As a Community Christian Church partner congregation, we share clergy staff to best live out a ministry of collaboration rooted in spiritual giftedness. Sermons are provided by the preaching pastor at CCC, while Rev. Suzanne provides worship leadership, pastoral care, and day-to-day ministry leadership at PHCC.
Rev. Suzanne Motter
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We are pleased to have Rev. Suzanne Motter as our Transitional Pastor.
Rev. Suzanne Motter (she/her) serves as the Transitional Minister for Park Hill Christian Church. She is passionate about creating opportunities for people to serve in love and learn alongside others. Prior to serving in this position, Suzanne served as the Area Youth Minister for the Trinity-Brazos Area in Texas, Youth Minister at Community Christian Church in Aledo, TX, Associate Minister at First Christian Church in Mayfield, KY and most recently as a Minister at Lee’s Summit Christian Church in Lee’s Summit, MO. During these years Suzanne planned and led many mission trips to West Virginia, California, Illinois, Louisiana, Costa Rica and many places in between. She took on this new role after serving as Community's Minister for Children, Youth and Families. Suzanne earned her Bachelor’s in Religion and Psychology from Texas Christian University as well as her Master’s of Divinity from Brite Divinity School, Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. She met her husband Ryan, also a minister at Community, 10 years before they became friends. He moved to Kansas City after seminary to serve a church, and they became connected through mutual young clergy friends. Suzanne and Ryan are parents to Lydia, Eliza, and a girl dog named Jeff Louise (JeffyLu). Suzanne finds life, joy and renewal when she is able to get outside on/near a lake or river. She loves to hike, bike, float, swim, kayak, and boat (in her younger days you may have found her wakeboarding). Other joys include the Royals, our National Parks, and live music. |
Rev. Shanna Steitz
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Rev. Shanna Steitz (she/her) is a person of deep prayer, big love, and spirit-filled intentionality. She is thrilled to serve in shared leadership with the people of Community Christian Church as Senior Minister.
Rev. Shanna is from a wide spot in the road in rural Missouri and while she grew up in a supportive (and progressive) small country church, she never imagined herself in congregational ministry. When she enrolled in Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University, she had spent several years in university fundraising. She imagined returning to a college town after Brite and teaching wide eyed undergrads. However, the Spirit had other ideas. While at TCU, Shanna met her husband Ryan, also an ordained Disciples minister who now works for Community America Credit Union. Just as she didn't imagine actually being a minister she certainly didn't imagine being a clergy couple! But they have had an amazing adventure serving separate congregations in Fort Worth, Texas and then together at First Christian Church, Macon, MO and First Congregational Church of Los Angeles, CA. Shanna and Ryan are parents to Jacob and Audrey and live with their rescue dog, Otis. The Steitz's love cheering on all the Kansas City sports teams, exploring the National Parks, spending summer days in Ouray, CO, and eating whatever fabulous food Mr. Steitz is cooking! |
Rev. Ryan Motter
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Rev. Ryan Motter (he/him) serves as Community's Associate Minister, working primarily with worship leadership, relationship building and pastoral care, spiritual formation, and justice and mercy ministries.
Ryan’s call to Community is in some ways a homecoming: prior to his seminary days, Ryan served as a Summer Intern here in 2007. Since then, Ryan has served two different congregations in Tennessee and, most recently, served from February 2011 to May 2017 as Senior Minister of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Smithville, MO. Ryan is a TCU Horned Frog, where he earned his Bachelor’s in English, Religion and General Business, and a Vanderbilt Commodore, where he earned his Master of Divinity. In October 2014, Ryan married Suzanne Kerr, also a minister at Community. Although they met while they were both at TCU, Ryan and Suzanne lost track of one another until Ryan moved to Kansas City to serve in Smithville and Suzanne reconnected with him. Ryan and Suzanne are parents to Lydia, Eliza, and a girl dog named Jeff Louise. Ryan loves to read, write, journal and take long walks with Jeff Louise. Ryan enjoys a great cup of coffee, tacos, and any meal that’s prepared completely from scratch. This year, he's trying to read everything written by J.R.R. Tolkien for the first time ever- "not all who wander are lost." |
Josh Gilman
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Josh Gilman is the Ministry Support Administrator at Park Hill Christian Church. He is originally from the Pacific Northwest and is a graduate of Eastern Oregon University and the University of Missouri Kansas City. For the past five years, he has been a professional actor and voice artist, as well as an avid baker, gardener, woodworker, and boater. He is thrilled to join Park Hill Christian Church and is excited to support their congregation and mission.
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