(314) 727-9540 | 320 North Forsyth Blvd 

Clayton, Missouri 63105

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OUR STAFF

 

Rev. Dr. Jeff Groene

Pastor


Pastor Jeff was called to Samuel UCC in September of 2001. He grew up in Wisconsin where he earned a B.A. degree from St. Norbert College. Jeff later moved to St. Louis where he received a Master of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary and never left the area, serving seven years on staff at St. Paul United Church of Christ in Waterloo, Illinois before coming to Samuel UCC. Jeff received a Doctorate in Ministry from McCormick Theological Seminary in 2005.


Pastor Jeff has seen us through many changes during his time at Samuel UCC. He remains passionate about ecumenical and interfaith relationships and is committed to relating the ageless message of God's love in relevant ways that address the needs and challenges we face today. When he is not at church, Jeff enjoys watching Green Bay Packers football, St. Louis Cardinals baseball and spending time with his wife, Teresa, and sons, Isaac and Owen.


If you desire pastoral presence and prayer during troubled times or celebrations; have a question of faith that has been working on your mind; have an idea for meaningful worship or mission or sense that God is calling you to share your time, talents or treasures in a way that might transform your life or the life of others, give him a call. He’d love to set up a time to meet with you.

 

Kyle Reaka

Children, Youth and Missions Minister

 

Kyle grew up in the Saint Louis suburb of Freeburg, Illinois, but lived in Kentucky for several years while completing his education.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy with a Spanish minor from Murray State Univeristy, as well as a Master of Divinity from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.  He is honored to have been selected as a Johnson Scholar in 2019 by the United Church of Christ, a prestigious scholarship in recognition of his academic acheivements and potential for future ministry. 

Most recently, Kyle did two seasonal terms with A Christian Ministry in the National Parks (ACMNP), where he helped to lead worship and facilitate relationship building in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. He is passionate about social justice, and is a fervent advocate of the LGBTQ community within the church.  In his free time, Kyle loves to play video games, spend time with family (especially his niece and nephew), and hang out with his best friends who reside in Louisville.

 

Claire Minnis

Director of Music Ministries

 

Claire currently serves as Director of Choirs at Rockwood High School, Music Director at STL Christmas Carols Association, and Director of Music Ministries at Samuel UCC. Jared is the Director of Facilities at Laclede Groves. They live in Affton with their dog, Samson. They love traveling, board games, and patios! Check out her website at: https://www.claireminnis.com/

 

Charlotte Wynn

Office Administrator

Charlotte joined Samuel UCC in September 2023 as our Office Administrator.  She brings a working knowledge of the QuickBooks program, having worked as a contractor for their parent company Intuit for several years.  During her time with Intuit, she has done technical support for both the QuickBooks Desktop and Online programs.  Also, she has worked many years with their TurboTax program, moving from product technical support to Resolutions Department in their Tax Support area.

 

She holds an Associates of Arts in Paralegal Studies for SIBA College in St. Louis.  She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.  She used that knowledge in her work as a Paralegal for two of the top Plaintiffs law firms in St. Louis.  Her focus was on personal injury law while supporting the managing partners of the two law firms. 

 

 

 

After 16 years in the legal field, she left Paralegal work and joined The Salvation Army’s staff at the Maplewood Corps where she also served as a Solider.   Her role with the Army was Director of Youth and Community Ministries where she ran several youth programs as well as their after school and summer day camp programs.  She worked there for 6 years until she suffered an accident where she was unable to perform her duties with the youth.

 

During that time, she had worked part time as a contractor for Intuit’s TurboTax software.  Once she was medical able, she worked more extensively with Intuit supporting both their TurboTax and QuickBooks programs.

 

Currently Charlotte enjoys spending time with her 3 grandchildren.  She currently lives in Overland, MO with her family which consists of her daughter, son-in-law, and their children.  She still has a passion for God and His children.  She enjoys serving His children.  She also likes to bake and travel.

 

 

 

Jane Strauss

Preschool Director

 

A member of the church for over 25 years, Jane has worked for 10 years as the director of the preschool. Prior to that, she worked for 12 years teaching at Trinity Lutheran Preschool in Town and Country. Jane and her wonderful staff are dedicated to the play-based program for children aged 2-5 years. Jane’s three sons attended the program when they were young, so it is near and dear to her heart.

 

 Jane believes in the positive effect of providing a play-based learning environment for the children in her care.   “While children are playing, they can observe emotions in their peers, they learn how to interact with others and how to express themselves.”  She is dedicated to the families and children of the preschool.  Her own three sons attended preschool at Samuel.  Jane is involved in the life of the church, especially in the Youth and Family Ministry. When not working she enjoys reading, biking, and time spent with family and friends. You can find out more about Samuel Preschool here.

 

Leslie French

Nursery Caregiver, Wedding Coordinator

 

Leslie joined the church in 2010. Even before joining, she was active with our Children’s Ministry as our Nursery Caregiver. Leslie can be found on Sunday mornings holding babies and playing with toddlers in our nursery – something she’s done with great love for more than a decade. She’s also the one who keeps any weddings moving smoothly and with a minimum of fuss as the Wedding Coordinator. 

When not at Samuel, she can be found meeting the needs of our veterans through her work as a psychologist with Veterans Administration.  Leslie has a passion for baking and spending time with her boys.

 

Chris McCarthy

Bookkeeper

 

Chris joined the staff of Samuel Church in the fall of 2018 to assist in a system conversion of QuickBooks and in the ongoing financial operations of the church. Chris graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Science and spent over 15 years living in the Seattle area. s

She comes to us with over 20 years of accounting experience with the last 12 years focusing on the not-for-profit sector. In addition to Samuel UCC, she also does bookkeeping for Third Baptist Church and for Arch Grants, a local non-for-profit. She has a passion for numbers, friends, and wine.


Rev. Dr. Hale Schroer

Pastor Emeritus

 

Hale Schroer served as the Pastor here at Samuel Church from 1962-72. Then he moved on to teach at Eden Seminary, before returning here as a member. Now, Hale and his wife, Ann, have moved to Minnesota, but their connection and love for Samuel Church is deep.

We are grateful for the insight and learning Hale has shared with us throughout the decades and enjoy reconnecting with him and Ann when they visit St. Louis. In honor of his many years of service and the invaluable knowledge he has both of Samuel UCC and of the UCC in general, the congregation voted to bestow on him the title of Pastor Emeritus in 2016.