Staff & Leadership
The staff and leadership (pastors, elders, & deacons) at St. Andrew are comprised of men and women who love, care, and pray for every single person in the church. If you have any questions for any of our staff, feel free to reach out and email them or call our church office to speak with them. You can contact the church office at office@saintandrew-ic.org or 319/338.7523.
You can also find minutes from session meetings
at the bottom of this page.
Pastors & Staff
Rev. Dr. Matt Paul
Head Pastor
Pastor Matt Paul is a native of Eugene, Oregon where he attended the University of Oregon and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance, and met his wife, Becca. After a brief stint as a bank auditor, Matt followed God's call to ministry. He attended Princeton Theological Seminary where he received a Master of Divinity. Since his ordination in 1996, Matt has served PC(USA) churches in Grants Pass, Oregon, Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Spokane Valley, Washington. In 2012 he received a Doctor of Ministry degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary; the title of his project was Reaching Out by Reaching In: A Model for Incarnational Ministry. His passion in ministry is helping others grow in Christ and serve according to their spiritual gifts. His personal interests include hiking, bird watching, sports, gardening, woodworking, and working on home improvement projects.
Heather Woodin
Director of Children's & Family Ministries
Heather is Director of Children's and Family Ministry. She is the oldest of four children in a family that moved often. By high school graduation, she had spent significant amounts of time in Canada, Illinois, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and Iowa. She graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in Journalism, then served 13 years as a news reporter for the Quad-City Times and the Cedar Rapids Gazette. She joined the staff at St. Andrew in 1999. She and her husband, Jim, have two delightful adult children, Corey and Amanda. Her joys in this life include spending time with kids, cooking delicious meals with Jim, laughing with friends, connecting with sisters in faith, and making lists to keep everyone organized. She has a ridiculous, excessive aversion to glitter.
Matthew Penning
Director of Music Ministries
Matthew has served as Director of Music Ministries at St. Andrew for nearly 16 years. Growing up in Austin, Minnesota, he was introduced to a life of music making by his oldest brother, and encouraged along the way to make music a lifelong pursuit. Matthew is a graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa where he earned a BA in Music while studying organ with William Kuhlman and choral directing with Weston Noble. He also holds a Master of Sacred Music degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he furthered his church music studies with John Ferguson (organ), Robert Scholz and Anton Armstrong (choral), and Paul Westermeyer (church music). Matthew is proud papa to Margaret and Helen and is married to Tamera, an instructor of piano to students in the Iowa City area and a homeschool mom.
Rebecca Schuchert
Finance Administrator
Rebecca was born and raised in Iowa City, and while she has only been on staff at St. Andrew since 2006, she has been a member of St. Andrew since her confirmation. Rebecca graduated from Grinnell College and completed her Master's coursework in Anthropology at the University of Iowa. Prior to her starting her family, she worked as an archaeologist. She is married to Jason, a software engineer, and they are proud parents of Nathan and Anna. In her free time Rebecca enjoys reading, walking with friends, sending time with family, and making macaroni and cheese for *spark*.
Sarah Dyck
Office & Communications Administrator
Sarah was born in Cincinnati, Ohio but raised in Cedar Rapids. She went to Mt. Mercy (College) University where she received a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Sociology. She also attended the University of Washington for graduate school where she received a master's degree in health administration. Sarah's previous employment includes working for a US Senator, managing the Telemedicine Program at the University of Washington, and coordinating disaster response through the Presbytery of East Iowa. Sarah's husband, Tim, is a Presbyterian minister in Cedar Rapids. They have two amazing sons (Geoffrey & Ian) and two American English Coonhounds (Wallace & Gromit). In her spare time, Sarah enjoys reading, listening to music, talking politics and theology, and spending time with friends.
