A 1860 Founding on Manchester's Edge
St. John United Church of Christ has stood at the south side of Manchester, Missouri for more than a century and a half. On January 3, 1860, twenty-eight men covenanted to organize as the Church of Jesus Christ in what was then a small farming community south of Manchester Road. Three of those founders had already purchased a lot for a building of worship, and the schoolhouse on that property served as the first church. The body called itself The United Evangelical Church of Manchester and, for its first fifty years, conducted every service in the German language of its immigrant founders, eventually adopting the name Saint Johannes Evangelical Church.
Worship has followed the Reformed tradition since those earliest days. A new church was built in 1868 just south of the cemetery, and an English sermon was first preached only in 1910. In 1927 the congregation purchased two acres at the top of the hill, and the present church building was dedicated there in 1952 after the older building was razed. When the Evangelical and Reformed Church merged with the Congregational Christian tradition in 1957, Saint Johannes became a charter member of the United Church of Christ. Two long pastorates shaped much of what St. John is today: the Rev. Paul Wobus served from 1922 to 1969, and the Rev. Dr. Richard Brandon from 1970 to 2005. By the 1980s, when young families were migrating to West St. Louis County in great numbers, the congregation passed one thousand members with an estimated four hundred in worship on a given Sunday.
Sunday Worship at 9:30, In Person and Online
Worship is offered at 9:30 a.m. each Sunday, both in person and as an online stream. The format is rooted in the Reformed tradition, drawing on hymns, liturgy, spoken responses, and the reading of scripture. On most Sundays the Sanctuary Choir sings anthems and leads the congregational singing, and on the third Sunday of each month a contemporary group called Joyful Noise takes a turn in the musical leadership. Hymnals of choice come from the Chalice Hymnal shared with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and on occasion praise songs, contemporary pieces, or non-religious music are woven into the service when appropriate.
Communion is celebrated on the first Sunday of each month, with the exception of the Christmas and Easter seasons when those high holy days carry their own services. The congregation also gathers for the Lord's Supper on Ash Wednesday and Maundy Thursday. In most services, members partake together while seated in the pews; at other times they come forward for intinction, taking a piece of bread from the common loaf and dipping it into a cup of grape juice or wine. Baptisms are scheduled by arrangement, with one baptism held per service; infants are typical, though adults have also been baptized at St. John.
Laity Sunday is observed annually, on which lay members lead the service. A sunrise service and a festive Easter Sunday are offered each spring, along with a community Easter Egg Hunt that fills the grounds with families. The Rev. Dr. Kevin P. Gregory has served as Senior Pastor since 2007. He holds a bachelor's degree from Elmhurst University, a Master of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary, and a Doctor of Ministry in preaching from Chicago Theological Seminary, and he previously served United Church of Christ congregations in Indiana and Wisconsin. He sits on the Personnel Committee for the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the denomination and on the Boards of Directors for Cape Albeon, a UCC senior living community, and St. Andrew's Resources for Seniors System in St. Louis.
Music: From Organ Hymns to a Sacred Jazz Combo
Music at St. John ranges widely. Judy Lindquist directs the program, which includes classic hymns at the organ, contemporary hymns at the piano, modern praise songs with a band, and even a sacred jazz combo. Lindquist, who joined the congregation in 2014 with her husband Craig, studied music at Cottey College and SIU-Edwardsville and plays organ, piano, violin, and guitar in addition to singing.
The Sanctuary Choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and sings anthems and helps lead congregational singing on most Sundays, sharing cantatas at high holy days. The Bell Choir rehearses on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and provides special music throughout the year. Kelly Lashley serves as Church Musician, having grown up playing piano and organ at St. Mark UCC in Arnold, Missouri. Dr. Bruce Carvell directs the choir; he is a graduate of the University of Michigan who first served as Director of Music at St. John from 1982 to 1988 before returning to the role. He has sung as soloist and section leader with choirs at First Congregational Church of St. Louis, Temple Israel, St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Ladue, and the Old Cathedral, and is the Artistic Director of the Collegium Vocale of St. Louis, an early music ensemble.
Children, Youth, and Sunday School
Children of all ages are welcomed as full members of the faith community. A staffed nursery for infants and toddlers up to three years old is open during the 9:30 a.m. worship service. Children in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and elementary grades begin in the sanctuary with their families at 9:30 a.m. and are dismissed partway through the service to classrooms where they hear Old and New Testament stories, work on worksheets, play games, and do crafts. The goal is to help them know, love, and serve God as part of a greater community.
Vacation Bible School is held each summer. The 2026 program, "Emerald Crossing: An Irish Adventure Through Psalm 23," runs four evenings with a light meal, an opening assembly, and rotation groups for Bible stories, crafts, music, science, games, and snacks.
Middle and high school youth meet on Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. The rhythm varies: some Sundays they join the whole congregation around the sacrament of communion, other Sundays they gather around a breakfast table to share a meal and discuss life, and others are spent on scriptural lessons or service projects. They attend worship with their families on the first Sunday of each month. Fellowship activities in the past have included bowling, paint-balling, and lock-ins. A Confirmation Program is offered every other year for seventh and eighth graders, with classes on the first and third Wednesday evenings at 6:00 p.m. in the Hospitality Room, plus field trips, service projects, and additional activities. Friends are always welcome at youth gatherings.
