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.

Chris Kouba

Lead Pastor

Chris Kouba has served as the lead pastor of United City Church for the past 4 years, providing biblical teaching, leadership, and direction to both the staff and the church body. In his brief tenure at this historic church, founded in 1906, he has successfully led the church through a name change and a building renovation focused on a fresh vision to unify the community through the simple yet powerful message of the Gospel. As a result, United City has experienced record baptisms and significant growth in the areas of attendance, membership, and servant leaders. Active in the community, we attribute much of the growth and success to the unwavering commitment to equip the saints – you – for the work of ministry, and believe it begins with everyone, every day, taking that next step. What does this look like? Spend any amount of time in or outside of United City Church and you will find a passion to reach those who are not yet here, a key part of UC’s mission to cross every divide.

Along with a unique ability to bring God’s timeless Word to real, everyday life, Pastor Chris brings more than two decades of ministry and dynamic leadership experience to effectively reach the least, the last, and the lost to a redemptive relationship with Jesus Christ. Chris is known for his passion, directness, and uncanny ability to ‘coach’ people into action. 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 attending Baylor, and they have now been married for over 20 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.

Chris enjoys a fast-paced and active lifestyle. When he’s not at United City, you can find him playing a game of golf or tennis, smoking meat, coaching his kid’s sports, or actively seeking anything competitive in nature.

Contact Information

Dave Kinney

Executive Pastor
dkinney@unitedcity.church

David Dover

Finance Director
ddover@unitedcity.church

Patrick Nichols

Technical Director
pnichols@unitedcity.church

Jerbin Romero

Associate Spanish Pastor
jromero@unitedcity.church

David Humphrey

Pastoral Care/Missions Pastor
dhumphrey@unitedcity.church

Hunter Brooks

High School Pastor
hbrooks@unitedcity.church

Jeremy Winters

Amos Rivera

Worship Pastor
arivera@unitedcity.church

John Shepherd

Josh Thomas

Young Adult Minister
jthomas@unitedcity.church

Dalton Wilson

Middle School Minister
dwilson@unitedcity.church

David Carreon

Production Manager
dcarreon@unitedcity.church

Ashlee Knutson

Operations & Groups Coordinator
aknutson@unitedcity.church

Jennifer Fanning

Preschool Associate
jfanning@unitedcity.church

Julia Ponko

Youth Girls Associate
jponko@unitedcity.church

Kody Cooper

Kids Associate
kcooper@unitedcity.church

Lily Belcher

Clarissa Kimbrell

Kids Ministry Resident
ckimbrell@unitedcity.church

Behind the Scenes

the team that keeps United City Church going

Amanda Guardado

Becky Sandoval

First Impressions Coordinator
bsandoval@unitedcity.church

Lee Ann Dover

Administrative Assistant to Lead Pastor
ldover@unitedcity.church

Dena Gilman

Accounts Payable Specialist
dgilman@unitedcity.church

Tara Hill

Children’s Ministry Assistant
thill@unitedcity.church

Tiffany Emmerich

Administrative Assistant to Executive Pastor
temmerich@unitedcity.church

Rachel Sever

Ministry Assistant to the Lead Pastor
rsever@unitedcity.church

MJ Cisneros

Communications Manager
mcisneros@unitedcity.church

Neli Kieslich

Preschool Coordinator
nkieslich@unitedcity.church

Brianne Gladney

Preschool Coordinator
bgladney@unitedcity.church

Gary Eakin

Facilities Director
geakin@unitedcity.church

Steve McClendon

Facilities Specialist
smcclendon@unitedcity.church

NORTH LOBBY DOORS ARE CLOSED
This Sunday ONLY - 10.06.2024

Dear Church Family,

Due to ongoing construction on the north side of our parking lot, the North lobby doors will be inaccessible this Sunday, October 6, 2024.

Please use the South lobby doors on the 1960 side. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding as we continue to improve our facilities. Normal access will resume the following Sunday October 13th. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

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