Hello from the Metro Denver Association (MDA) of the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Church of Christ! We are 23 churches in Denver, Boulder, and the surrounding communities, who gather together as an Association for four main purposes:
- To express the Oneness in Christ of the Church and to make more effective our witness and service;
- To promote the life and the strength of the churches and ministers and lay people of our region;
- To foster communication, cooperation, community building, and collective action for social justice in partnership with the broader Rocky Mountain Conference and our interfaith and ecumenical partners;
- And to affirm and support the full participation of all persons in the life and ministry of the church – we are an Open & Affirming Association, which means we do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, ethnicity, gender, physical disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.
To visit or get in-touch with an MDA congregation, please consult the RMC’s Church Directory or Church Map. To learn more about events happening at individual MDA congregations, we invite you to check out the RMC Event Calendar. Finally, our Association is stewarded by an elected board of representatives, which we call the Executive Committee. We invite you to get to know these members by reading their bios listed below.
The MDA Executive Committee
Rev. Kari Collins (she/her) — I serve on the MDA Executive Committee as the Chair of the MDA Nominating Committee (“NC”). I am the Minister of Transformational Generosity for Juniper Formation, and am a member of Sixth Ave UCC as my “brick and mortar” church. I stepped forward to chair the NC because I feel passionately about inviting new voices to the table and into the leadership of MDA. If you are interested in getting involved in either MDA or the Rocky Mountain Conference, please reach out to me. I’d love to get together to find out your passions and interests, and how they might align with the needs of MDA and/or RMC!
John Evans-Klock — I’m retired from teaching economics, mostly overseas. In fact I’ve only lived in Colorado for 6 years, but I have a prior history with the UCC. I am looking forward to creating more opportunities for Metro Denver Area churches to work together and enrich each other’s work for justice, peace and spiritual growth.
Linda Trantow — I currently serve as the Moderator of the Metro Denver Association. My journey to this point in time began in 1977 at Ridge Road UCC in Littleton. Forty-eight years later, I have come to appreciate the vision that was developed in 1957 when our denomination was born for “All to become One.” Having served the local church in all roles, (other than ordained clergy!) at one time or another, I am looking forward to strengthening the bonds between the churches in the Metro Denver Association. Additionally, I request your prayers and participation as we move through the coming months together.
Theo Isoz (they/them) — I am the MDA representative on the Rocky Mountain Conference board. I am an MDiv student at Duke Divinity School, a member of Juniper Formation UCC, and a sexuality and gender educator. In my off-time, I craft and enjoy the menagerie of pets and humans that fill my home with chaos.
Rev. Marcia Meier — I currently serve the Northglenn United Church of Christ as ordained clergy. I also continue to be involved with the United Church of Kanab-Fredonia in Kanab, Utah. I serve on the Committee of Ministry on the Post-Authorization team. I live in Littleton, Colorado and I am hoping that as an association we can create more ways to “be” church together. I am ordained with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). I served onThe Metro District for the Disciples when I was a Senior in High School. I would not have had the opportunity to interact with the Park Hill Christian Church had there not been opportunities to be present with the other churches in the metro area. I love the memories of our quarterly pot-lucks with all of the churches in Metro Denver. I thought offering to serve on the MDA would be a way to create more memories together as church.
Rev. Kevin Pettit — I use my experiences suffering and also work at recovering from (or compensating for) the disabling conditions that resulted from a severe Traumatic Brain Injury incurred in 1998. In an effort to use my experiences to help others, I attended and graduated from the Iliff School of Theology in 2010. After graduation, I created and now work as the CEO of the interfaith non-profit Faith4All where I am the lead Congregational Consultant. Faith4All is dedicated to disability inclusion, encouraging and assisting the transformation of any faith community into one that invites, embraces, includes, and empowers people who happen to live with disabilities. I was commissioned as a Disability Inclusion Associate in the Rocky Mountain Conference in 2017 and have served on the board of directors of UCC’s Disabilities Ministries. Presently I am the chair of the RMC’s Conference Inclusion Team, and I serve as minister at two residential hospitals in Boulder, CO.
Jan Hepp — I serve on the Executive Committee as the Treasurer and have done so for fourteen years. I am retired from working in the tech and financial fields. My last five years working were really enjoyable as the Office Administrator at Parkview UCC in Aurora where I am a longtime member. I have always been a member of a Congregational/UCC Church. I have always felt a call to the church and answered the call by serving in various capacities. I have served as Moderator of the Rocky Mountain Conference, the Metro Denver Association, and Parkview UCC and Finance Committee Member and Chair of the RMC. I felt my time in the Parkview office was a bit of ministry in itself and enjoyed serving in many capacities during my membership at Parkview. I think the people in the MDA are a magnificent group of individuals that care deeply about others and their needs. I highly value the many friends I have made here in the years of my involvement.