Maynard Pittendreigh
Encyclopedia
The Rev. Dr. W. Maynard Pittendreigh is an astronomer
, writer and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA)
. As a minister, he has been a pioneer and leader in a movement toward multi-cultural/racial congregations, and in developing early Internet-based ministries.
William Maynard Pittendreigh, Jr., was born in Greenwood, South Carolina
, February 6, 1954, son of Bill and Earline Pittendreigh. He suffered a severe speech handicap as a child, but was able to overcome the disability through surgery and several years of therapy.
Pittendreigh attended Christ Church Episcopal School, Greenville, South Carolina, and received his BA degree at Erskine College
in Due West, South Carolina
. He earned his Master of Divinity
degree from Erskine Theological Seminary
and his doctorate from Columbia Theological Seminary
. He also attended Union Theological Seminary
in Richmond, Virginia
, where he earned a Certification as a Church Business Administrator.
Prior to entering the ministry, Pittendreigh worked as a photojournalist, restaurant manager and as a teacher
/counselor
in a state prison
. As a child he worked as a fashion model for J.C. Penney
. As an ordained minister, he has worked as a police chaplain in Abbeville, South Carolina
, as the Associate Executive Presbyter of Trinity Presbytery, as a religious technical advisor
for several films, and as a member of the credentialed press for various religious publications including being the editor of the Church Ad-Ministrator Magazine. He appeared in the 2008 Karl Bardosh film, "Out of Balance" and appeared in the credits under the name Peter Dray Maynard. He is currently the Senior Pastor of a church in Miami, Florida
.
and the United Kingdom
. His work, "Pittendreigh's Law of Planetary Motion
" was published in Sky and Telescope magazine in February 1994. During the early years of the Hubble Space Telescope
, Pittendreigh was on an international team of amateur astronomers allowed to work with NASA
in using the space telescope in a study of asteroids. The name of their study was "Transition Comets -- UV Search for OH Emissions in Asteroids
." He has also done extensive work in the area of Arp peculiar galaxies
.
Pittendreigh also wrote a humor column in the Clergy Journal for several years. He was editor of the Church Ad-Ministrator magazine from 1994-1998.
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
, writer and an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA)
Presbyterian Church (USA)
The Presbyterian Church , or PC, is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. Part of the Reformed tradition, it is the largest Presbyterian denomination in the U.S...
. As a minister, he has been a pioneer and leader in a movement toward multi-cultural/racial congregations, and in developing early Internet-based ministries.
William Maynard Pittendreigh, Jr., was born in Greenwood, South Carolina
Greenwood, South Carolina
Greenwood is a city in and the county seat of Greenwood County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 22,071 at the 2000 census and had slightly increased to 22,710 according to a 2009 estimate.-Geography:...
, February 6, 1954, son of Bill and Earline Pittendreigh. He suffered a severe speech handicap as a child, but was able to overcome the disability through surgery and several years of therapy.
Pittendreigh attended Christ Church Episcopal School, Greenville, South Carolina, and received his BA degree at Erskine College
Erskine College
Erskine College is a four year, Christian liberal arts college located in Due West, South Carolina.-Early history:Established in 1839 by the Associate Reformed Synod of the South as an academy for men, Erskine College became the first four year, church-related college in South Carolina...
in Due West, South Carolina
Due West, South Carolina
Due West is a town in Abbeville County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,209 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Due West is located at ....
. He earned his Master of Divinity
Master of Divinity
In the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
degree from Erskine Theological Seminary
Erskine Theological Seminary
Erskine Theological Seminary is an institution of graduate theological and pastoral education. The Seminary is based in Due West, South Carolina, United States, and also offers classes at four extension sites in the region: Augusta, Georgia, Charleston, South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina and...
and his doctorate from Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary
Columbia Theological Seminary is one of the ten theological institutions affiliated with the Presbyterian Church . It is located in Decatur, Georgia. Dr. Stephen A. Hayner is the seminary's president.-Description:...
. He also attended Union Theological Seminary
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education
Union Presbyterian Seminary, located on the near north side of the city of Richmond, Virginia, is a theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church...
in Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, where he earned a Certification as a Church Business Administrator.
Prior to entering the ministry, Pittendreigh worked as a photojournalist, restaurant manager and as a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
/counselor
Mental Health Counselor
Mental health counselors practice mental health counseling which is a dynamic, holistic, strengths-based and psychoeducational discipline born in the late 1970s when several mental health professionals realized that the master’s degree level counselors working in community settings lacked a...
in a state prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
. As a child he worked as a fashion model for J.C. Penney
J.C. Penney
J. C. Penney Company, Inc. is a chain of American mid-range department stores based in Plano, Texas, a suburb north of Dallas. The company operates 1,107 department stores in all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. JCPenney also operates catalog sales merchant offices nationwide in many...
. As an ordained minister, he has worked as a police chaplain in Abbeville, South Carolina
Abbeville, South Carolina
For other communities of the same name, see Abbeville .Abbeville is a city in Abbeville County, South Carolina, United States, 86 miles west of Columbia. Its population was 5,237 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Abbeville County...
, as the Associate Executive Presbyter of Trinity Presbytery, as a religious technical advisor
Technical advisor
A technical advisor is an individual who is expert in a particular field of knowledge, hired to provide detailed information and advice to people working in that field...
for several films, and as a member of the credentialed press for various religious publications including being the editor of the Church Ad-Ministrator Magazine. He appeared in the 2008 Karl Bardosh film, "Out of Balance" and appeared in the credits under the name Peter Dray Maynard. He is currently the Senior Pastor of a church in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
.
Astronomy
Pittendreigh has been a life-long active amateur astronomer and wrote several articles about astronomy in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. His work, "Pittendreigh's Law of Planetary Motion
Pittendreigh's Law of Planetary Motion
Pittendreigh's Law of Planetary Motion is a humorous theory developed by Maynard Pittendreigh, who published his theory in Sky and Telescope ."The perception of time passing more quickly has nothing to do with the fact of one's aging process...
" was published in Sky and Telescope magazine in February 1994. During the early years of the Hubble Space Telescope
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a space telescope that was carried into orbit by a Space Shuttle in 1990 and remains in operation. A 2.4 meter aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble's four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared...
, Pittendreigh was on an international team of amateur astronomers allowed to work with NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
in using the space telescope in a study of asteroids. The name of their study was "Transition Comets -- UV Search for OH Emissions in Asteroids
Transition Comets -- UV Search for OH Emissions in Asteroids
Hubble search for transition comets was a study involving amateur astronomers and the use of the Hubble Space Telescope...
." He has also done extensive work in the area of Arp peculiar galaxies
Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies
The Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies is a catalog of peculiar galaxies produced by Halton Arp. A total of 338 galaxies are presented in the atlas, which was originally published in 1966 by the California Institute of Technology....
.
Published works
Pittendreigh wrote several books, including:- A History of Erskine Theological Seminary (1976)
- A Presbyterian People - The History of the Warrenton Presbyterian Church (1986)
- An Observer's Atlas to the Moon
- A People of Faith - A History of New Bethel Presbyterian Church (1995)
- The Presbyterian Church Welcomes You (2003) ISBN 1-4107-1901-4
Pittendreigh also wrote a humor column in the Clergy Journal for several years. He was editor of the Church Ad-Ministrator magazine from 1994-1998.