Pastor Carr was raised in the world of pro football and lived in many places growing up. His dad was a player and a coach for over 40 years. Pastor Carr was converted to Christ as a Sophomore in college and eventually graduated from Wheaton College in 1983 with a degree in business and economics. Following college he attended Trinity Evangelical Divinity School earning a Master of Divinity degree. About the same time he joined the Air Force Reserves as a chaplain and has been a reserve chaplain for over 30 years. He also has 30 years of full-time church service as a pastor having served churches in Boston, Iowa, and now the Fox Valley in Illinois. Ken married Priscilla in 1992 and they have 5 children. One of his favorite verses is 1 Timothy 1:15, "The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost."
Matt Gruel is the Pastor of Family Life at Union Congregational Church. His position began in the Fall of 2009 with the purpose of reaching out, discipling, and equipping the younger population of the church to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ. His desire is to see that parents become the primary Christian educators in the church and the home.
Matt came to know the Lord Jesus Christ as a child, but he started to live out his faith while a student at Butler University. In college, Matt was heavily involved and discipled through the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. As a result of that involvement, he had the opportunity to minister to Muslims in a large Middle Eastern country. While there for a year, God instilled in Matt a love for outreach and diversity, which ultimately led him to Bridgeway Community Church of Carol Stream, IL in 1997.
Matt started his work at Bridgeway while a student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL. He received his M.Div degree in 2001, and began working full time with the church. Matt also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Butler University which has proved very valuable with his involvement in worship and music ministry.
Pastor Matt currently resides in Batavia with his wife, Cynthia, and his two sons, Cameron and Caleb.
Pastor Holwerda was born and raised in a Christian home in Wheaton. He did undergraduate studies at Hope College in Holland, MI and L’Ecole Superieur de Commerce in Dijon, France. He earned a graduate degree in Theology from Wheaton College Graduate School. Having worked at Christ the King for 3 years as an intern, Jeff became the Associate Pastor in 2007. When Christ the King merged with Union Congregational to form Living Hope, Jeff joined the merged fellowship to continue as an Associate Pastor. Among other things, his responsibilities include providing leadership to our Jr. and Sr. High ministries as well as AWANA.
Jeff and his wife Kathy are raising five children in Batavia. Together with Jonathan Edwards, he is “resolved, to live so at all times, as I think is best in my devout frames, and when I have clearest notions of things of the gospel, and another world.”
Megan Gabriel started working as secretary for Living Hope Church in February 2019.