Hello St. Paul UCC, my name is Ryan Mathews and I am the student pastor for this year. I am currently attending Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis and I am in my second year as a Master’s of Divinity student, pursuing ordination in the United Church of Christ.

Before moving to St. Louis in August of last year, I lived my entire life in Northeast Ohio. I grew up in Cuyahoga Falls, a suburb of Akron and about 45 minutes from Cleveland. From childhood I remember my family, especially my mother, instilling in me that God had special things for me and that I should never give up in the face of adversary, which has led me to be quite successful in school and life.

I attended The University of Akron and received a Bachelor’s of Music in Music Education. My main instrument is trumpet and for many years my dream was to be a band director. I still love music and enjoy teaching, but shortly before graduation I started to feel that music education was not my calling.

Just a couple of years before this realization, I first came across the United Church of Christ. As a child, I was raised Presbyterian and was confirmed in the church, but had drifted away for several years. Though I considered myself a Christian once again beginning in high school and throughout college, I felt that no church—both congregationally and denominationally—fit the theology I had of a God who loves and accepts all. It was at this point that a friend drove by a church with a “God is still speaking,” banner. She attended worship that Sunday, and invited a few of us the following week. That church was First Grace UCC, my home church, and six years later I am attending seminary!God has sent me on a wild and fantastic journey!

I ended up at Eden specifically thanks in large part to a person who is no stranger to St. Paul UCC, Rev. Bob Molsberry, a man who has become a great mentor to me. One year before I started seminary, my pastor asked me if I wanted to visit Eden while he was attending a conference in St. Louis. Being a person in a wheelchair, I was concerned of accessibility issues that had been described to me at General Synod in Hartford. He encouraged me to call Bob, who was our new conference minister, and get his thoughts. As a fellow person in a wheelchair with experience working at Eden, he was well aware of issues I would face, but encouraged me to give it a chance. I went to visit and immediately fell in love with the school and the program. Though it has not been easy, if I had it all to do again, I would do it in a heartbeat!

I feel called to serving in parish ministry as a pastor. I love all aspects of worship and worship planning and enjoy preaching. I am deeply committed to social justice issues and will be the chairperson of Eden’s Social Justice Council this year. If I had to choose a goal for my ministry it would be to show those who desire a relationship with God but feel rejected, unwanted and unloved by God and the church because of race, gender, ability, class, sexual orientation, etc., that God loves them for who they are and there is a special place for them at Christ’s table.

If there is anything else you want to know, do not hesitate to ask. Just warning, I love talking to people, so we may be chatting for awhile!