Rev. Jim Peich, MDiv, is the Executive Pastor of Ministry & Leadership at Manchester United Methodist Church. The nearly 200-year-old church is located in suburban West St. Louis County (Missouri) and has 2,700 members. Jim is passionate about helping people of all backgrounds and experiences take next steps on their faith journeys, as well as connecting with persons who do not currently belong to a faith community.
Jim grew up in southern Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Political Science. After moving to Manchester, Missouri in early 2000, Jim met and fell in love with his wife, Karen. They were married at Manchester UMC in the fall of 2004 and enjoyed six years as active members of the church.
After relocating to O’Fallon, Missouri, Jim was appointed as Pastor of Faith Formation in 2013 to a large United Methodist Church in St. Charles County. In that capacity, he served on the church Executive and Pastoral Teams with oversight responsibility for children, youth, connections, baptism, membership, groups, faith formation, Safe Sanctuary, and technology.
In his current role at Manchester UMC, Jim serves on the Clergy Lead Team and also has direct responsibility for connections, membership, human resources, legal, insurance, Safe Gatherings, and technology. In addition, he provides clergy oversight for program ministries and staff, including preschool, nursery, youth, young adults, groups, adult faith formation, missions, social justice, etc.
Having succesfully completed his seminary education, residency and provisional period, Pastor Jim will be ordained as an Elder in The United Methodist Church in June, 2023.
Before becoming a pastor, Jim enjoyed a rewarding career in marketing, communications and banking at Edward Jones. He has also had the honor of being an elected Alderman for the City of Manchester. Pastor Jim has served in various roles within the Missouri Conference of The United Methodist Church, including current terms on the Sessions Team and Northeast District Mission Council.
In addition to spending time with family, Jim enjoys travelling, nature, music, theater, computers, photography, grilling and his goldendoodle, Millie. Karen is originally from Tennessee and is a life-long United Methodist. She holds a Master’s degree from Lindenwood University and is Director of Talent Management for a global consulting firm. Karen enjoys travelling, cooking, reading, theater, as well as spending time with family. Their son, Lucas, was born in 2008 and loves basketball, music, shoes, and fishing; their daughter, Samantha, was born in 2009 and enjoys music, drama and dancing. Jim and Karen also had the joy of parenting their son, Christian James Peich, for 12-weeks before he passed in 2007 at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. He is buried in the Manchester UMC cemetery.
If you’d like to meet with Pastor Jim, please contact Tiffany Conway to schedule an appointment.
