|
|
|
|
|
Joseph A. Shank
Senior Pastor
jas@wcc-joinus.org
Joseph A. Shank, Senior Pastor has served Winnetka Congregational Church since
August of 1992. An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, Joseph has
more than twenty five years of pastoral experience. His parish work has
included stops in North Beverly, MA and South
Portland and Yarmouth Maine. He holds degrees from Miami University, Oxford
Ohio, and Harvard Divinity School.
Under Joseph’s leadership, WCC has realized resurgence in the participation of
young families and their children, junior and senior high youth and Sunday
worship attendance. In 1996-1997 his leadership was key in directing a five
million dollar campaign to build our lovely fellowship and educational wing. |
|
If you would like to learn more
about our church, just send an email to any of our staff members. They'll be
delighted to tell you more.
________
|
|
Joseph is the primary preacher, develops the worship services, and directs the
program staff. He serves as secretary to the Board of Trustees of the Chicago
Theological Seminary and has served his denomination at the national level.
Joseph is married to Leslie Walker Shank, an elementary school teacher in
Winnetka.
Joseph’s interests include theater, travel (especially trips to
Guatemala and Honduras), golf, scuba diving, and baseball.
|
|
|
 |
Jennifer A. Gleichauf
Associate Pastor
jenny@wcc-joinus.org
Jenny graduated from
McCormick Theological Seminary with a Masters of Divinity and was ordained in
the Presbyterian Church (USA). While studying at MTS she served as Moderator of
the Student Session and was the Student Representative on the Board of Trustees
for two years. Jenny also received an award for “Preaching with the
Congregation.” She has previously worked at Fourth Presbyterian Church in youth
and small group ministry, as well as in human resources; spent a year at First
Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights as a seminary intern; First
Presbyterian Church of Deerfield in worship, youth and music ministry; and
completed a unit of Clinical Pastoral Education as a chaplain at the University
of
|
|
Pastoral Education as a
chaplain at the University of Chicago Hospital. Jenny holds a Bachelor’s of
Music degree from Northwestern University with a concentration in voice,
production and direction.
While her hometown is Racine,
Wisconsin, Jenny has lived in Chicago for 10 years and currently lives in the
Rogers Park neighborhood. Jenny is married to Brian Gleichauf who is a high
school math and science teacher at the Chicago Waldorf School.
Jenny enjoys music, theater, travel, reading, movies and playing with her new
niece and nephew when she can get to see them in Michigan.
|
|
William A. Mueller
Part time
Acting
Associate Pastor
bill@wcc-joinus.org
William A. Mueller is a native-born Evanstonian and grew up
on the northwest side of Chicago, graduating from Lane Technical High School
“back when it was all boys.”
Bill received his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology in
1974 from the University of Illinois at Chicago “back when it was Circle
campus.” He returned to Evanston when he attended and graduated from
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity (M.Div.)
degree in 1978.
Ordained an United Methodist Elder, he served as pastor of
local congregations in Chicago and suburbs for nearly twenty years before
returning to graduate school at Loyola University Chicago: School of Social Work
where he received his Master of Social Work (MSW) degree in 1996. His clinical
internship was at the Outpatient Treatment Center of the Stone Institute of
Psychiatry at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Since then he has obtained his
license in clinical social work (LCSW). |
 |
|
During the past twelve years, Bill has worked in hospice as
well as inpatient behavioral health units for Advocate Health Care and
Resurrection Health Care. He has also served as a part-time pastoral counselor
with the Samaritan Counseling Center in Winnetka and Evanston and is a member of
the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC).
Bill has earned his Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree in
pastoral counseling from the Graduate Theological Foundation in South Bend,
Indiana. He is also an adjunct professor at Loyola University Chicago: School
of Social Work.
Bill is married to Judi who is an active member of St.
Mark’s Episcopal Church in Evanston where they reside. Judi is an active
volunteer at the Chicago Botanic Garden where she works on the Millennium Seed
Bank Project. They enjoy being with their 3-year old granddaughter as much as
possible, as well as traveling and antiquing.
|
|
|
|
Paul S. Allen
Pastor Emeritus
The Rev. Paul S. Allen was senior pastor at WCC from 1966 to 1991, a period
when public issues were posing through ethical challenges for Christians, and
under his leadership the church worked to form faith in the nurturing atmosphere
of a caring community and to provide programs for putting faith in action in a
needy world.
