UC
EVERYONE, EVERYDAY, CROSSING EVERY DIVIDE TO LIVE UNITED IN CHRIST

Our Team

We may be biased, but we believe we have the most incredible group of people leading United City Church, a church rich in history and deeply rooted in advancing the mission of God’s kingdom. United City Church is led by Dr. Chris Kouba and supported by a talented team of gifted, creative, innovative, and Jesus-loving people, all united around a common goal: to cross every divide to live united in Christ.
UC Staff - Lead Pastor Chris Kouba
Contact Information

Chris Kouba

Lead Pastor

Chris Kouba is the lead pastor of United City Church.  Along with a unique ability to bring God’s timeless Word to real, everyday life, he brings almost 20 years of ministry and dynamic leadership experience to effectively reach the least, the last, and the lost to a redemptive relationship with Jesus Christ.  As the lead pastor, Chris provides biblical teaching, leadership, and direction to both the staff and the church as a whole.  He is known for his passion, directness, and unwavering commitment to equip the saints – you – for the work of ministry, and he believes it begins with everyone, every day, taking that next step.

Under his leadership, this historic church, founded in 1906, has experienced a fresh move of the Holy Spirit, baptizing record numbers since the beginning of the Covid pandemic.  His vision to reach those who are not yet here with the life-changing message of the Gospel can be seen as he enthusiastically equips the church to live on mission outside of the Sunday experience, taking their next step to becoming disciple-making disciples who are ambassadors for Jesus Christ.

A native to Houston, Chris graduated from Baylor University.  He received his Master’s of Divinity from Dallas Theological Seminary and his doctorate from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Chris met his wife, Hillary, while they were both attending Baylor, and they have been married for over 19 years.  They have four children: Katelyn, Mackenzie, Hudson, and Griffin.  Their combined commitment to strengthening families to raise the next generation of Christian leaders begins in their home and moves outward as they champion other families in the community to do the same.

Before serving at United City Church, Chris began his ministry and leadership at Prestonwood Baptist Church, where he served for over 17 years.  In addition to his role as lead pastor at United City Church, Chris currently serves as a board member for Houston Christian University and as an adjunct professor for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

In his off time, Chris enjoys smoking meat, coaching his kid’s sports, and anything competitive in nature or involving his alma mater, Baylor University.

UC Staff - Executive Pastor Dave Kinney

Dave Kinney

Executive Pastor
dkinney@unitedcity.church

UC Staff - Finance Director David Dover

David Dover

Finance Director
ddover@unitedcity.church

UC Staff - Technical Director Patrick Nichols

Patrick Nichols

Technical Director
pnichols@unitedcity.church

UC Staff - Espanol Pastor Eliel Diaz

Eliel Diaz

Spanish Pastor
ediaz@unitedcity.church

UC Staff - Pastoral Care/Missions Pastor David Humphrey

David Humphrey

Pastoral Care/Missions Pastor
dhumphrey@unitedcity.church

UC Staff - Youth Pastor Patrick Weikle

Patrick Weikle

UC Staff - High School Pastor Hunter Brooks

Hunter Brooks

High School Pastor
hbrooks@unitedcity.church

UC Staff - Groups Pastor Jeremy Winters

Jeremy Winters

UC Staff - Young Adult Pastor Josh Thomas

Josh Thomas

Young Adult Minister
jthomas@unitedcity.church

UC Staff - Kids Pastor John Shepherd

John Shepherd

UC Staff - Preschool Associate Ashlee Knutson

Ashlee Knutson

Preschool Minister
aknutson@unitedcity.church

UC Staff - Middle School Minister Dalton Wilson

Dalton Wilson

Middle School Minister
dwilson@unitedcity.church

UC Staff - Youth Girls Associate Julia Ponko

Julia Ponko

Youth Girls Associate
jponko@unitedcity.church

UC Staff - Kids Associate Kody Cooper

Kody Cooper

Kids Associate
kcooper@unitedcity.church

UC Staff - Kids Associate Lily Belcher

Lily Belcher

UC Staff - Preschool Resident Nyah Crosby

Nyah Crosby

Preschool Resident
ncrosby@unitedcity.church

Behind the Scenes

the team that keeps United City Church going

Amanda Guardado

HR/Accounting
aguardado@unitedcity.church

 

Dena Gilman

Accts. Payable Specialist
dgilman@unitedcity.church

 

Dale Dobson

Operations Supervisor
ddobson@unitedcity.church

 

Amy Sutton

Director of Administration
asutton@unitedcity.church

Becky Sandoval

Youth Ministry Coordinator
bsandoval@unitedcity.church

 

Tara Hill

Children’s Ministry Assistant
thill@unitedcity.church

 

Emily Payne

Operations & Groups Coordinator
epayne@unitedcity.church

 

Kaitlyn Williams

Preschool Coordinator
kwilliams@unitedcity.church

Lee Ann Dover

Administrative Assistant to Lead Pastor
ldover@unitedcity.church

 

Tiffany Emmerich

Administrative Assistant to Executive Pastor
temmerich@unitedcity.church

 

MJ Jimenez

Communications Manager
mjimenez@unitedcity.church