Rev. Jessica Petersen-Mutai, Senior Minister
Rev. Jessica Petersen-Mutai, an authorized minister with the United Church of Christ, grew up in a small town in northwest Iowa and is a graduate of The University of Iowa and Eden Theological Seminary. She is a part of the UCC’s “Next Generation Leadership Initiative,” an educational program that encourages transformational leadership in younger UCC clergy and is currently working on earning her MBA through Drake University.
Jessica came to us most recently after serving nine years as Pastor of Congregational United Church of Christ in Newton, Iowa. Prior to that, she served for four years as Minister for Children, Youth, and Families of Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ in Bethesda, Maryland.
Jessica particularly enjoys preaching, teaching, singing, and engaging in ecumenical and interfaith ventures. She is dedicated to confronting and dismantling racism and white supremacy and sees this work as intimately connected with the struggle for justice in other areas such as poverty, climate change, and LGBTQ+ matters, to name a few. It is her desire and intention to work with First United Church to discern how our faith calls, challenges, and inspires us to confront these intertwined injustices as we join with partners (ecumenical, interfaith, and secular) to more fully realize God’s realm of justice, love, and peace here and now.
Jessica is the spouse of Martin and mama of Jabali. She enjoys reading, jogging, and family dance parties and walks.
Rev. Shelli Yoder, Associate Minister
Reverend Shelli Yoder, MS, MDiv, serves as Associate Pastor at First United Church of Bloomington. Her ministry is rooted in building community where people are seen fully in their complexity, dignity, and belovedness, as they grow and learn to live out their faith with courage and compassion.
Rev Shelli earned her Master of Divinity from Vanderbilt University (including a Carpenter Certificate in Religion, Gender, and Sexuality), a Master of Science in Education from Indiana University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Interpersonal & Organizational Communication from Purdue University.
Alongside pastoral ministry, Rev Shelli has devoted her life to teaching and public service. She is a Senior Lecturer at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business and serves as an elected member of the Indiana State Senate, after serving on the Monroe County Council. Across pulpit, classroom, and public square, she seeks to live the call to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.
Lisa Stanger, Office Manager
Lisa Stanger has been with us since August of 2005. Lisa comes from a background of office administration and health care. Lisa is a native of Bloomington. She graduated from Bloomington High School North and attended Indiana University. Lisa has two sons, Sean and Jason. Lisa enjoys reading, bowling, dancing, and traveling.
Hyeyeon Ahn, Organist
Originally from Seoul, South Korea, Hyeyeon Ahn is an organist and church musician currently pursuing graduate studies in organ performance at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, where she studies with Dr. Janette Fishell. She also works as an accompanist for the IU Children’s Choir.
Hyeyeon was recently awarded second prize in the National Sursa American Organ Competition. She previously studied at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Stuttgart in Germany, completing both her master’s and Konzertexamen degrees. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Church Music and Communication from Yonsei University in Seoul.
Before joining First United Church, she served as organist and pianist at Young-Cheon Presbyterian Church in Seoul and as organist at Schlosskapelle Solitude and Rosenbergkirche in Stuttgart. She also sang as an alto in the choir of First Presbyterian Church in Bloomington.
Beyond her musical work, Hyeyeon enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with friends over good coffee.
Ryan Block, Music Director
Ryan Block has spent the entirety of his career collaborating with others as a conductor, vocalist, collaborative pianist, and composer. Some of his recent accomplishments are having a world premiere with Cincinnati’s Vocal Art Ensemble, being a Professional Vocal Fellow with world-renowned vocal ensemble Gallicantus, and performing J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. Block is the recipient of Ruth and Raymond Young Prize (MCHaT Composition Competition), a Downbeat Award, as well as Grand Prix winner at the Monterey Jazz Festival and Kaunas Cantat International Choir Festival. He has headlined performances in the United States, Canada, and Europe and his voice can be heard on demo recordings from Alfred Music. He has also performed alongside a wide range of artists including Ben Folds, The Real Group, Randy Brecker, Kurt Elling, Voces8, New York Voices, and Chico Pinheiro. Ryan has also performed as a concertist on several occasions with The Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. As a collaborative pianist, his name can be seen in MSVMA Regional and State Honors Choirs performances, as a former member of the pop/funk cover group Retro Pop Shuffle, as well as a staff member and accompanist for Showchoir Camps of America.