Rev. Steve Van Kuiken, Pastor
Rev. Van Kuiken began serving as pastor at Just North in February 2023. He was previously the lead minister of a congregation in Pullman, WA. Before that, he served churches in Nashville, Covington (KY), Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Tucson and Chicago. In 2002, while serving as Senior Minister of the Mt. Auburn Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati, Pastor Steve became the first Presbyterian minister to be put on trial in church courts for performing marriages for same-sex couples. He lost his standing as Minister of the Word and his position with that church, but he fought and won his appeal and was eventually reinstated as a Presbyterian minister. Pastor Steve then left that denomination and joined the United Church of Christ where he continues to have standing as a minister.
In addition to his work for LGBTQ equality, Pastor Steve has also been involved with worker rights and economic justice, immigration, racial justice, affordable housing, environmental justice, mysticism, meditation and inter-spirituality. He has taught bioethics, cofounded a religion-labor organization, and has done social work at a halfway house for federal inmates. He is married and is the father of three children, ages 35, 32 and 11, and has two grandchildren.
Pastor Steve loves reading, going to folk music festivals and attacking his Concept 2 rowing machine on a daily basis.
Contact at: pastor@justnorthucc.org
Susan Yutzey, Moderator
Contact at: moderator@justnorthucc.org
Brennan Pendrake, Minister of Music 
Brennan Pendrake began his music ministry at Just North in September 2022. He has been a choral director and piano accompanist in Columbus for nine years, and is currently the accompanist for choirs at Grove City High School, Granville High School and Olentangy Orange High School. His experiences as a performer include early music performances as a countertenor and harpsichordist, musical theatre productions as a keyboardist, and renditions of folk and traditional music as a guitarist and vocalist. As a vocal coach, Brennan has guided students to success in state competition and state choir pla He composes mucements, as well as admittance into top undergraduate music programs around the country. sic for choirs, piano and organ, and regularly produces commissioned arrangements for high school and collegiate a cappella groups. Brennan received his Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College (MD) and his Master of Music in Choral Conducting from The Ohio State University. He enjoys spending time with his wife Aless and their two cats Purrcy and Stitch. His hobbies include video gaming, cooking, rock climbing, fashion and perfume, and the ancient board game of Go.
Contact at: music@justnorthucc.org
Ione Green-Lauber, AV Tech
Contact at: avtech@justnorthucc.org
Tess Caley, Facilities Manager
Contact at: facilities@justnorthucc.org
Tena Wentz, Administrative Office Manager
Contact at: office@justnorthucc.org