Rev. Jennie Churchman
Senior Minister
Email: minister@eurekachristian.org
Rev. Jennie has been with us since 2010. She is a proud Texan but has fallen for our Midwestern seasons and the small-town charm of Eureka. She is a lover of chocolate, Mexican food, Pride and Prejudice, travel, and all of the excellent parks in the area (check out the Singing Woods Nature Preserve in Peoria and Black Partridge Park in Metamora). If you can’t find her at church, chances are she’s out hiking or seeing the world. After all, the journey is the destination.
Rev. Ron Crawford
Minister of Spiritual Care
Email: spiritualcare@eurekachristian.org
Ron joined our staff in January 2024 after a career in engineering and product marketing. In his spare time, Ron enjoys listening to music and cooking. (Ask him about his world-famous salmon on the grill and stir fry!) He likes staying informed with the PBS NewsHour, and his favorite movie is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. One of these days, he would love to see the cities of Amsterdam and Budapest–along with Kyoto, Japan.
Rev. Carol Bennett-Barker
Minister of Music
Email: music@eurekachristian.org
Carol has been leading music at ECC since 2009. She divides her time between her music ministry and another career training foster parents.
Michelle Holthe
Administrative Assistant & Nursery Coordinator
Phone: (309) 467-2369
Email: office@eurekachristian.org
Michelle has been with Eureka Christian Church since 2019. When not attending to ECC admin needs, she loves to read, craft, and spend time with her husband Paul and dog Guinness. Ask her about Ireland sometime…or Batman. Because, as she says, “Always be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Then you should always be Batman.”
Kathryn Cunningham
Choir Director
Phone: (309) 467-2369
Kathryn joined our staff in 2021. She says the best part about directing the choir is the people. “The choir members are so fun, and we have a great time making music together.” In her “other life,” Kathryn is the elementary music teacher at Central Primary School in Washington, Illinois. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Religion from Greenville College and a post-graduate certificate in Music Education from the University of Missouri, Saint Louis. In her spare time, she loves baking treats for her family and traveling near and far. She is always ready for the next adventure!
Eli Dew, Hayden Skaggs, & Piper Jimmerson
Youth Ministry Interns
Phone: (309) 467-2369
Hayden, Eli, and Piper join us from Eureka College and are helping to guide our middle and high school youth.
Grace Dearhamer
Social Media Intern
Email: socialmedia@eurekachristian.org
Phone: (309) 467-2369
Grace Dearhamer first joined our ministry team in 2021 as a Youth Ministry Intern while she was a student at Eureka College. She continues on as our Social Media Intern. Grace is a student at the University of Chicago, working on her Master of Divinity & Master of Arts in Social Work and Social Welfare. She is originally from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. In her free time, she loves to go on outdoor walks, watch documentaries, and try local coffee shops. She also has a passion for sustainability and zero-waste lifestyles! If you ever need a recommendation for shampoo bars you know who to ask!
