The First Presbyterian Church of St. Joseph welcomes ALL people of all ages and backgrounds to our church members and guests alike! Our services and music are primarily traditional, but in a relaxed atmosphere that is comforting.
We believe “in gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit and to serve Christ by living holy and joyful lives”. Led by our pastor, members participate in our services because the Presbyterian church is governed by a combination of clergy and laity (non-clergy members)-men and women alike.
Furthermore, we believe in the grace of God in Jesus Christ, the sovereignty of God, and the authority of scripture-particularly the New Testament-which reveals the life of Jesus Christ. Our salvation through Jesus Christ is God’s generous gift to us, and therefore it is our belief that we should share this good news with the world.
We care and look after each other, our community, and the world. Whether it is visiting a church member in the hospital, serving food via the local Open Door Food organization, or going on mission trips, we feel closer to God by doing good works. As our reader board says,
we focus on the love of God through Jesus Christ, loving others, and the hope that it brings!
If you would like to plan a visit, send us an email at FirstPres301@gmail.com, or, give us a call at 816-232-3358 and one of our staff will set up a time to talk and give you a tour of our facilities
Pastor David Stark - Talk with the Pastor
The Reverend David Stark has been a Presbyterian Pastor since his ordination in 1984. After serving 8 years in a Presbyterian Church in Denver, he moved up to Minneapolis in 1991 as an Associate Pastor at Christ Presbyterian Church in Edina, MN., where he served for 12 years. It was during his time at this church that David began writing books for churches and nonprofits, and began consulting with churches and for-profit organizations, which he has done off and on for 20+years consulting in various areas of ministry and leadership. These tools have been published in 16 books and workbooks to date and have benefitted over 300,000 people. Working with Purpose, Lifekeys, etc. that have sold hundreds of thousands of copies. He recently published an eBook entitled:” Getting through the Covid 19 crisis – a Biblical journey back to freedom. During this time, he spent 3 years as the interim Senior Pastor at a large church in Minneapolis, with a staff of 40+people. During the time of the pandemic, God lead David back into the pastoral ministry, which has culminated in his call and discussion to First Presbyterian Church in St. Joseph, Missouri, if confirmed by the congregation.
Email: d.stark2@icloud.com
Phone: 816-639-0000
Levi Kelley, Director of Music
Levi Kelley is an organist from Rexburg, Idaho. He earned a BA in Music at BYU-Idaho and an MM in Organ Performance at BYU. He recently began the DMA program in Church Music - Organ at the University of Kansas. He has served as organist for the First Presbyterian Church of Idaho Falls and Orem Community Church. In addition to organ, Levi plays piano, carillon, and has recently begun learning ukulele. He loves to sing barbershop music with his friends. Levi is married to JaNay, and they have three children: Hazel, Ian, and Malcolm. In his free time, Levi loves to read (primarily fantasy), play games, and build Lego models.
Marissa Ray, Custodian
Marissa Ray is a single mother of one, athletic and respectful son named Brandon. She owns her own cleaning company and also works as caregiver. She attended Benton High School and is active in the PTA. She is a member of United We Stand-St Joseph and one of the leaders of The HYPE Youth Group, helping young people excel.
In her spare time, she loves supporting her son in his year round sports, taking care of their dog, looking after family and hanging out with friends. Her hobbies include doing diamond art, bartending, reading and being a social media influencer.
Terresa Parks, Administrative Assistant
Terresa Parks has been our Administrative Assistant since March 2019. Terresa is a native of St. Joseph, who graduated from Benton High School and further received an associate degree in Childhood Development at MWSU. She has been volunteering in the community since the age of 13 and has always been very active in church. As an activist, she has sat on numerous boards and councils over the years, working towards bettering various areas of the community. She also currently works part time at Ashland-Bullock and is an insurance agent who focuses on burial plans and life insurance. Terresa is a bonded and insured notary as well.
Terresa is a mother of three wonderful children and simply adores her 3 grandchildren she calls “The Grands” and 2 bonus grands. Her passions are cooking/baking, fundraising, gardening, recycling, traveling, music, art and spending quality time with loved ones. She loves to read and learn, especially if it is something she can teach others. Currently, she is working on her family tree and hopes to write a book someday.
Terresa is the founder of United We Stand-St Joseph and The HYPE Youth Experience (Helping Young People Excel), currently is a member of EM-PAC, Juneteenth Steering Committee, Our Revolution, and works with several other groups/organizations around town. Formerly, she was a Chamber Diplomat, the Chairperson of the Mayor’s Blue-Ribbon Subcommittee on Crime, Medical Board of Directors at Vatterott College. She spent time working, as well as volunteering, at Community Action Partnership (formerly Economic Opportunity Corporation), St. Joseph Housing Authority, and has worked in the medical field for over 20 years.
Terresa has always been known as a person who is not a “cat fan” but overly in love with dogs. She has never met a stranger, she’s a social butterfly and always lends a hand to help people find solutions to their issues, even if that means she has to create those means. Her nickname is GADGET, as she seems to always possess weird things and knows the weirdest facts. Ask her sometime…
Robert Brown, Maintenance/Custodian
Bob has been doing maintenance and custodian work at First Pres since July 2016. Bob and his wife Cindy, have been married since 1985. Together they have raised 3 beautiful daughters and 4 grandchildren, who they adore. Bob's hobbies are mushroom and deer hunting and he also raises cattle.