Church Staff

301 North 7th Street • Saint Joseph, MO 64501 • 816-232-3358

Influences:  My parents. Incredible.   They taught me to love what I do everyday and to do it the best that I can.

Epic moments:  My first day of school as a teacher.  True make it or break it time.  I don't know that I actually "made" it but I have learned so much from those minutes of my life.

Education: Early Childhood Elementary degree from Missouri Western State College, Master's in Education from Baker University.

Favorite books:  I love children's books.  Handy that I'm a kindergarten teacher! Patricia Polacco is my newest love. 

Motivation:  Cooper, who's learned that we usually walk at 5:30 a.m. or not at all.  114 lbs. of motivation wagging his tail on my side of the bed!  That'll get you going!

Influences: My Mother, Judy Taylor, My former Youth Minister, Esther Berg, Walt Disney, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Lisa Simpson.

Epic moments: The day I started college, I was so scared that I turned to prayer. I have been praying ever since!

Education: I went to Missouri Western State University for my undergraduate history degree, Truman state University for my graduate work in history, and Lindenwood University for a master’s in education.

Favorite books: I love to read fiction. My favorite authors are: Jane Austin, Tony Hillerman, Elizabeth Peters (Barbara Michaels), and Amanda Quick (Jayne Ann Krentz).

Favorite movies: *WARNING—more nerd content* Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings.

Influences: Mom and Dad, my son Sidney, my sister Marta and my nieces, Cameron and Taylor, all of my birth family; liberation theology, the Civil Rights movement, Robert McAfee Brown, Martin Luther King Jr., Eugene Peterson,Revs Louis and Connie Monroe, Rev. Omotolokun Omokunde.

Epic moments: Getting adopted, graduations, ordination, adopting my son, mission trip to Alaska at age 17 when I received my call to ministry.

Education: B.A. in History from the University of California, San Diego; M.Div. from McCormick Theological Seminary.

Favorite books: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte; The Poet, The Warrior, and The Prophet by Ruben Alves; Love in a time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia.

Favorite Movies: Babette’s Feast, The Sound of Music, Sense and Sensibility, Cinema Paradiso, Schindler’s List

Epic Moments: My marriage to Joanne and the birth and development of our daughter Leanne are extremely meaningful to me. The installation of our new pipe organ in 1989 and the musical growth and accomplishments of dozens of my wonderful piano students at MWSU (ten of them were very dedicated and gifted international pianists) serve as affirmations of the value of my teaching there.

Education: B.M.E. degree with diploma in piano from Missouri State University; master of music degree in piano performance from Wichita State University and extensive doctoral study at the University of Iowa in piano performance with John Simms and performance practices with Robert Donington and Gerhard Krapf as well as studying musicology with William S. Newman at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Epic Moments: Living with 3 teenagers has epic moments daily.

Education: BME (bach of music ed) from UMKC Conservatory of Music 1987 Graduate work in progress at Northwest Missouri State University in Music ed.

Favorite music/bands: Contemporary Christian, Classical and jazz.

Favorite movies: All Musicals.

Favorite TV Shows: Seventh Heaven, Everwood, Dancing with the Stars and CSI.

Spare Time: practice my instruments, crochet, cross stitch, sew, plan for the next school day, garden and spend time with my family

Influences: My Dad and brother-in-law. Going to Carsillo

Epic moments: Getting married the birth of our son and grandchildren

Education: Graduated from Gibbon High School, Gibbon, NE, Seminars for transportation management.

Favorite music/bands: Faith Hill’s country style

Spare time: Fishing, watching sports, camping at our lake place

Passions: Helping our son with his new home.

Personal Motto: Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today.