Our Staff
Rev. Brian Roots, Pastor
My wife Ruth and I are excited to return to the Chicago area. We met 29 years ago at Grant Park in Chicago and lived in the area until Ruth’s job took us to Kansas City, Missouri. Chicago is a great city all on its own but more importantly for us it is home to our two adult children, Naomi and Paul. We are blessed to be living close to our friends and family.
I am in my 22nd year of full time ordained ministry. My most recent appointment at North Star UMC was a church plant in suburban Kansas City that I began in July 2000. It was exciting and challenging to lead a new congregation through the process of becoming an established church. It now gives me great pleasure to know North Star is thriving in their own building under the able leadership of their second pastor.
In June of 2008 I became a certified spiritual director through the Christian Spirituality Program at Creighton University in Omaha. In both the individual direction I give and in my leadership as a pastor I strive to help us all see how God is present and active in everyday life. For me nothing is as deeply satisfying as a day lived in harmony with the creator of the universe. My hope is that all who are a part of the community at Christ UMC will grow in their ability to see and love God in themselves and in one another.
Catherine Spencer, Family Ministry Coordinator (Children)
Two-and-a-half years ago my family found CUMC. As I got to know the people of CUMC, I knew this was the kind of congregation that I wanted to be an active part of.
I am truly humbled and honored to take on the Children’s Ministries Coordinator role. I may be a familiar face to many of you, but you might not know that I have worked with children and families for the last 10 years as a clinical social worker, and before that worked in human resource consulting. I have counseled families in school, hospital, and clinic settings with children ranging in age from preschool to high school. I look forward to drawing on all my past experiences as a children’s therapist and continuing on my own faith journey as I learn more about children's ministries.
When not at CUMC, I have fun attempting to keep up with my family, but every now and then find time to catch a movie, read a good book, improve my photography skills, run, and knit.
I look forward to getting to know all of you better as we work together to make God’s powerful message not only accessible but also exciting and engaging for our children.
Matt Stump, Family Ministry Coordinator (Youth)
Matt was raised in Bolingbrook, IL, a suburb of Chicago as well as in the United Methodist Church. It was in this church that he felt the calling towards ordained ministry and is in the process of becoming an ordained elder in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference. Matt has served in the youth ministry for over 12 years in the Chicagoland area, as well as in Indiana, and Southern Illinois. He earned a B.A. in Political Science from Olivet Nazarene University, a M.A. in Ministerial Leadership from Indiana Wesleyan University and is currently a M.Div. student at Garrett Evangelical-Theological Seminary.
Matt is married to a wonderful partner in ministry named Leah who is a musical genius! Leah taught general music at an elementary school as well as choir and hand-bells at a middle school in southern Illinois. Leah is currently a barista at Starbucks in Evanston.
Outside of school and church work, Matt enjoys taking walks, bowling, fishing, golfing, and following both college and pro football (GO CATS! & GO BEARS!) He is also a die-hard Cubs fan. Leah loves to scrapbook, work on craft projects, and read.
Leah and Matt currently reside in Evanston with their dog Rocky.
Kristen Scott, Administrative Assistant
If you call Christ United Methodist Church, most likely I will answer the phone. I’m Kristen Scott and became administrative assistant in April, 2001. I live in Deerfield – just one block from the church! – with my husband, Andy, and have two children. Having grown up in Northbrook, I graduated from Wittenberg University in Springfield, OH with a B.A. in English, more years ago than I care to recount.
One of the pleasures of church work is the variety of activity – no two days are ever the same. As a “people person” my position with CUMC indulges my fondness for meeting and interacting with individuals on a daily basis. It’s also rewarding to work in the community in which I live, and build relationships with church members and co-workers.
Tim Plambeck, Choir Director
Hi, I’m Tim Plambeck and I direct the choir. I also am the Director of Music at Lake Forest Academy and have been on faculty at the Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, and the Cleveland Institute of Music. Tim is married to wife Peg. They met during rehearsals for Rigoletto at Cleveland Opera. They have been married for 10 years and are proud parents of Ani(5 years old) and Julia(3 years old). We have attended Christ United Methodist Church of Deerfield for the past 7 years and have been choir director for the last 5 years. My main activities are to chase my children around the yard, spend quality time with my wife, and make great music at LFA. Even if you can’t sing, please join the choir. We are always looking for new and friendly faces!!
Gregg Sewell - Organist
Gregg currently is a music education copyeditor with GIA Publications, Inc here is Chicago. He has been with our church for almost a year and has also worked with many other churches including most recently, Sugar Creek Presbyterian Church in Kettering, Ohio. Gregg is a big anime fan and an accomplished composer having published over 2,600 compositions and arrangements: sacred, educational, pop; choral, vocal, organ, piano, handbell, orchestral.