Lead Pastor: Rev. James Parks
Associate Pastor of Discipleship: Rev. Helen Parks
803 Clearview Drive, Williamsburg, Iowa 52361
Phone: 319-668-2288
E-mail: stpaulwb@iowatelecom.net
St. Paul's United Methodist Church
Click HERE for directions
Senior Minister ~ Rev. James Parks
St. Paul's United Methodist Church Staff
Associate Pastor of Discipleship ~ Rev. Helen Parks
Director of Congregational Care - Teresa Fleming
Rev. James Parks is originally from Marion, Iowa. A graduate of Iowa Wesleyan College and Asbury Theological Seminary, St. Paul's UMC is his first appointment in the United Methodist Church. He married Helen in 2002 and they have a son, Jamison, and daughter, Hayden]. James is an avid fan of the Hawkeyes and Chiefs, but will watch and participate in any sport. He also enjoys any time he can get with his kids, especially playing Wii with Jamison." To contact James, please either call the church office or email him at
Rev. Helen Parks is from Crossville, Tennessee. She received her education at Tennessee Wesleyan College and Asbury Theological Seminary where she met James. Her two children, Jamison and Hayden, keep her busy and on her toes. She also enjoys singing in the praise band, hanging out with the families of the church, and enjoys watching her favorite shows on TV. To contact Helen, please either call the church office or email her at
Teresa Fleming knows what it’s like to be new to an area, having moved regularly into new Methodist congregations as a UMC preacher's kid. As an adult, she continued to move often as she accompanied her husband, David, and their two daughters abroad as David transferred to American Embassies in Yemen, Korea, Sudan, Thailand, Mexico, Costa Rica and Senegal with the US Department of State. Upon David’s retirement two years ago, they moved to the English Valley area to be near their families. They thoroughly enjoy living in the country knowing that for once another move is not imminent. Teresa graduated from high school in Montezuma, Iowa and holds a BS degree in Business Management from Southern Wesleyan University in South Carolina. She has always been drawn to positions that put her in touch with people on a one-on-one basis; she leans heavily on her strong faith and dedication to the Lord, the church and the mission of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church. To contact Teresa, please either call the church office or email her at tfleming@iowatelecom.net.
Administrative Assistant ~ Sonja Parsons
Facility Manager/Director of Information Technology ~ Jason Kersten
Music Director ~ Steve Manning
Sonja Parsons was born in Kalona, Iowa where she lived until the age of 13 when her family moved to Oxford, Iowa. She graduated from Clear Creek Amana High School in 1991 and went on to attend Hamilton Business College in Cedar Rapids. She married Justin in February 2006 and has 4 children, Trevor, Sidney, Maelyn and Samuel. She enjoys singing, playing with the praise band, and helping with the children's music programs. Sonja also enjoys spending time with her husband and kids. To contact Sonja, please either call the church office or email her at stpaulwb@iowatelecom.net
Jason Kersten was born in Jacksonville, Florida at the Naval Air Station. He has lived in Iowa County since elementary school and attended high school at Williamsburg. Jason has received some additional training from DMACC and Kirkwood. He married his high school sweetheart, Jacqueline, in 2003. Jason is the proud father of twin daughters, Marielle and Jayden. He is a stay at home dad. Jason enjoys spending time with family, friends, watching the Hawks, fishing, playing guitar and helping with SPUMY.
Steve Manning is from Granger, Iowa and graduated from Simpson College. He majored in Music Education there and has gone on to teach at Crestwood Junior High and now for 23 years at Williamsburg High School. He's been married for almost 19 years to Margaret and has a daughter, Ashley and son, Blaine. He enjoys gardening, working in the yard and fishing.
Sue Heitmann was raised at Victor, Iowa. She attended Drake University and graduated from Morningside College in Sioux City with a BS in business education. Sue taught business education in Sioux City for several years and for 7 years was a substitute teacher at Boone and Storm Lake High Schools and DMAC in Boone. After moving to Williamsburg, 25 years ago, Sue was our church secretary. In 1985 she started working for US Bank where for the last 8 years she has been Operations and Sales and Service Manager. Sue has been our church organist and choir accompanist for 23 years.
Sue and her husband, Russ, have been married 44 years; they have two children, Mike (Colleen) and Nancy (Colby) Jacoby. They have four grandchildren Kristin, Matthew, Ethan, and Kayte. She enjoys playing the piano and organ, reading, and spending time with family.
Organist ~ Sue Heitman
After moving multiple times and finally settling in Fairfield, Iowa as a child , we are so blessed to now have Tina Schafbuch here at St. Paul’s. Tina was born in Denver, Colorado. She attended a Nazarene church with her parents and sister where she was baptized. “At around the age of 7, I remember going forward at an altar call and asking Jesus to come into my heart.” At the age of 8, Tina was diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes. Denver had a fantastic clinic with lots of support (and some fun stuff like meeting the Denver Broncos, having a picture taken with Jimmy Buffet and the governor of Colorado and attending different camps). Her family moved to Fairfield, where Tina graduated from Fairfield High School and started attending the First Assembly of God church. Tina admired their Sunday school and Wednesday night teachers and was part of their “Missionettes” group on Wednesday nights.
