About
Our History
The United Evangelical Church of Manchester, Missouri (now St. John United Church of Christ Manchester) was founded on January 3, 1860, when 28 men covenanted to organize and meet for the express purpose of being the Church of Jesus Christ. Prior to the actual founding date, three men purchased a lot south of Manchester Road (where the old cemetery now stands) to construct a building for worship.
The congregation was a small, farming community…
For the first 50 years, the worship services were conducted entirely in the German language of its ancestors. Hence, the name was changed to Saint Johannes Evangelical Church. Since the earliest days, worship services have followed the format of our Reformed tradition.
In the 1950s, St. John moved up to the top of Sulphur Spring Road with the construction of a new church building (now the current location). Also, when the Evangelical & Reformed Church merged with the Congregational Christian tradition in 1957, St. John joined the mainline Protestant denomination the United Church of Christ (UCC).
St. John grew numerically from the 1950s to the 1970s. Many young families migrated to West St. Louis County helping the congregation to expand its programs and ministries. By the 1980s, the congregation had over 1000 members and an estimated worship attendance of 400 people. This was supported by the two strong pastorates of Rev. Paul Wobus (1922-1969) and Rev. Dr. Richard Brandon (1970-2005).
From the very beginning, St. John has been engaged in mission and service to the community. It started out with denominational benevolences, such as, Emmaus Homes and Evangelical Children’s Home (now Every Child’s Hope), and currently encompasses agencies like, Circle of Concern and Sunshine Mission. Probably the most noteworthy partnership has been with Shannondale Community Center, Salem, Missouri (an agency of the Missouri Mid-South Conference) founded by Rev. Wobus and St. John UCC Manchester.
Our Mission
We celebrate our past, our present, and our future. St. John was founded as The United Evangelical Church of Manchester in January 1860 by our German ancestors. From its early beginnings as a predominantly rural area church, St. John has grown into an open and welcoming church for the suburban West St. Louis County community. We are blessed with financial strength, excellent facilities, and a long tenure of pastors. We look forward to a promising future as we grow individually and collectively in God’s grace.
Our vision at St. John UCC Manchester is to create family of faith, open to all, celebrating our past as we forge our future: WELCOMING the Spirit, GROWING in Christ’s love, SERVING God’s world.
WORSHIP
Loving the Lord with all our hearts as we unite together in giving glory, honor and thanks.
DISCIPLESHIP
Interpreting Christ’s teachings from the Bible and nurturing people’s spiritual relationship with the Living God.
FELLOWSHIP
A sense of belonging to Christ’s family with every other person of faith.
EVANGELISM
Sharing the promise of God’s Good News in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
MINISTRY
Helping people become more Christ-like in their thoughts, feelings and actions.
We strive for God’s P.E.A.C.E. by:
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Our Staff
The Rev. Dr. Kevin P. Gregory
Senior Pastor
Kevin became Senior Pastor in 2007. He is originally from the suburbs of Chicago. Kevin received his bachelor’s degree from Elmhurst University and his Master of Divinity degree from Eden Theological Seminary. He served UCC congregations in Indiana and Wisconsin prior to his call in Manchester. In 2008, Kevin completed his Doctor of Ministry degree in preaching from Chicago Theological Seminary and the Association of Chicago Theological Schools. In addition to his duties at the church, Kevin is on the Personnel Committee for the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the denomination, as well as the Boundary Awareness Team. He is on the Board of Directors for Cape Albeon (a UCC senior living community) and the Board for St. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors System in St. Louis. Kevin is happily married to Laura, a Kindergarten teacher in the Rockwood School District. They are the proud parents of four adult children – Sarah, Grace, Samuel and Lillian. When he is not enjoying time with his family, he can be found at Crossfit Wildwood training to stay healthy.
Rev. Tracey Harris
Associate Pastor
I am Tracey Harris, your new Associate Pastor. I want to give you a brief introduction to myself. I am a wife to Jim, who is retired from the post office and participated in Civil War re-enactments, mother to Eric and Miranda who are both UCC pastors, and a Meemaw to four. I graduated Eden Theological Seminary in 2022 and received my MDiv. My last job was the Director of Christian Education at First Congregational Church of Webster Groves for 10 ½ years. About three years ago, I heard God calling me to become a Pastor. It has been an incredible experience to trust God to help me grow my gifts for ministry even though I am a “little” older than most students. I hope you will share your stories with me as I get to know all of you. I am so excited to get started sharing our faith journey together.
