Rev. Wesley Gately-Price
Senior Pastor
wesgp@heritageumc.org
Wesley's Bio
Glen Shoup
Pastor
Glen began serving as Senior Pastor of Heritage in July 2024. In his more than 25 years of pastoral ministry, Glen has been privileged to serve either on the pastoral staff or as senior pastor of four different churches—two in Florida and two here in Kansas City. Immediately prior to coming to Heritage, he served for 14 years on the pastoral staff at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.
Glen was born and raised in Michigan, and after completing his undergraduate work, he did his seminary training right here in Kansas City at Nazarene Theological Seminary, earning his M. Div degree in 1998. He is currently working on a Doctor of Ministry degree at Duke Divinity School.
During seminary years, Glen met his wife Brenda, who grew up in Olathe, attended college in the Chicago area, and then came back home to Kansas City to attend medical school at KU. Following medical school/seminary graduation, they lived in Florida for 7 years, where Glen pastored, and Brenda completed her residency (University of Florida) and fellowship training (University of South Florida/Moffit Cancer Center). In 2005, they returned to Kansas City and Brenda works as a Gynecologic Oncologist at the Advent Health Cancer Institute.
Glen and Brenda have two daughters—Anna and Maddie; Anna is a senior in college, studying environmental science and Maddie is a senior at Olathe East High School. Having played sports throughout high school and college, Glen still enjoys most sports—but he especially loves to get to the golf course or ski slope whenever possible. However, the sports he loves most to watch are whichever ones his daughters are playing—which meant watching Anna compete in four years’ worth of Olathe East golf tournaments, and still watching Maddie compete in Club and HS soccer games!
Cindy Svec
Director of Adult Christian Education & Missions & Outreach & Congregational Care Coordinator
cindys@heritageumc.org
Cindy's Bio
Cindy Svec
Director Adult Christian Education, Missions & Outreach and Congregational Care Coordinator
Cindy enjoys engaging and connecting members with opportunities at Heritage. Opportunities to serve through Missions projects, opportunities to care for others through Congregational Care Ministries and opportunities to grow in faith and fellowship through adult small groups.
She was born in Wichita, KS and has lived in Kansas City since fifth grade. She attended Shawnee Mission West High School and Kansas State University earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Accounting. Cindy and her husband Bob Svec met at K-State and have been married since 1986 and have been members of Heritage UMC since 2002. They have two daughters, Taylor married to Jared Kaunley with two sons, Weston and Graham and Kristen who is married to Dr. Greg Hildebrand and have a son, Leo.
Cindy joined the Heritage staff in 2007 and has previous work experience as a Portfolio Accounting Investment Manager and full-time community volunteer. During her free time, she enjoys K-State season football tickets, Sporting KC season tickets, serving as a volunteer with the Pi Beta Phi Fraternity, loving her golden retrievers and being a grandma to Weston, Graham, and Leo!
Dawn Beck
Director of Worship & Member Engagement
dawnb@heritageumc.org
Dawn's Bio
Dawn Beck
Director of Worship & Member Engagement
Hi, my name is Dawn Beck. I enjoy serving Heritage in worship and membership ministries. I love helping connect people to their faith and their faith community through worship and involvement in Heritage ministries and activities.
I grew up in the United Methodist Church, on a farm in southcentral Kansas. I’ve lived in the city for 30 years but still consider myself a country girl at heart. As part of my ministry in the church and love for God, I enjoy sharing stories of growing up on the farm and life in a small Kansas town and how those experiences have shaped my faith.
My husband Kevin and I are both graduates of K-State and have been members of Heritage for more than 20 years. We have three amazing children, a wonderful son-in-law, and two grandsons who bring blessings into our lives every day. In my free time I love spending time with my family, going back to the farm for summer and fall harvest, traveling (road trips), perusing flea markets and antique stores, photography, crafting, spending time in nature, watching sports (basketball and football are my favorite), and cheering on the Wildcats and Chiefs!
Serving Heritage brings joy to my life because I get to do the work of the Lord with amazing people every day. I love building on the foundation of the traditional worship I grew up with and creating new ways our faith community can worship God and grow in our faith of Jesus Christ. It is my goal as Director of Worship Engagement to help Heritage be a place where people find Christ, where they grow in their faith with friends and where they feel like an integral part of our Heritage family.
