Senior Pastor - Larry Kreps
My Dad grew up in Toledo and my Mom in the small town Neapolis, just outside Toledo. After attending University of Toledo, they moved to Cincinnati for work and started a family of four girls and one boy. I am the boy, stuck right in the middle of the four girls. All of my life problems stem from that simple fact!
I graduated from Finneytown High School in Cincinnati, and then Heidelberg College. I traveled through Findlay every trip home and back, once getting caught in a snowstorm at the juncture of Rt. 12 and 224. Marti and I met on summer break while she was working on a Masters degree at University of Cincinnati, and working as a youth director at a UMC church. We both took youth to Camp Cartwright for an evening, and when our youth disappeared we were left alone to get acquainted. Thirteen months later we married. Camp Cartwright was also a special place to me because as a youth attending there I surrendered my life to Jesus. The two best things to happen to me occurred at Camp Cartwright. Deciding to follow Jesus and meeting Marti. Directly after our wedding we headed to Chicago and Garrett-Evangelical Theological School, flipping our U-Haul trailer on the way.
We served churches in Urbana, Springfield, Marion and Cincinnati. Marti loves teaching Physical Education. Our three children are all graduated from college, married, employed and out of the house. Carrie and her husband Markus (from Freudenstadt, Germany) are United Methodist pastors in Wisconsin; Amy and husband Scott (from Cincinnati) are a youth director at a UM church and doctoral student in bugs in Champaign, Illinois; Marcus and wife Sandra (from Chicago) are a civil and chemical engineer in Charlotte, North Carolina.
This is the first time serving a church without our children. We are sad we cannot share with you these important people in our lives, but I am delighted I can tell stories about them I could never tell in their presence!
I am convinced following Jesus is the best possible life here and in the hereafter. Of course, following is not so easy. I am glad God is more merciful toward us than we are toward each other.
Associate Pastor – Debbie Kaylor
God has always been known in my life. I grew up in the same small church that my parents met at while in youth group as kids. This was Salem UM. It was mostly older folks with a few young families. I felt God’s love through the love of those older folks. They really loved the children of the church.
When I graduated from high school; there was the first change of pastors that I could remember. And while I was still attending college and living at home, my parents began attending Hyde Park Community UMC. I worshiped there with them both while attending college and on most weekends home after graduation.
I moved to Springfield, Ohio to take my first (and it turns out, my only) teaching job in 1987. Before too long, I began attending High Street UMC. I became involved with the Outreach Committee and saw God’s work as we began hosting the Interfaith Homeless Network on a 6-8 week rotation. This was a huge leap of faith for a church that had not been doing much in missions for several years, but God’s faithfulness shone through the people of God. That ministry and teaching in the inner city helped open my eyes to the needs around me!
When a woman pastor, Rev Karen Fourman was appointed to High St UMC, I learned that God calls us in different ways to ministry. I didn’t remember ever having heard that before, although I’m sure I had. She and her husband, Tom, taught Disciple Bible Study which I joined. I’m not sure I would have ever completed it without the fact that the man I was dating at the time also was interested.
Disciple Bible Study changed my life. I grew into a new relationship with God through studying the scriptures at least 3 or 4 times a week. I learned more about the call to ministry we receive in our baptism, and returned to a daily prayer time. My relationship with God developed into an adult faith, although it continues to mature and I hope always will. In 1996 I began experiencing a sense that I was being called to a vocation other than teaching and began exploring the option of becoming a full time pastor. It was a long journey to ordination but I was ordained as an Elder in The United Methodist Church in 2005.
I find a lot of joy serving as a pastor. Sure there are difficult times, but God is always faithful to be a part of the challenges and pour out His grace where it is needed. I enjoy watching God work in people’s lives; the study of scripture; teaching, and sharing in the important times of people’s lives.
I hope to continue serving with joy and enthusiasm for many years!
