Where following Jesus means loving God and loving our neighbors.

Meet Our Staff

Interests and Favorites 
What's on your iPod: U2, Beatles, Green Day, REM, Violent Femmes, Nirvana, the Clash, BB King, Bob Marley, Dixie Chicks, Indigo Girls, John Bell, Johnny Cash, and the Smiths
Books: Anything by Sara Miles, Anne Lamont, Marcus Borg and Walter Brueggmann, fantasy and sci fi.
Movies: Chocolat, The Princess Bride, It's a Wonderful Life
Life Scripture: Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." Mark 1:14-15 and “Jesus answered, "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.'  The second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." Mark 12:29-31
Hi, I’m Charlene, the Pastor of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ. We are so glad you stopped by our website and we hope that this leads you to join us on a Sunday Morning for worship. During my 20’s I explored many traditions and practices, but came back to the church of my heart in my 30's when I chose to listen to God’s call and became a pastor in the United Church of Christ. The United Church of Christ is a community that believes faith has the power to change the world and that we as a community have defied conventions, broken barriers and listened to a God who is still speaking to us today. As a pastor, I share my passion for prophetic change and my desire to help everyone feel welcomed.

My dog River, and my cat Rocket moved to Hinckley in the Spring 2015. I have a young adult son attending the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. We have lived in Connecticut, Illinois, Wyoming, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. I have a B.A. from Loyola University of Chicago in Political Science, a M.A. and doctoral work in Political Science from the University of Connecticut. Go Huskies. I have a Masters of Divinity from McCormick Theological Seminary.  

To find out more about me visit me

Sarah Montgomery

Office Secretary
I am the secretary for St. Paul’s Hinckley UCC. I have a husband, a daughter, 3 dogs, a bird, a rabbit and at times various other pets. In the past I have worked using my BS in Computer Science, doing web development and software development for the City of St. Charles and CIDnet software. When I had my daughter, I took a break from the workforce for a while and was then given the opportunity to work for the church.
Outside of work, I am a homeschooling mom and a small business owner. I love to explore nature with my family and spend time outdoors. I also love to find learning opportunities all around us. I recently started attending craft shows with my handmade baskets which has evolved to Little Chick Basketry and Crafts that I run with my sister. My hobbies also include fencing and gardening. 

Ken Humennyj

Church Musician
My musical training began with piano studies at North Park College in Chicago with Donna Newland when I was in the 7th grade and continued on with cello studies with Alice Lawrence Baker and Frank Miller of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Prof. Dudley Powers at Northwestern University and Mme. Raya Garbousova at Northern Illinois University. For the past 1 ½ years, I've been taking private instruction on the pedal harp from Nanette Felix; principal harpist of the Rockford and Dubuque Symphonies and will be studying the hammered dulcimer this summer with Sherri Farley of Somonauk, IL. My professional music experience encompasses a number of orchestras for the following venues: Schubert, Arie Crown, Forum, and Athenaeum theaters and Candlelight Dinner Playhouse for professional off-Broadway productions, annual performances with the Joffrey Ballet, American Ballet Theater and The Chicago Opera Theater. During this period, I also worked in the local back-up orchestras at Chicago Amphitheater, Park West and other Chicagoland venues accompanying performing artists like Barry Manilow, Dionne Warrick, Jane Olivor, Nell Carter, Ann Jillian and Donna Summer.