Catherine Foote - Minister

CFoote@universityucc.org 

Catherine was born and raised in Long Beach, California, the youngest of five children. She became a Christian as a teenager. After graduating from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky with a Ph.D. in Education and Theology, she worked for ten years teaching Christian education and biblical studies at San Jose Christian College. She then spent eleven years as a youth minister and later associate minister at First Congregational Church in San Jose, California. Catherine began her work in ministry with UCUCC on December 1, 2001.

She brings to her work here a passion for ministry, a love of teaching, and a delight in telling Bible stories. Along with her responsibilities in preaching and pastoral care, Catherine is also working Christian education and Stewardship ministries.

Catherine currently lives on Whidbey Island where, in addition to tending the flock at UCUCC, she raises another flock of Romney sheep. She also enjoys all sorts of outdoor activities, a joy she regularly expresses in trips to Yosemite, where she and her sister have a tradition of hiking to the top of Half Dome to celebrate each nephew’s graduation from high school.

In addition to her work in ministry, Catherine is the founder of “Brake the Cycle, National Ride to Stop Child Sexual Abuse,” and has ridden her bicycle across the country five times, raising funds for child abuse prevention and recovery programs. She has also written the book Survivor Prayers, Talking with God About Child Sexual Abuse.

Catherine is the Staff Liaison for the following groups:
Stewardship Ministry
Christian Education Ministry
Convening Leadership Staff
Personnel Board
Library Committee

Catherine's days off are Friday and Saturday.

Peter Ilgenfritz - Minister

PIlgenfritz@universityucc.org

Peter grew up in Lynnfield, Mass. His family attended Centre Congregational Church there. He has a sister three years younger than he. He received his BA from Colgate University in Hamilton, New York in 1984, and his MDiv from Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut in 1987. He met his partner Dave Shull at Yale Divinity School. He served as Associate Pastor at First Congregational Church in Ithaca, New York from 1987 to 1989. He and Dave moved to Chicago in 1989.

He was the founding Executive Director of a comprehensive HIV/AIDS care organization in Evanston, Illinois and later worked as a development director for an AIDS organization and a non-profit affordable housing organization.

Peter Ilgenfritz and his partner Dave Shull were called to UCUCC as Associate Pastors in June of 1994. They were the first gay couple called to a mainline Protestant church in the country. Dave left his position at UCUCC in January 2006 to pursue his call to minister with the Hispanic community.

For his first two years here, Peter worked part-time at the church, and part-time as the Development Director of the Washington Association of Churches. Since August, 1996, he has been employed full time at the church. Peter has a wide range of responsibilities, including monthly preaching, counseling, and teaching.

Since January 2005 Peter has been the pastor for youth and their families and is the liaison to the Worship and Music Board and the Youth Ministry Board.

Peter's days off are Tuesday and Friday.

Jim White - Transition Minister

jwhite@universityucc.org

Jim White "retired" three years ago from his sixteen-year position at First Congregational UCC in Colorado Springs and embraced a new calling as an interim minister. University Congregational UCC is his seventh interim ministry position. He has worked in ministry for more than 40 years, and says that he still likes it.

In addition to Colorado Springs he has also served in Milwaukee, Moline, Westfield (New Jersey) and Wichita.

Originally from Oklahoma, Jim received his BA from the University of Oklahoma, then went on to Yale Divinity School, Pacific School of Religion and the Denver University, where he received his Ph.D. He has also studied in Claremont, Atlanta, Israel and Scotland. Jim is also an author with two books to his credit, including Christianity 101: Tracing Basic Beliefs, published in 2005.

During his time at University Congregational UCC, Jim will be sharing clergy responsibilities with Catherine Foote and Peter Ilgenfritz as a minister search committee seeks a new permanent minister following the retirement of Don Mackenzie in June 2008. Jim will be concentrating on small group work, relating the the university community and membership development. He is particularly interested in peace, in the Jesus Seminar, and in mystical spirituality.

Jim is married to Patti Limpert White and has two daughters from a previous marriage.