Rev. Matt Mimlitz, Pastor
The son of a UCC Minister (Rev. John) and a long-time Christmas Program Director and church choir member (Barbara); Pastor Matt has always claimed to have “grown up in the church all over Indiana.”
Born in Jasper, Indiana near where his dad was serving at St. Peter’s UCC in Dubois; he attended elementary school in San Pierre (St. Luke UCC) and middle school in Huntington (St. John in Bippus and Servia UCC) and graduated from Lawrenceburg High School where his dad was serving at Zion UCC.
Pastor Matt graduated from Elmhurst College in 1984 and The Chicago Theological Seminary in 1998. He was licensed for ministry in 1995 and ordained for ministry in 1999. Continuing a long career in coaching, he is currently an Assistant Coach for Boys Cross Country and Track at York High School in Elmhurst.
In September of 2004, he accepted a call to be the Associate Pastor at St. John UCC in Naperville before becoming the solo Pastor at St. John UCC in 2009. Pastor Matt loves to preach and teach and fellowship with the members of St. John.
Pastor Matt is thankful for his church family as well as his own family – wife, Kristen, and their children, Meredithe, Alex and AJ.
Kim Johnson, Worship Music Coordinator, Choir Director and Organist
Kim started taking piano lessons at the age of 4. She started teaching piano when just in 7th grade – at the request of others who had heard her perform. She started accompanying 2 church choirs when she was in Junior High School. At Downers Grove North High School, Kim was asked to play the piano and do other creative piano accompaniments for the Bicentennial Touring Company, which toured across northern IL, performing for other schools.
Kim teaches piano and voice. Kim’s vocal studies began in high school. She organized, and then directed and accompanied a children’s choir at the United Methodist Church in Woodridge. In college, she organized, accompanied and directed the Wesley Methodist Folk Choir, and was a soloist with the Eastern IL University choir. Kim has created 75 music “historical” shows, which she has performed all over northern and western Illinois, using the authentic music and instruments of each period of time.
Kim judges music competitions: the Illinois Music Association Contest in Chicago, Grandquist Music Competition in Geneva, Illinois Grade School Music Association contests, and the Illinois Junior High School Music Association contests. Her students participate in the Illinois Music Association competition; Kim has sung at the National Association of Teachers of Singing. She has also been an active participant at conventions of the American Choral Director’s Association.
Kim has written materials about teaching children piano and vocal music, which includes learning games, exercises, and technique. She has published a monthly music newsletter, since 1998 and has published books of beginning piano music.