(618) 939-7123 | Worship with us at 9:30 a.m. every Sunday.
(618) 939-7123 | Worship with us at 9:30 a.m. every Sunday.
Get to know your church leaders and staff.
Linda has been a member of St. Paul UCC since 1996 and has been the Administration Coordinator since 2002. In addition to working in the church office, Linda is one of the church organists/pianists and plays in the morning handbell choir, harp ensemble, orchestra and occasionally the contemporary band (youth and adult). In her spare time, Linda enjoys spending time at the lake and with her family.
Gary Humphrey has been involved in music since the age of nine when he began taking piano lessons so that he might accompany his father, who was a wonderful singer. After obtaining his undergraduate degree in music business, he began his church music career singing in choir and playing the organ at St. John UCC in Collinsville, IL, his home church. From there he spent time at St. John UCC in St. Louis and Immanuel UCC in Edgemont, IL as choir director/organist. In 2004, he became the Music Director at Friedens UCC in St. Charles, MO, where he directed two bell choirs and one vocal choir. As director of music, he was instrumental in the creation and design of a second, contemporary worship service. He formed a praise band, planned the services and played in and conducted the band. He also is the founder and executive director of the Collinsville Chorale, a 70-voice auditioned community choral group which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. Gary resides in Collinsville with his wife Brenda. They have four children and one grandchild.
The path to St. Paul UCC was a roundabout one for Jillian Mayer. Dissatisfied with her Baptist upbringing in West-Central Illinois, it was when Jill came to Waterloo, IL with her then boyfriend (now husband) Andy Mayer that she found her first true spiritual home: St. Paul UCC.
Andy and Jill met when a friend of Jill’s from high school brought him up to the University of Illinois for a weekend visit from Eastern Illinois University, his alma mater. Numerous phone calls led to weekend visits which led to an engagement and a move to southern Illinois after Jill graduated from UIUC with a BS in Psychology and Integrative Biology. Upon graduation, Jill began her postgraduate work at Southern Illinois University. She received her MA in 2010 and PhD in 2015 from SIUC in Brain and Cognitive Sciences. Throughout her postgraduate career, Jill was blessed with numerous teaching opportunities that made her realize her passion and talent for working with both children and adults.
They have three beautiful daughters: Arabella, Juliana and Madeline. Arabella and Juliana are twin 8th graders who love attending youth group and are currently in confirmation. Madeline is an energetic 4th grader who loves attending SPLASH each week. You may see her Sunday mornings making a beeline for her favorite place at St. Paul UCC: the prayground.
In her spare time, Jill enjoys reading, crafting and baking. A homebody at heart, there are few things she enjoys more than curling up in a rocking chair with a really captivating book or engrossing film.
Carmen has been the Office Coordinator since Easter of 2023. She grew up in the UCC church family and has many fond memories of camping at DuBois Center throughout the years. Carmen and her family moved to Waterloo 2 years ago and have made it their home. Carmen was a band director for 7 years before having her first child. She is married, now has two beautiful children and looks forward to this new journey.
Steve grew up in Waterloo and is a life-long member at St Paul. He worked in the field of professional photography for many years before switching gears and starting his own home repair and improvement business, while also working part time as a funeral director assistant. Steve enjoyed time as a scout leader and baseball coach when his son was growing up. He has also served on various committees in the church, eventually becoming Consistory President in 2005 before being called to join the staff in 2007. He and his wife Patty enjoy warm afternoons in their Jeep sight-seeing while traveling the back-roads of Monroe County. They have a son Colton, who works in video production in Kansas City.
