About Us
We are a congregation of everyday people, rooted in the Weldon Spring community, grounded in the grace of Jesus Christ, and genuinely glad you're here. Whether you've been part of this church for decades or you're reading this for the very first time, you belong in this story.
Who We Are
St. John's United Church of Christ is a warm, casual congregation located in Weldon Spring, Missouri. We believe that faith is best lived out in community — through worship, friendship, service, and the kind of honest conversations that actually matter.
We're part of the United Church of Christ (UCC), a denomination with deep roots in the Reformed tradition going back to the Protestant Reformation. The UCC holds to the authority of Scripture, the sovereignty of God, and salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. What makes us distinct is our congregational polity, meaning the people of this church govern themselves, and we have freedom to explore and wrestle with faith together.
In plain terms: we take the Bible seriously, we welcome questions, and we believe God's love is bigger than any of us fully understand.
Our History
St. John's has been part of this community since 1866, when a small group of German Evangelical families gathered first in a schoolhouse and then in private homes in Cottleville. In the 1870s, they built a church, a fellowship hall, and a parsonage — and that corner became a gathering place for the surrounding community for over a century.
In 1980, the congregation moved to its current home at the corner of Wolfrum Road and Highway 94 in Weldon Spring. Through every transition — a series of denominational mergers in the 1940s and 50s that ultimately formed the United Church of Christ in 1957 — the spirit of this congregation has remained constant.
Through good times and hard ones, God's Spirit has been at work here. Those born into this church family and those who found their way here more recently have formed something lasting: a family of faith that is open, growing, and committed to being the people Christ calls us to be.
Meet Pastor Pat
Rev. Patrick Gruber began his call to St. John's on December 1, 2023 — and he brought a genuinely unique journey with him.
Pastor Pat was baptized and confirmed in the Evangelical Lutheran Church, attended a Baptist seminary, served with a Pentecostal rehabilitation center, was ordained as a Presbyterian Minister of Word and Sacrament, and now leads a United Church of Christ congregation. He's the first to say it — he's truly ecumenical.
Born and raised in Minnesota, Pastor Pat earned a Bachelor of Science in English (he's still working on that great American novel). He spent ten years as a youth leader and Christian educator before completing seminary and being ordained. He moved to Missouri in 2006 and has served congregations as far as Mexico, Cuba, and Washington before answering the call to Weldon Spring.
When he's not in the pulpit, you'll likely find him with a cup of coffee, a good novel, a Minnesota Vikings game, or solving a jigsaw puzzle. He's been happily married to his wife Karen since 2008. They have an adult son named Alex, two cats, and a dog who fill the house with the right amount of chaos.
We'd love to walk alongside you as you discover the love of God and the call that Jesus Christ has for your life. No matter where you are on your journey, there's a place for you here.