Pastor Peter Kirby

Pastor Peter Kirby was raised in Dwight, Illinois. He attended the University of Illinois in Urbana, where he met his future wife Carla (Mize), originally from Bunker Hill, IL. He graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Nuclear Engineering in 1985 and worked for Westinghouse Electric doing safety analysis in Pittsburgh, PA, until 1990. He attended Concordia Seminary in St. Louis from 1990 - 1995, graduating with a Master of Divinity in May 1994 and a Master of Sacred Theology in May 2003. The Kirbys served as missionaries in Jamaica from 1995 - 2003, doing church planting and leadership development in Kingston. Pastor Kirby accepted the call to serve Zion Lutheran, Carlinville, in February 2004. They have two children: Ian, 22, and Amanda, 19.

Pastor Kirby enjoys walking, gardening, puzzles, reading and computers.  He serves as chairman of the National Board for Ongoing Ambassadors for Christ and participates in their outreach weekends.  He has also served on the LC-MS Southern Illinois District (SID) Pastors' Conference Committee from 2008-2011 and as Circuit Counselor for the MidState Circuit of the SID from 2006-2009.

Denise Hoff, Church Secretary

Denise (Hogue) Hoff was born in Arlington, Virginia, and moved extensively as a child, having 26 addresses over the years. She attended fifteen schools in the United States and Canada and graduated in 1970 from Macomb Senior High School, Macomb, Illinois. Her areas of concentration were art, English, history and journalism. She married Bill Hoff in 1978 in Mason City, Illinois.  They have two sons, Mike, 28 (wife Danielle Kiel Hoff), and Clay, 24 (wife Dani Haley Hoff). The Hoffs have made their home in Carlinville since February 1984.

After graduation, Denise  worked at a variety of jobs, including medical receptionist, ambulance dispatcher, hospital admitting clerk, technical services assistant at an irrigation manufacturer, librarian, and an aide at Zion Lutheran Preschool.

She joined Zion Lutheran’s staff as secretary in May of 1989, and has served under Rev. Doyle Holbird, Rev. Chris Sheets, Vacancy Pastor Rev. Herbert Grieves, Jr., and currently Rev. Peter Kirby.

Eldon Wold, Music Director

Eldon grew up on a farm near Ottawa, Illinois, of Norwegian ancestry.  He began piano lessons at age 9 and added organ lessons at age 14.  He began playing for Sunday School at age 12 and organ for church at age 14.  At the time he was receiving $4 a week and thought this was wonderful to be paid for something that he loved doing.  He attended Ottawa Township High School and was lucky to sing in the best high school choir.

He graduated from Southern Illinois University with a double major in Piano Performance and Music Education.  He has played music for Lutheran, Baptist, Presbyterian and Episcopal churches in Mattoon, East Alton, Bethalto, Roxana, Sterling, Alton, Granite City and Carlinville.  He has been a long time music instructor for Carlinville Schools and resides in Bunker Hill.

His hobbies and passions include all things musical, traveling and horses.  He has owned about 100 horses over his life, and his last show horse was Grand Champion Stallion at the 1999 Illinois State Fair.  He currently has a buggy horse, a paint gelding and a paint mare.

Maylene Denby has served as a teacher at Zion Lutheran Preschool since 1999 and as director since 2003. She graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1985. Together with husband Tom, she has two children, Alyx, 22, and Matt, 19. She attends St. Paul Episcopal Church in Carlinville.

Sue Moore, Zion Lutheran Preschool Aide

After many years of being a daycare provider in her home, Sue joined the staff as preschool aide in 2010.  She and her husband, Tom, have three children, Andy, April and Jeff (ages 36, 28 & 20), and are proud grandparents of Ethan, Griffin and Julia (ages 4, 3 & 1).