Ministers and Staff

Rev. Steven A. Peay, Ph.D.
Senior Minister

Life's great quest is for authenticity, says Rev. Peay: Are we who we say we are? He believes that authenticity is best found in Christianity and in its classical expression. He was educated at Greenville College, Greenville, Ill. (bachelor's degree in church history), Saint Vincent Seminary (master's in systematic theology and master's of divinity), the University of Pittsburgh (master's in rhetoric/communication studies), and Saint Louis University (doctor of philosophy in historical theology) and has done post-graduate work. He has published widely and is active in writing and teaching as part of his service to greater Congregationalism through the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches and the Institute for Congregational Studies, the Theological Commission of the International Congregational Fellowship and the American Congregational Association (Boston).

Rev. Peay has served as Senior Minister since 2002. Prior to coming to First Church, Steve was involved in graduate theological education as a professor and academic dean. He served First Church previously as the Associate Minister/Teacher from 1995 to 1999, then as Senior Minister of Heritage Congregational Church, Madison. Dr. Peay and his wife Julie were married in 1996.

Rev. Samuel Schaal
Associate Minister of Pastoral Care and Spiritual Formation

To Rev. Schaal, the Christian life is an open journey with God and fellow pilgrims to find ultimate meaning in life, and the Congregational tradition provides valuable resources for that journey. Before joining the First Church ministry team he served churches in Fort Worth, Texas, and Brookfield, Wis. He earned a master's degree in divinity cum laude from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University following a career in journalism and corporate communications. Concerned with reviving the vitality of Continuing Congregationalism, he is active in leadership with the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches. His two sons are grown and living in Texas.

 

Rev. Robert J. Brink
Associate Minister of Youth and Family

Children are our future? To Rev. Brink, children are our present. With two young boys of his own, Rob is passionate about young people. He and his wife Jessica balance the demands of ministry and family because they believe one of the greatest gifts we can give our children is the example a stable Christian home. Rob holds a master's degree in divinity from the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, and has six years of experience in youth ministries with Second Congregational Church of Beloit, Wis. An avid gamer, sci-fi nut, and music junkie, he offers a sense of humor and a touch of irreverence.

 

Rev. Charles E. Goldsmith, Ph.D
Congregational Home Chaplain

Rev. Charles E. Goldsmith, Ph.D. has served the elderly and their families for over 40 years. He holds a master's degree in sacred theology from Andover Newton Theological School, and a doctor of philosophy degree in gerontology from Boston University. He became a licensed psychologist in 1970. From 1962 to 1982, Goldsmith served as Chaplain and Supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education at Deaconess Hospital in Milwaukee. He taught at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee School of Nursing, Mt. Mary College, and at Nashotah House Seminary in Delafield.