My favorite Bible verse is Ecclesiastes 3:1, For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
Shari Boles
Director of Finance & Administration
sharib@heritageumc.org
Shari's Bio
Shari Boles
Director of Finance & Administration
Shari is a lifelong resident of the Kansas City metro area. After graduating from St. Teresa’s Academy in Kansas City, MO, she attended college in Omaha, NE. Unfortunately, the college closed after her first year. And so, she returned home and received her BA from the University of Missouri where she met her future husband. Their first journey away from home as a married couple was to Salt Lake City, Utah where her husband had received a post graduate scholarship. Through the years, as their family grew, they moved several times due to her husband’s career in finance, but they always returned to their home town. During those times, Shari developed an acuity for business management and accounting. She continued her post graduate education and career building while raising three daughters. She has been involved in many management positions, an owner of various enterprises, and has served on several non-profit boards over the years. She is the proud grandmother to four handsome grandsons and two beautiful granddaughters. Shari feels blessed to have joined the staff at Heritage United Methodist Church where devotion to Christian beliefs, common kindness, commendable stewardship and charitable outreach is present. She loves to garden, read, walk, practice yoga, and be with her family both near and far.
Deann Baiza
Director of Youth Ministry
youth@heritageumc.org
Deann's Bio
Deann Baiza
Director of Youth Ministry
Hi! My name is Deann. I have been attending Heritage for over 20 years after my neighbor invited me! My first service was the Christmas Cantata. The music hooked me, and we’ve been here ever since. Throughout those years I have served in many areas including music ministry, worship ministry, youth and children’s ministries and more. I am an Iowa farm girl but have lived in Olathe, KS for more than two decades. I am married to Dan and we have three adult children – Gabbie, Jamison, and Alex. I like watching football and wrestling (not the WWE kind), DIY, reading and singing. My passion is helping Youth explore their faith as they learn to live as a child of God.
My favorite scripture is 1 Corinthians 1:27 – But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.
Jake Weskamp
Director of Audio-Visual Ministries
jakew@heritageumc.org
Jake's Bio
Jake Weskamp
Director of Audio-Visual Ministries
Hi I’m Jake. I am from Nebraska where my family still lives. Moving away from my family makes my Heritage UMC family all the more special to me. I came to Heritage to join a small group and stayed for the small town church feel.
My favorite part of AV Ministry is working with my great team to remove technical obstacles from worshiping the Lord.
My favorite Bible verse is John 10:10, The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
Jacob Eppel
Director of Music Ministries
jacobe@heritageumc.org
Jacob's Bio
Jacob Eppel
Director of Music Ministries
What do I enjoy most? I love being able to share my gift of music while glorifying god. My grandma was a church organist. Growing up, I wanted to work in a church in some capacity. I’m blessed to be able to fulfill that dream in a church that I love!
I am originally from St. Peters, MO. After graduating college in December of 2017, I relocated to the Kansas City area. My wife, Kayla, and I have 2 wonderful boys; Christian and Jude. We reside in Louisburg, KS along with our 2 Australian Shepherds, Ella and Larry.
In addition to Heritage, I am also the K-12 Music teacher for Drexel School District. When I’m not busy with
work, you can find me cheering on the KC Chiefs, Stl Blues, Stl Cardinals, and Iowa Hawkeyes. The thing that we loved about Heritage was that everyone is like family. We are proud to call Heritage our church.
My favorite scripture is 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all
things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
My favorite Hymn is It Is Well with My Soul..
Margaret Cinotto
Organist
Margaret's Bio
Margaret Cinotto
Organist
I have been playing the organ for churches since I was 15 years old. I grew up in Humboldt, Ks
and graduated from Pittsburg State University with a degree in business. I am married to Gary
Cinotto and moved from Pittsburg/Frontenac area in 2008 when we retired. We have 2 sons,
Jamie and Joe and 4 granddaughters, Sydney, Lyla, Milania and Vitalia. We have been
attending Heritage since 2009.