Rev. Ryan Motter (he/him) serves as Community's Associate Minister, working primarily with worship leadership, relationship building and pastoral care, spiritual formation, and justice and mercy ministries.
Ryan’s call to Community is in some ways a homecoming: prior to his seminary days, Ryan served as a Summer Intern here in 2007. Since then, Ryan has served two different congregations in Tennessee and, most recently, served from February 2011 to May 2017 as Senior Minister of First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Smithville, MO.
Ryan is a TCU Horned Frog, where he earned his Bachelor’s in English, Religion and General Business, and a Vanderbilt Commodore, where he earned his Master of Divinity.
In October 2014, Ryan married Suzanne Kerr, who now serves as Transitional Pastor at Park Hill Christian Church. Although they met while they were both at TCU, Ryan and Suzanne lost track of one another until Ryan moved to Kansas City to serve in Smithville and Suzanne reconnected with him.
Ryan and Suzanne are parents to Lydia, Eliza, and a girl dog named Jeff Louise. Ryan loves to read, is a terrible golfer, and enjoys long walks with Jeff Louise. Ryan enjoys a great cup of coffee (black, no room), tacos, and any meal that’s prepared completely from scratch. This year, he's practicing surrender by inviting friends and family to choose most of the books he's reading- everything from thick history tomes to steamy RomComs, here we come!
"Everyday, Community shows me new ways to grow in life, in justice, and in loving others with hope. My family loves it here because we get to share with so many others who teach us what it means to live faithfully."
Contact rev. Ryan