Our Team

Rev. Mia White

Senior Pastor

Mia G. White was born in Warsaw, Virginia, and she was raised in Baltimore, Maryland. She spent her adulthood residing in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Mia completed her Bachelor of Arts degree from Cedar Crest College, a one-year residency in Clinical Pastoral Education at the Lehigh Valley Health Network, Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Theological Studies, and a certificate of Spiritual Direction from Moravian Theological Seminary, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

In 2012, Mia received her certificate of ordination from the Penn Northeast Conference of the United Church of Christ, while serving two congregations there. She is the mother of three adult children (Broc, Ebonee, and Sable) and three beautiful grandchildren (Wynter, Rae, and Adeya). Prior to Rev. Mia’s call into the ministry, she spent over twenty years working for the Department of Corrections. 

In January 2021, Rev. Mia was called to the position of Senior Minister at Wydown United Church, UCC (formerly First Congregational Church of St. Louis).

Hannah Rice

Minister of Administration and Membership

Hannah first served Wydown United Church as the Interim Minister of Faith Development for Children and Youth from 2012 – 2015, and then returned in August 2015 as the Minister of Administration and Membership.

Hannah graduated summa cum laude from the University of Missouri with a BA in Communication and a minor in Religious Studies (2009). She then spent three years in the Master of Divinity program at Eden Theological Seminary, graduating in 2012. While at Eden, she was a teaching assistant for several classes, including courses in the Old Testament and Biblical Hebrew, and earned the Honor Graduate award. She grew up in the United Methodist Church, but became a member of Wydown United Church in 2015. As a music lover, Hannah has participated in Wydown United’s music ministries and has also sung with a local women’s choir, Bel Canto Women’s Ensemble, since its founding in 2010. Hannah loves her two “kiddos”, embroidery, reading, animals, and binging TV shows.

Tim Clark

Minister of Music

Tim Clark joined the Wydown United Church staff team in January 2023. He came from Church of The Master UCC in Florissant, where he served as Director of Music from August 2011 – December 2022. Prior to that, he was a member of the choir and substitute organist at Wydown United under the direction of Ron Hall. Tim has also served as Organist for Holy Infant RC Church in Ballwin, MO since 2017.

Tim is an active musician in the St. Louis Theatre scene. He was Music Director for SPOLIGHT!, a Youth Musical Theatre Summer camp from 2017 – 2022 and can be frequently seen in the orchestra pit for productions (GCPA, COCA) around the St. Louis area. He currently lives in Chesterfield with his partner Aiden, and their two cats Gizmo and Gidget.

Joyce Haynes McCowan

Minister of Faith Formation

Joyce Haynes McCowan joined our staff team in March 2024. She has been married to Rev. Elston McCowan since 1996, who pastored Star of Grace Missionary Baptist Church for sixteen years. Together, they have nine beautiful children and sixteen grandchildren. She is currently a member of First Congregational UCC Webster Groves, and a former member of Star of Grace MBC, where she served as Youth Pastor for ten years and Choir Director for thirty years. She is an MDIV Graduate of Eden Theological Seminary and a BS undergraduate of the University of Missouri–St. Louis, with an emphasis in Sociology and a Minor in Theater. The hobbies Joyce enjoys most include a love for art, dressmaking, gardening, and music of all genres.