Rev. Robert Hoch, PhD is the recently appointed Director of Theological Exploration, a newly developed position for Urban Theology Union.
Ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1995, Rob earned his PhD in Practical Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey, in 2006. He served for thirteen years as a theological educator (homiletics and worship) at a Presbyterian seminary in the Midwest. In 2016, he accepted a call to serve as the pastor of an inner-city congregation in Baltimore, Maryland. In order to be closer to his spouse’s family, Rob relocated to the UK in December 2020.
His publications include By the Rivers of Babylon: Blueprint for a Church in Exile (Fortress Press, 2013) and City Preaching: Sermons on Death and Resurrection in Baltimore (Parson’s Press, 2018). He is a regular contributor to Working Preacher, an online lectionary-based commentary for preachers.
As an Alaska Native descendant (Athabascan), Rob stays connected with his indigenous experience through First Nations scholarship, participation in Native Alaskan organizations, arts, and friendships. Beyond his vocational work, Rob’s great passions in life include walking with his best friend in life, Rebecca, and being amazed by their four children, Gwendoline, Imogen, Gabriel, and Iris. He and his family live in the Ribble Valley of Lancashire, near Clitheroe.