Rev. Janis Montgomery, Lead Pastor

Rev. Janis Montgomery is a 2013 graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Her ministry is with the people. Her passions include youth in worship, books and her kids. Rev. Janis come to us from Curryville Presbyterian Church in Curryville, MO where she was a Stated Supply Pastor beginning in 2015. In addition, she has worked as a youth director and Stated Supply since 2006. PastorJanis@ChristUnited.Church

Bryan Bowser, Director of Music

Bryan Bowser previously served as Minister of Music for First Congregational United Church of Christ, Berea for 17 years. He is also the Program Director for Arts Management & Entrepreneurship and Assistant Professor at the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music; he was Associate Director of the Conservatory for External Affairs at BW previously. Bowser spent three seasons as Director of Operations and Development with Lyric Opera Cleveland before returning to his alma mater Baldwin Wallace as Director of the Conservatory Outreach Department. He has been seen in many local theaters, colleges and universities as a music director and conductor.

Bowser is president of the board for the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland, an advisory board member of Brecksville Theater on the Square and previous Chair of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts’ Central Great Lakes Region. He holds an M.B.A. in Entrepreneurship and B.M.E. from BW. He has been invited to present at numerous professional meetings including those of the College Music Society, National Association of Schools of Music, National Guild for Community Arts Education and Ohio Music Teachers Association. Bryan leads the Christ United Church Adult Choir and oversees the entire music ministry of the church. bbowser@bw.edu

Betsy Clark, Office Manager

Betsy Clark first served as the Church Office Manager of the former First Congregational UCC, Berea beginning in March of 2005. Since 2016, she has served in that position with Christ United Church. Hers is the first voice and face you will encounter when calling or visiting the church office. A graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College (now Baldwin Wallace University), she holds a B.A. degree in music and a business minor. Although music is now mostly a hobby, Betsy enjoys singing and playing piano and does both at Southwest Unitarian Universalist Church where she is a member. Betsy has two adult children, Taylor, a middle school teacher in Meadville, PA married to Ian and Nick, a graduate of Miami University now living and working in Huntsville, AL.She also has a granddog, Misha and a grandcat, Ranger.
Office@ChristUnited.Church

Rev. Joel Montgomery, Associate Pastor

Rev. Joel Montgomery is a 2013 graduate of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. While his calling is to ministry, his passions are wide-ranging including archery, comic books, Scouting, gaming, Star Wars, music and reading on many topics.
Joel served at First Presbyterian Church in Vandalia, MO since 2013 and he also served as a youth pastor, various pulpit supplies and student pastor during his seminary years. PastorJoel@ChristUnited.Church.

Nichole Fehrman, Associate Director of Music

Nichole Fehrman is an accompanist, flutist, educator, and arts administrator. Most recently, she served as organist and choir/praise band accompanist at Trinity United Church of Christ in Wooster, OH where she enjoyed the opportunity to accompany local musicians as well as members of the Ohio Light Opera every summer. In addition to teaching privately, she led vocal music classes through the Children’s Arts at Trinity (CAT) Program and has performed with the Elegance Trio, WCA Arts Quartet, Canton Concert Band, Orrville Community Theater, Lakeland Civic Band, Lakeland Flute Choir, Celebrations Flute Choir, Hillcrest Concert Band, and Donauschwäbische Blaskapelle. Nichole is a member of the Ohio Music Teachers Association, the Ohio Music Educators Association, Brahms Allegro Music Club, and the National Association for Music Education. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Dayton and prior to accompanying and private teaching full time, she taught elementary and middle school music for Clear Fork Valley Local Schools in Bellville, OH, and St. Mary Elementary in Chardon, OH.

Nichole is originally from St. Mary’s, PA., and began studying organ at the age of nine. She currently lives in Fairview Park, OH with her husband and two cats.
nichole.fehrman@gmail.com

With Christ as our heart and God’s love as our fire,

we learn, we love, we care for all people.

With Christ as our heart and God’s love as our fire,

we learn, we love, we care for all people.﻿

we learn, we love, we care for all people.