Born in the Middle East of missionary parents, Paul’s first career choice after
graduating from Wheaton College in 1948 was journalism. Six years later he
entered McCormick Seminary in Chicago accompanied by a wife and daughter. After
a stint on the pastoral staff of Fourth Presbyterian Church in downtown Chicago,
he became senior pastor at WCC. He served WCC at a time when our nation was convulsed by the civil
rights struggle, divided by an
increasingly violent and seemingly pointless war in Vietnam, concerned about
poverty and decay in the inner-city, and soon to be dealing with feminist and
gay rights movements. |
Paul and his wife Marilee
|
| Among
other things, the congregation raised a loan fund to help poor congregations
in Chicago as part of WCC’s own centennial celebration in 1974. It took
leadership in forming the North Shore Interfaith Housing Center to foster
open housing. Paul chaired a multi-church “Peace Emphasis” week in Winnetka
during a critical Cold War period. Later, the Women’s Exchange was
organized, Harkness House for Children was founded, and the congregation
shared worship, fellowship and service experiences with the African-American
Friendship Baptist Church in Chicago. All this happened as pastors and lay
leaders sought to build an open, caring community where conflicts could be
aired and differences mediated. In the 1980’s Paul earned a Doctor of
Ministry degree in pastoral care. Since retirement, Paul and his wife, Marilee, have continued to live in
Winnetka and have watched the church’s progress with love and pride. One of his
major retirement activities has been helping to organize Interfaith House, a
respite care agency on Chicago’s West Side where homeless persons can
recover from hospital stays. In July, 2004 Interfaith House Founders
Award was presented to Paul Allen
in grateful appreciation for his work.
|
 |
Robert Harris
Director of Music/Choirmaster
music@wcc-joinus.org
Robert Harris was born and raised in Detroit,
Michigan. His parents were both very religious and thus Robert became active
in church activities at an early age. His mother was a Methodist and his
father a Baptist. In that the churches they attended were only a few blocks
apart, Robert attended Sunday school with his father and regular church
services with his mother. However, it was at the Tabernacle Baptist Church
where his father was one of the lead tenors in the choir, that Robert first
heard and came to appreciate the anthems, spirituals, cantatas and oratorios
— choral music that became and continues to be a central part of his musical
endeavors.
In addition to his choral activities, Robert also played
clarinet in his elementary, high school and university bands. He received
his undergraduate degree in choral music education, and his master’s degree
in musicology from Wayne State University in Detroit. He taught in the
Detroit school system for four years and was then invited to return to
Wayne State University as an assistant professor at the age of 26 |
|
and has been a college professor ever since. Robert
received his doctorate degree in composition and theory from Michigan State
University and was a member of the faculty there for seven years prior to
coming to Northwestern in 1977 where he presently holds the position of
Professor of Conducting and Director of Choral Organizations as a member of
the faculty of the NU School of Music.
As a published composer, Robert has been the recipient of
numerous commissions from various schools, churches and musical
organizations and his works are in the catalogues of some of he world’s
leading publishers including Oxford University Press and Boosey and Hawkes.
Robert has served as a guest professor at Wayne State University, the
University of Texas (Austin) and the University of South Africa in Pretoria.
He has served as a guest conductor and choral clinician throughout the
United States as well as in Europe, South Korea, the Republic of China, Hong
Kong, South Africa and in Argentina. Church music has always been an
important part of his life and Robert has held several positions at various
churches wherever he has lived. His most recent was at the Trinity United
Methodist Church in Wilmette where he served as choirmaster from 1978 until
2004. He welcomes the opportunity to be a part of the worship team at WCC.
|
 |
Elaine Clemens
Director of Children's Music/Organist
music@wcc-joinus.org
Elaine Clemens was raised in West Palm
Beach, Florida (an 8th generation
Floridian) where her family was very active in the Methodist Church. After
studying piano since the age of five, she began organ studies at the age of
fourteen. Her organ teacher trained her to be a concert performer as well as
a church musician.
She attended college
at George Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville, Tennessee which is now
the Education School of Vanderbilt University. Her major was Music Education
with an emphasis on organ.
After graduating
from college she moved to Evanston and served as assistant organist-choir
director at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church. |
|
Her next position
was for 23 years as organist-choir director at First Congregational Church
in Wilmette where she directed the Chancel Choir, Children’s Choir, Handbell
Choir, and directed the high school music each year. She then served as
organist and children’s choir director for six years at Trinity Methodist
Church in Wilmette where she teamed with Dr. Robert Harris, of Northwestern
University.
Elaine has taught at
The Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth as well as Lincoln and Willard Schools
in Evanston. She now teaches K-5 at Dewey and Kingsley Schools in Evanston.
She also serves as staff accompanist for the choral department at Evanston
Township High School for the past three years. In addition, Elaine is
presently working on a Master’s Degree in School Leadership at Concordia
University and is serving as an administrative intern at Kingsley School.
She looks forward to
once again praising God through music at Winnetka Congregational Church.
We feel very
fortunate to have Elaine and Dr. Robert Harris as our interim musical team.
Our intent is to establish a search process to hire permanent staff after
gaining the input of the congregation as to what inspires us musically in
worship. We would like everyone in the congregation to participate in
shaping the scope of the music experienced in worship at WCC. Your input
will be helpful in representing all sections of our diverse congregation. |
To the top
|
