It’s clear that the career of Rev. Kathryn Dinkelacker-Swan has left its mark on her. The full-time pastor at Emmanuel United Methodist Church, Allentown, also frequents area tattoo parlors, getting inked while extolling the virtues of a Godly life. Molly Bilinski filled in the details for The Morning Call.

Her neighborhood presence straddles two current trends: Empty church pews (Gallop polls reveal churchgoer attendance down below 50 percent nationwide) and the popularity of body art (2019 data show 30 percent of Americans with at least one tattoo).

Dinkelacker-Swan has more than a dozen tattoos herself, with plans for more. She believes they break down the stereotype of clergy as predominantly older, white men.

“When I get to come up at the pulpit, and I have tattoos all over my arms … I think that is eye-opening,” she said.

She’s hoping to find a tattoo shop willing to let her and a group of followers sit in the lobby, talk about God, and add to their array of dermatological decoration.

“It’s not supposed to be full of liturgies and prayers,” she said, referring to traditional worship.

More on Rev. Kathryn Dinkelacker-Swan and her unique approach to ministry is at The Morning Call.