Ministerial Staff:

Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota Conferences

Rev. Phil Hart – Interim Executive Conference Minister

Pronouns: he/him

Phil Hart is the youngest child of John and Carolyn Hart. He was born and raised on a small farm outside of Columbus, Ohio and started preaching to the cows and chickens when he was 8. Officially Phil has been in ministry for about 32 years, beginning as a local pastor when he was in college. Phil’s education includes a degree in psychology and three master’s degrees (Master of Divinity, Master of Theology, Master of Communications). He has served in 9 Conferences across the United Church of Christ over the last 16 years. Phil is also a licensed social worker, a certified mediator, has been a professor of theology and communication, consultant and local pastor. He enjoys traveling, reading, movies and the outdoors.  

Want ot connect or have a question? Contact Rev. Hart via email.

Rev. Kendy Miller – Associate Conference Minister

Pronouns: she/her

Rev. Miller specializes in Care and Connection for church leaders, Members in Discernment, and congregations in our conferences. Need general support in your ministry, want to schedule a conversation, or have questions about congregational vitality, retired clergy care, or spiritual direction? Contact Rev. Miller via email or phone at 515.669.5243.

Want to learn more about Rev. Miller’s work in our conferences? Explore resources for church leaders and congregations, visit the Iowa Facebook page, and visit our calendar page to find educational and community-driven events to connect with our staff and other church leaders and congregations.

Consultants:

Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota Conferences

Rev. Jonna Jensen – Consulting Associate Conference Minister

Pronouns: she/her

Rev. Jensen’s 40 years of ordained ministry in and for the UCC include 26 years of parish ministry in Iowa, 12 years as an ACM on the Iowa Conference and TCM staff, and two years as Transitional Conference Minister for the Maine Conference. She’s glad to be back home in Iowa! In semi-retirement, she embraces time for stories, laughter and lament, contemplative labors, prayer without clocks, and adventures with her dear one, Brice Hughes. 

Rev. Jensen’s work with our conferences includes supporting the Committees on Ministry (COMs) in Iowa and Nebraska. Have questions about COMs or questions on becoming a UCC pastor? Contact Rev. Jensen via email or phone at 563.357.7287.

Rev. Campbell Lovett – Consultant to Committees on Ministry

Pronouns: he/him

Rev. Lovett, a third-generation pastor, recently completed 16 months as the Interim Conference Minister of the South Central Conference. Prior to South Central, he served for almost eight years as the Conference Minister of the Michigan Conference and served for thirty years as a pastor at both historic and new churches in New England and North Carolina. In addition to UCC leadership positions, Rev. Lovett has served on the boards of agencies promoting food independence and community organizing. He is an avid cyclist whom you can follow outdoors on Strava and indoors on Zwift. Rev. Lovett and his spouse, Eileen, a quiltor and creator of liturgical stoles, reside in New Hampshire, and are the parents of two adult sons, Sam – a school chaplain in Concord, New Hampshire, and Nate, a lawyer in Mountain View, California.

Rev. Lovett’s work with our conferences includes supporting the Committees on Ministry (COMs) in South Dakota and other COM consulting work. Have questions about COMs or questions on becoming a UCC pastor? Contact him via email.

Support Staff:

Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota Conferences

Jane Estrada – Search and Call Administrative Specialist

Pronouns: she/her

Jane serves as the office manager for the Sioux Falls Office and supports ACM Rev. Sarah Rentzel Jones in the work of Search and Call. Are you a local church seeking leadership or a pastor seeking a call? View our Search and Call resources and practices and contact our Search and Call team. Have other Search and Call questions? Contact Jane via email or phone at 605.774.3530. 

Want to learn more about Jane’s work in our conferences? View the Search and Call resources, South Dakota welcome page, and general conference forms.

Aidan Spencer – Communications Specialist

Pronouns: she/her

Aidan manages and develops conference events, publications, websites, and social media platforms. Have questions about advertising your local church event, registration for conference events, sharing a news story from your congregation, or our digital resources? Contact Aidan via email or phone at 515.421.0296.

Want to learn more about Aidan’s work in our conferences? Visit our calendar page to explore national, conference, and local church events, visit our Vimeo channel to view staff vlogs and virtual worship materials, or visit the IA, NE, and SD Facebook pages to connect with us on social media.

Kim Springer – Executive Assistant

Pronouns: she/her

Kim serves as the office manager for the Des Moines Office and assistant to the Executive Conference Minister. Are you one of our partner organizations needing assistance or have questions about mailing something to one of our offices? Contact Kim via email or phone at 515.809.7775. As Kim manages our Des Moines office, you can also reach her through at office phone: 515.277.6369.

Want to learn more about Kim’s work in our conferences? View our general conference forms and Iowa welcome page.

Placerville Camp Staff:

South Dakota Conference

Kerry Steever – Placerville Camp Director

Pronouns: he/him

Kerry manages Placerville Camp operations which include administration, promotion, booking, maintenance, camp program coordination, summer staff recruitment, cooking, and hospitality. Have general questions about Placerville Camp or registration for their events and programs? Contact Kerry via email or phone at 605.342.1390. 

Want to learn more about Kerry’s work at Placerville Camp? Visit the Placerville Camp website or Facebook page.