St. Jacob UCC and St. John’s UCC welcome new pastor

The members of St. Jacob United Church of Christ in St. Jacob and St. John’s UCC in Summerfield announce the arrival of their new settled pastor.

Rev. Philip Barbier. Reverend Barbier was ordained Aug. 1 at Hope UCC, St. Louis. He graduated from Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, Missouri, in 2018 and celebrated his first service at both St. Jacob UCC and St. John’s UCC on Aug. 8.

“I have spent most of my life as a part of UCC congregations in south St. Louis,” Barbier said. “In my teens, after years of involvement in my home church and as a camper, counselor and camp staff member at a UCC camp, I felt God’s call and began making plans to attend seminary after college.

“Life’s journeys are seldom straight lines, and after college my journey took a bit of a detour before it led to seminary,” he said. “I married my wonderful wife, Kate, and we had our daughters, Clara and Elise. Through those years I spent time working in a UCC related nonprofit, as a librarian, as the pastoral assistant of a UCC church, and most recently spent the last 15 years in IT at a law firm,” he continued.

“In 2012 my path brought me to seminary, and I began my studies at Eden, graduating in 2018. Following seminary, I spent about six months in a chaplain training program before continuing on my path to congregational ministry.”

Outside of work and school these last few years, Barbier spent his free time outdoors, hiking, cycling, and simply walking a few miles around the neighborhood whenever he had a spare moment. He also enjoys reading when the weather is not conducive for outdoor activities.

The installation ceremony will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14, at St. Jacob UCC. Sunday services at St. John’s UCC start at 8:45 a.m. and at St. Jacob UCC at 10:15 a.m. All are welcome to attend.

This story was originally published September 4, 2021 at 11:00 AM.