Meet Our Staff
Our Pastors
James Fielder
Senior Pastor
Reverend Dr. James A. Fielder is a native of St. Louis. In addition to being a servant of God he is first and foremost a husband, a father, a son, and a brother. He is a very devoted family man. Pastor James has served his country as a decorated Marine for 12 years. After being honorably discharged from the military, he relocated to central Illinois and pursued higher education and a career in information systems.
A lifelong learner, James earned his B.S. in Information Systems & Organizational Leadership from Illinois State. He earned his Master of Arts in Religion, Master of Religious Education, and Master of Divinity degrees from Liberty University. In 2017, he received his Doctor of Ministry degree from Northern Seminary, with a focus on Christian Leadershp Development.
James has served in both traditional and contemporary churches. Most recently, he was appointed to Associate Pastor of St. James United Methodist Church in Danville, IL. During this charge, James has been responsible for revitalizing the contemporary worship service and reactivating the young adult ministry.
On July 16, 2022 James married Tia (White) Fielder. She has become an integral part of his life and ministry. She is a passionate worshiper with a servant heart. She freely shares her gifts in the church and community.
Outside of serving the church and community, James and Tia enjoy movies, music, reading and spending time with family. Together they share three adult daughters and look forward to someday becoming grandparents.
Eduardo Manuel
E. Morales
Associate Pastor
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Education: T.A. Christian Institute of Mexico, AC
Local Pastor course, UMCARES
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Please see his ministry’s Facebook page, or contact Pastor Morales at sergiot1930@gmail.com
Our Staff
Najha Fielder
Nursery Leader and Office Assistant
Your Staff Parish Committee is pleased to announce a new staff member. Her name is Najha Fielder. Najha will be working in the nursery on Sunday mornings and also helping out in the office for a few hours each week. Please take the time to welcome her to Riverside. She will be a great asset to our staff and church family.
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Director of Next Generation Ministry
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We are currently searching for the right person for this position. Click here for details of the position
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Jed Poust
Organist
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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.
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Jed Poust can be reached at (309) 764-6721 or by e-mail at poust1956@gmail.com
Harry Parr
Facilities Manager
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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.
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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!”
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Harry Parr can be reached by e-mail at rvrsideharry@mchsi.com
Don Wood
Joyful Noise Hand Bell Choir Director
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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
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Cooper Schou
Videographer
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Cooper Schou has been producing Riverside UMC’s online videos since April 2020.