment with four Churches in the Oconee County area.

In a decision to further her education even more, Beth sought her Ph.D. in Old Testament Studies at Harvard University. At Harvard, Beth Larocca met Mark Pitts.

“He likes to say, ‘She’s the rock and I’m the Pitts!’” laughed Beth.

The couple married and each incorporated the other’s last name within their own. Mark LaRocca-Pitts is a hospital Chaplin at the local-area Athens Regional Hospital, and the happy couple are proud parents of twins Ellie and Joe.

“Ellie’s the older one by 28 minutes,” said Beth. “I went out for coffee,” she added with a sly wink.

Currently, Minister Beth LaRocca-Pitts serves at Watkinsville First United Methodist, where she’s been since 2004.

“Part of my week consists of preparing for worship services,” she said. “Another identity that goes along with that, is I teach in the Religion department at the University.”

Beth teaches two courses which focus on Ancient Israelite Religion and Old Babylonian Acadian studies.

“Monday through Thursday is a combination of classes at UGA, office hours at the church, and visitation at the hospital,” said Beth.

Similar to all business and career type situations, the Methodist Church has a fairly structured bureaucracy, and Beth spends a lot of time in meetings.

“When I’m at the office, it’s whatever administrative tasks need to be done,” she said.

Even though meetings take up significant time in her life, Beth still focuses intently on preparing her messages for her services.

“I never preach [a sermon] a second time,” she said. “They’re kind of like cut flowers, they wilt. Sermons wilt.”