An ordained United Church of Christ Minister with partner status in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Jeff has been pastor of Webster Groves Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) since March of 2008. Jeff has a Bachelor of Science in Outdoor Leadership from Aurora University, Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Eden Theological Seminary, and a PhD in Biblical Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. His Doctor of Ministry work focused on the question of “Christian Connectedness,” and explored this from biblical and liberation standpoints in conversation with the poetry of Guatemalan poet and theologian, Julia Esquivel. Jeff’s PhD dissertation focused on Theological Education in the Lesotho Evangelical Church as it relates to the church’s vision and commitment to “abundant life” (John 10:10), and presents a descriptive study following a three-year program of ethnographic and theological research in Lesotho, southern Africa.
Jeff has served UCC congregations in Mascoutah, Illinois, Darmstadt and Biddleborn, Illinois, and Pana and Dollville, Illinois. He has served as Director of Outdoor Ministries in the Rocky Mountain Conference, UCC, and from 2003-2007 served, along with his spouse, Susan, as a Common Global Ministries Missionary in Lesotho. While in Lesotho Jeff taught ministry and biblical studies at Morija Theological Seminary and the National University of Lesotho; served as the HIV and AIDS Coordinator for the Lesotho Evangelical Church; and served as Interim Pastor for Maseru United Church – an international, nondenominational congregation. Upon his return to the United States, Jeff lived and taught on campus at Eden Theological Seminary, where he was Missionary in Residence during the 2007-2008 academic year. Jeff has continued to teach Biblical Studies and Ministry Studies courses (courses on various New Testament books, Greek Grammar and Exegesis, Biblical Hermeneutics, Contextual Biblical Interpretation, Congregational Leadership, Research Methods, etc.) as an adjunct to the Eden faculty, and teaches Biblical Studies and Theology courses as an adjunct to the Saint Louis University faculty.
His research interests include the book of Revelation, International Contextual Biblical Interpretation, and the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Jeff has taught and presented in these areas in over a dozen countries on five continents.
In addition to his pastorate at Webster Groves Christian Church, Jeff served as part-time Interim Minister at Memorial Boulevard Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) from March of 2020 to June of 2022, and serves as Chaplain for Doorways, a housing and healthcare agency for people living with HIV & AIDS.
He enjoys reading, the outdoors, and riding his motorcycles whenever he can.
As of June 2023, Jeff and Susan have been married for 34 years. They have three adult children – Abigail, Daniel, and Khotso.