United Church of Byron announces new pastor

The United Church of Byron is pleased to announce that Rev. Dr. Jesse Tanner will officially start as our new called pastor on October 9. Rev. Dr. Jesse Tanner is a native of Goodfield, Ill., just outside of Peoria. He attended University of Illinois – Champaign/Urbana and graduated with his undergraduate degree in Religious Studies in 2002. After receiving his undergraduate degree, he moved on to Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois where he received his Master of Theological Studies and then on to University of the West in Rosemead, California where he earned his Ph.D. in Comparative Religions. Rev. Tanner has also earned is Master of Divinity from the Unity Institute and Seminary in Missouri and was most recently ordained as a Christian Minister through the Unity Church Denomination. Most recently, Rev. Tanner was a Professor of Scriptural and Religious Studies at the Unity Institute and Seminary and a Minister intern at the Southwood United Church of Christ in Missouri.

He and his wife Khoa have one son, Minh, who is 4. We are excited to have Jesse guide us through our continuing journey of ministry, where we are still learning, we are still growing and God is Still Speaking.

Rev. Dr. Jesse Tanner, his wife Khoa, and son, Minh.