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Friends and family of First Presbyterian of Alton;

I greet you in the peace and grace of God. Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Rev Kyle Armentrout-Steward. After much prayer and discernment by session and the Gildings-Lovejoy Presbytery, it is my honor to say that we have agreed to a contract for a renewable one-year term as the Stated Supply Pastor here at First Presbyterian Church of Alton. It is our hope to renew this contract for a second year. The reason for the Stated Supply Pastor instead of a Called Pastor at this time is that my ordination remains in the United Methodist Church. Bishop Beard of the UMC has granted me a two-year extension ministry to serve as your pastor at this time. This two-year mark serves as a discernment time for both First Presbyterian and I to assess if this is a good missional match as we discern together the work of God in this congregation. Let me be very clear here, where I may have a foot in both faith traditions, my service to and with this church will be to build you up to be the best Presbyterian Church as possible…and not to make you Methodist.

Now that I have said the formal pieces of this letter, let me truly introduce myself. I was born and raised as an Altonian. I grew up in the Salvation Army Church just across the street from First Presbyterian until I turned 15. My family and I then moved to Main St UMC in Upper Alton. I received my Bachelors in Fine Arts from SIUE where I specialized in graphic design and illustration. I worked for about 5 years as a Graphic Designer in Edwardsville, and freelanced in St. Louis. During this time, I helped create and lead a mission team to Monrovia, Liberia to do clean water filtration and education. Our team was the first non-medical “boots on the ground” following the Ebola epidemic back in 2014-15. It was during this time that I found my call to ministry.

I received my Master of Divinity from Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, MO. While attending seminary, I served with Beacon Ministries in Belleville and helped to re-write their Relational Ministry program that met with people experiencing homelessness in St. Claire county. I met with people on the streets wherever they were in life. We shared stories together, I provided support as needed, and helped to advocate for services at the city and county levels. I also served as a part-time student pastor at Maplewood UMC. In my final year of seminary, I was fortunate to be a co-founder of Commonwealth STL which was an ecumenical church of faith-filled activist with the specific intent of being anti-racist..

After graduating from seminary, I took on the position of Associate Pastor of Family Ministries at Main St UMC and Spiritual Director of the Encounter Youth Choir. During my time at Main St, I also experienced the fullness of life in two churches. I was honored to be a part of helping to plant The Connection Faith Community in Edwardsville, and on the other hand was grieved to lead Niedringhaus UMC in Granite City as they came to a close. I have witnessed the birth and death of churches from a place of leadership and have learned a great deal about the markers of churches in decline versus healthy churches.

I recently completed the practicum work for a graduate level certificate in Spiritual Direction with Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis. As such, I will be offering Spiritual Direction services through Rainbow House in Edwardsville.

I am married to Megan Armentrout-Steward. We are expecting our firstborn son, Forrest, any day now. (By the time you get this, he will likely have been born!) We own a house in Middletown near Duke Bakery. We have a rambunctious cat named Minerva. My wife and I enjoy going camping, hiking, kayaking, to coffeeshops (Post Commons is my favorite), and trying new restaurants/bars. Megan is a social worker with Assisi House in St. Louis which provides housing and services for people who are experiencing or near homelessness. She is currently trying to set up a pottery studio in our basement. In addition to my love of illustration, I play guitar, dabble in woodworking, and have a passion for spiritual practices. My favorite is breathwork. My wife and I are both volunteers with the Alton Warming Center and are a part of a PCUSA faith community in St Louis called Hauschurch.

Megan, Forrest, and I look forward to our shared journey together with you and to witness what God is about to do!

God’s love and peace,

Rev Kyle Armentrout-Steward