Mr. Tim Osiek
Commissioned Minister of Music
Tim Osiek has served as music director at St. John UCC for over 12 years. He plays piano, organ, and trumpet, and enjoys incorporating many different styles of music in the service, including jazz. In addition to playing during worship, Tim is the director of the Sanctuary Choir, Bell Choir, and Joyful Noise. He has a Masters Degree in Church Music from Webster University, and was commissioned as a Minister of Music at St. John in 2010.
Cindy Boddy
Bookkeeper
Cindy has been with St. John since October 2009. Previously she served as Administrative Assistant but moved to the position of bookkeeper (part-time) in 2018. This has afforded her the opportunity to provide childcare for her grandson, Wyatt. Prior to coming to St. John, Cindy served as administrative assistant to the superintendent & secretary to the Board of Education (as well as various other secretarial positions) in the Pattonville School District for 36 years. She is the proud mother of one son, Sean, a daughter-in-law, Barbara, and grandson, Wyatt. Cindy and her three brothers grew up in the United Church of Christ being baptized and confirmed in UCC churches. She became a member of St. John in May 2018 and is thrilled to be a part of this outstanding community of faith. Cindy loves to read, travel, and spend time with her family and friends.
Jane Suozzi
Administrative Assistant
Greetings St. John United Church of Christ! My name is Jane Suozzi. I’ve accepted the position of Administrative Assistant for your church and I’m very excited to get started! I was born in Decatur, Alabama. My family moved to Ballwin when my father was transferred here by Monsanto and I’ve never left! I started school in the Parkway District but we moved out to Wildwood and I graduated from Lafayette. I’ve worked as an administrative assistant/secretary/office manager most of my career. My longest employment was with a documentary/corporate image producer/writer/director by the name of William Schwartz. Small company – big projects. At the end of my 15 + years with him, I was his accounting manager. I worked from home for him while I had three children, Kimberly, John and Michael. When my children were teenagers, I went to work for East-West Gateway Council of Governments primarily in their STARRS department (St. Louis Area Regional Response System) which was responsible for disaster preparedness for the St. Louis metropolitan region. From 1996-2010, I served as an alderman for the City of Ballwin.
I’m now an “empty nester” still living in Ballwin. I lost Kim ten years ago to brain cancer at the age of 23. The tumor was discovered when she was a senior at Truman. She went on to graduate with two degrees with honors and was awarded a neuroscience fellowship. My son, John, is a geotechnical engineer living in Nashville and my son, Michael, is a sonar tech currently serving in the Navy in Virginia Beach. I’m an active member of Salem United Methodist Church in Ballwin. I’m currently working on getting our Pastor comfortable with utilizing PowerPoint in our traditional service. In my free time, I enjoy gardening, playing bridge and sewing/quilting. I’m an avid Cardinals and Blues fan. While I haven’t had the opportunity to travel recently, I hold an advanced certification in scuba diving.
I’m thrilled with the opportunity to work for St. John. Praise God for opening this door!
Leadership
CHURCH COUNCIL 2024
- Natalie Morton (2025*), President ✉️
- Ann Picaud (2027*), Vice President ✉️
- Karen Gaertner (2026*), Financial Secretary ✉️
- Janice Jung (2026*), Recording Secretary ✉️
- Karen Benton (2025*) Treasurer ✉️
- Dave Gaehle (2025*), Building ✉️
- Craig Lindquist (2027*), Grounds ✉️
- Char Heyde (2026), Christian Education Liaison ✉️
- Ken Waters (2027*), Project Manager ✉️
- Walter Starck (2026), Project Manager ✉️
- Nicole Martin (2027*), Project Manager ✉️
- Rev. Dr. Kevin Gregory, Senior Pastor ✉️
- Rev. Tracey Harris, Associate Pastor ✉️
BOARD OF CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
- Chris Morton (Chair)
- Pam Boucher
- Lisa Swift
- Char Heyde (Council rep)