Julie Mock serves as Christian Education Coordinator. She brings twenty-seven years in education, including middle and high school special education in the Windsor C-1 School District, and helps coordinate Sunday School, VBS, and the Board of Christian Education, which meets monthly on Zoom.
Adult Learning, Fellowship, and the Green Team
An Adult Sunday School class meets seasonally on Sunday mornings at 10:45 a.m. for Bible reading and discussion, primarily facilitated by lay leaders. A Tuesday evening Bible Study meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the month from September through November and February through April. Pastor Kevin leads this group from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., looking at how scripture applies to daily life and occasionally weaving a book study or current events into the conversation.
J.O.Y., or Just Older Youth, is a fellowship mainly (but not exclusively) for seniors, gathering every other month for a shared meal, games, and conversation. The Women's Fellowship meets on the third Tuesday of each month from September through May, joining at the church for a meal and socializing, sometimes eating out, and helping run the Silent Auction and Bake Sale that support the Annual Sausage Supper. Men's Brotherhood organizes the second-Saturday-of-November Sausage Supper as a major fundraiser for the ministries of St. John.
The Green Team is an intergenerational group that began meeting in May 2022 to walk the congregation toward becoming a UCC Creation Justice Church. They meet on the second Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Gathering Area and host a monthly walk, often at Faust Park in Chesterfield. Past projects include community tree plantings.
A Web of Outreach Partners
St. John has been engaged in mission and service from its founding. Today the congregation supports a wide circle of partners:
- Circle of Concern, a West St. Louis County food pantry that also helps with various emergency needs.
- Emmaus Homes, an institution that advocates for people with developmental disabilities. St. John has a special relationship with the Fontana community, visiting monthly to play games, do yard work, and host holiday parties.
- Every Child's Hope, a St. Louis agency assisting children, youth, and families. This was historically known as the Evangelical Children's Home.
- Habitat for Humanity. Each year a St. John group combines with other UCC congregations to build a neighborhood house in St. Louis.
- Lydia's House, supporting women and children starting a new life after an abusive relationship.
- Shannondale Community Center in Salem, Missouri, an agency of the Missouri Mid-South Conference of the UCC. Shannondale was founded by the Rev. Wobus and St. John Church, and a St. John group travels there each summer to work and serve.
- Sunshine Ministries, which provides Christian social services to the poor and needy of St. Louis. St. John prepares and shares a monthly meal with the men in residence.
- Unleashing Potential (UP), formerly Neighborhood Houses, which closes opportunity gaps for children and youth through early childhood education, after-school programs, youth development, and enrichment camps.
Special UCC offerings include One Great Hour of Sharing, Strengthen the Church, Neighbors in Need, and The Christmas Fund. Over ten percent of the church's income is given to these and other mission partners.
Care Ministries and Pastoral Visits
The Care Ministry focuses on members wherever they find themselves along life's path. Members of the congregation visit homebound members to share the latest news of St. John, supplementing pastoral visits at Christmas and Easter when members are offered communion. St. John describes itself as a family of faith that cares for each other by sharing the love of Christ.
The Cemetery on Sulphur Spring Road
Just south of the church, the St. John Cemetery Association maintains a historic burying ground with a total of 1,922 plots, of which 340 remain available for sale. The association is a Chapter 352 non-profit corporation, officially incorporated in St. Louis County on July 6, 1966, and serves both church members and non-members. The original 1860 cemetery lies where the founders' first lot was purchased; a second section was added in 1909 to 1910; and a further 7.5 acres south of the church and cemetery was acquired in 1944, extending the grounds to Old Sulphur Spring Road. A flagpole and new memorial area were dedicated in fall 2023, and recent projects have included straightening, resetting, and cleaning gravestones, removing brush and vines, and painting fences. The contact for plot information is Bob Ruh.
Visitors, Membership, and Giving
Sunday morning is the heart of the week at St. John. Worship begins at 9:30 a.m., and the nursery is open during the service. Visitors interested in learning more about the church are invited to call the office at (636) 391-6655. Those considering membership can meet with the pastors for small group sessions or individual meetings to learn the history and ministries of St. John and ask questions; when ready, new members are welcomed in a special moment during worship.
The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Friendly Call newsletter is published monthly, and recent Sunday services are available on the church's YouTube channel. Giving can be made online through PayPal, and the church accepts use of its facilities - Sanctuary, Fellowship Hall, Kitchen, Classroom or Meeting Room, and Audio-Visual Room - for outside groups, with rates ranging from $50 to $100 per room and an optional $75 caretaker fee. St. John is also available for weddings regardless of membership, with non-members meeting first with a pastor before the wedding is scheduled.
The annual operating budget is over $400,000, supported entirely by voluntary contributions. Roughly 575 people claim membership, with average worship attendance of about 120.