After meeting Kevin, her husband, she noticed that there were not any “Pentecostal” churches in the area and with Kevin being Methodist, decided to venture that direction. Tina went through the confirmation class (which was the first time she’d heard of that) at Kevin’s church to gain more knowledge of the Methodist Church. She started teaching Sunday school to the elementary kids too. “It was such an honor to hear one of my students say that they wanted to be a Sunday school teacher when they grew up.” Tina and Kevin were married September 18, 1999 and have been blessed with four beautiful children. Nadia, age 9, Dylan, age 7, Heather, age 4 and Amy, age 2. When Dylan was 1, Tina and Kevin switched their membership to St. Paul’s and joined our church family. “It was here that God said to me, ‘You are ready to pass along the knowledge I have given to you to MY children.’” Teaching Bible lessons during VBS was her first opportunity to really do this but since then has expanded that to include lesson time on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. “This is what God has called me to do. I am His servant and I want to pass along the love He has shown me to His children and hopefully show them that they can do the same.”
Tina keeps busy with her children’s activities as well as some of her own hobbies of Assistant Leader of Nadia’s HLV Girl Scout Daisy/Brownie troop, camping, a little pheasant hunting and as many church activities as possible (Women’s Bible Study and helping with the kids’ programs). “I hope that God’s love shows through in everything I do. I am looking forward to being a witness to God’s children and seeing what He has in store for them!”
We welcomed out Early Childhood Coordinator, Jen Schweke, in August of 2010. Jen and Jason, her husband of 10 years, joined our church family June 2009 after moving to Williamsburg from Minnesota in 2008. She recently chose to stay home with their four-year old son, Kaeden after feeling that was the direction the Lord was leading her. She now feels that maybe the Lord was leading her to have this job also. "The timing's just too perfect to be anything else".
Jen grew up in Lytton, Iowa located between Ft. Dodge and Storm Lake. She attended college at Iowa Western Community College in Clarinda, Iowa where they were both employed, they have moved every few years, living in different states throughout the United States. She hopes to stay here in Iowa permanently now.
Jen likes to read, scrapbook, shop and most of all, spend time with her family and friends. She is involved in multiple activities and groups within our church including Lay Leadership Committee, Nurture Team, 40 Days of Community Team, as well as teaching our pre-schoolers on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights during 611. When asked what made them come back tour church after the first time visiting, Jen said, "Pastor James. When I listen to his sermons, it fills my heart. I've never attended a church that makes my heart feel completely full when I leave. His sermons really speak to me."
Early Childhood Coordinator ~ Jen Schweke
Coordinator of Children's
Discipleship ~
Tina Schafbuch
Rev. James Parks
Rev. Helen Parks
Sonja Parsons
Jason Kersten
Jennifer Schwenke
Tina Schafbuch
Teresa Fleming
Sue Heitman
Office Hours
Office Hours
Monday-Friday-
Saturday
Sunday
Attic Hours
9 AM - 3 PM
Closed
Closed
Mondays-
Thursdays-
*All other visits to the attic must be by appointment only. Call 319-668-228 to set one up.
9 AM - 11AM
5:30PM-6:30PM
Office Hours
Monday-Friday-
Saturday
Sunday
Attic Hours
9 AM - 3 PM
Closed
Closed
Mondays-
Thursdays-
*All other visits to the attic must be by appointment only. Call 319-668-228 to set one up.
9 AM - 11AM
5:30PM-6:30PM
Office Hours
Monday-Friday-
Saturday
Sunday
Attic Hours
9 AM - 3 PM
Closed
Closed
Mondays-
Thursdays-
*All other visits to the attic must be by appointment only. Call 319-668-228 to set one up.
9 AM - 11AM
5:30PM-6:30PM
Office Hours
Monday-Friday-
Saturday
Sunday
Attic Hours
9 AM - 3 PM
Closed
Closed
Mondays-
Thursdays-
*All other visits to the attic must be by appointment only. Call 319-668-228 to set one up.
9 AM - 11AM
5:30PM-6:30PM
Office Hours Attic Hours
Monday-Friday
Saturday
Sunday
9:00am - 3:00pm
Closed
Closed
Mondays-
Thursdays-
*All other visits to the attic must be by appointment only. Call 319-668-2288 to set one up.
9:00am - 11:00am
5:30pm - 6:30pm
A HUGE Red Sox and Patriots fan...you may not recognize her if she’s not wearing her Red Sox hat! Jodi grew up in Boone, IA, spent 2 years at DMACC, moved to NYC, Boston, then to Denver where she met and married Joel Geels in January 2001. After having their son, Jack (now in 2nd grade), they moved to Orlando where their daughter, Jaiden was born prematurely at 1 lb., 6 oz. (now in preschool). Jodi and Joel moved back to Iowa in August 2008, knowing that’s where they wanted to raise their family and LOVE being a part of the Williamsburg community.
Joel works as a Project Mgr. for Garling Construction and is completing the new library here in town as well as the new addition to our High School. Jodi, a stay at home mom, has just began a new daycare out of their home this year. “My new position as Preschool Coordinator should be an adventure for sure-I love the kids and helping them learn how to live out their own love of Christ! It’s also a way for me to keep my own faith fresh...I learn every day from questions they ask and questions they don’t even THINK to ask because their faith is so strong!”
Knowing that God wants her to serve, Jodi tries many things and then keeps serving where He wants her to be. “You will never know if you don’t try! Every team needs YOU-whether that be your family team, your soccer team or your church team...plug in and GET IN THE GAME! It is healing and joyous to serve others and fill in where there is a need.”
Extra! Extra! Extra!
Life’s Motto: BE the change you wish to SEE in the world!
Favorite quotes: “We’re all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” - Chuck Swindoll “History, despite it’s wrenching pain, cannot be UNlived. However, if faced with courage, need NOT be lived again” - Maya Angelou.
Favorite scripture: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
“There is so much we don’t understand...to have faith is the only way to live!”-Jodi Geels
Preschool Coordinator - Jodi Geels
