Meet Our Staff
Our Pastors
Roger Ross
Interim Senior Pastor
Rev. Dr. Roger Ross is a native of Cambridge, Illinois, and has served as a pastor in Texas, the British Channel Island of Guernsey, and Illinois. While in Illinois, he led teams that planted a new church that grew to 800 in attendance while planting another church that grew to 300. He served for 10 years as senior pastor of First UMC of Springfield, the then largest United Methodist Church in Illinois. Before coming into his current role with Spiritual Leadership, Inc. (SLI) as an executive coach and consultant, he served as the Director of Congregational Excellence in the Missouri Conference where he led a team that encouraged the start of over 3,100 new places for new people and fostered the transformation of dozens of existing churches.
Roger will help Riverside UMC transition during the interim period from January through June 2023 when a Lead Pastor will be appointed.
Pastor Eduardo Manuel E. Morales has been an associate pastor at Riverside UMC since September 1, 2020. Manuel, as Hispanic members call him, is a passionate Bible teacher, always with the desire to see disciples grow. His calling is Pastor-Evangelist. He studied at the Wesleyan-Pentecostal Seminary "Instituto Cristiano de Mexico" in Mexico City.
He and his wife Blanca were married in June 1990 and have had 6 children; Eduardo, Juan, Blanca, Priscila, Josue, and Sergio. Since they got married, they have served in the Kingdom of God and have managed to plant several churches in Mexico, USA, and Venezuela. Pastor Manuel, has also dedicated part of his ministry in the formation of other pastors and currently all are active in the Kingdom of God.
Pastor Manuel's vision at UMC, in the Hispanic community of the Quad Cities, is to plant churches and form disciples who will grow in their churches. He has a special focus on youth, since God has shown him to prepare the next generations.
Pastor Manuel wishes to exalt Christian values in the Church, that is, brotherly love, good works, zeal for the things of God, and passion for lost souls. In his heart is also the return to gestate in our Church the value of missions, not only locally, but eventually abroad, as it would be in indigenous communities in Mexico, and countries such as Venezuela, Ecuador, and others more Spanish-speaking.
Education: T.A. Christian Institute of Mexico, AC
Local Pastor course, UMCARES
Please see his ministry’s Facebook page, or contact Pastor Morales at sergiot1930@gmail.com
Eduardo Manuel
E. Morales
Associate Pastor
Our Staff
Connie Hulett
Office Manager
Director of Next Generation Ministry
We are currently searching for the right person for this position. Click here for details of the position
Jed Poust
Organist
I have been the organist at Riverside since 1990 and I also play the keyboard with the praise team. My wife (Renee) and I are both retired elementary teachers from the Moline Public Schools. My first organist position was at the Orion, IL United Methodist Church where I served for 13 years.
Jed Poust can be reached at (309) 764-6721 or by e-mail at poust1956@gmail.com
Harry Parr
Facilities Manager
Harry is a life long member of Riverside United Methodist Church and spent 39 years working for the Farm Equipment Manufacturing Industry. He continues to operate their 55-year-old family practice “Office Services Unlimited Incorporated.” Harry enjoys “making things happen” with construction projects and numbers in their tax, accounting, and property management practice. He and his wife Beverly were blessed with three children; Todd, Kimberly, and Krista. They also enjoy their grandson Chandler. The family dog is a black lab named Maddie.
Harry has served as our Church Facility Manager since October 2005. He utilizes his skills to enhance the ministries of Riverside through organization and direction of the maintenance and continuous improvement of our facilities and grounds. Harry enjoys working with the staff and congregation at Riverside UMC and hopes to “make a difference!”
Harry Parr can be reached by e-mail at rvrsideharry@mchsi.com
Don Wood
Joyful Noise Hand Bell Choir Director
Don Wood is the director of our Joyful Noise Hand Bell Choir at Riverside. Don can be reached by e-mail at don.idot.wood@gmail.com
Cooper Schou
Videographer
Cooper Schou has been producing Riverside UMC’s online videos since April 2020.