Introducing Pastor Jessie Lent

Pastor Jessie Lent grew up in Jamesport, Missouri, and graduated from Gallatin High School in 2002. He continued his education at North Central Missouri College, earning an Associate of Arts degree in 2004, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Political Science with a Minor in Legal Studies from Missouri Western State University in 2007.

After graduation, Pastor Jessie served for 10 years as an Officer and Case Manager with the Missouri Department of Corrections.

During this time, he felt a renewed call to ministry, a calling he had sensed since high school. Pastor Jessie pursued a Master of Divinity degree at Central Seminary, balancing night classes, a full-time job, and the ordination process within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He completed his Master of Divinity on May 15, 2021, and was ordained on June 26, 2021, at First Christian Church in St. Joseph, Missouri.

His pastoral journey began with serving two congregations—First Congregational UCC in Whiting, Iowa, and Mayflower Congregational UCC in Sioux City, Iowa—from September 2021 to December 2023. Pastor Jessie began his ministry at Hope United Church of Christ in Hiawatha, Iowa, on January 2, 2024. He was installed as the settled pastor of Hope UCC on May 19, 2024, becoming the 7th settled pastor of the congregation. Pastor Jessie is committed to a long and meaningful ministry at Hope, guiding the community in faith and service.

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