As part of the Kahu Hui, Peter Shober first started serving Wānanalua Church in October 2020. He has been returning for each of these past four years and has come to love the people of Wānanalua, the place of Hāna, and the lovely realities surrounding both.

Peter was raised in both Seattle and Minneapolis. All his grandparents immigrated from Scandinavia and he has been heavily influenced by that culture. He is a graduate of St. Olaf College and received his Masters in Divinity at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California.  He was ordained into the ministry of the United Church of Christ in 1984 and served a church in Chewelah, Washington for seven years and then was the lead  pastor at University Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Missoula Montana for 25 years.  Following that pastorate he worked as a hospice chaplain for three years.

Peter is married to Barbara Cowan and they have three children, two daughters and one son, all in their 30s. Peter and Barbara live in Missoula and are fond of saying they leave a paradise there when they go to the paradise called Hāna. Peter has been very involved in ecumenical, social justice, and human rights issues throughout his career. He is a former president of the Montana Association of Churches and has served on numerous boards and committees within the church, both locally, on a conference level and nationally.  He is also certified as a Spiritual Director.

Peter loves spending time in the wilderness, spending time with friends, traveling, and is an avid golfer.    

Sid Hall has served as the Spring Kahu since 2023. He and his wife Mary Pratt are now members of Wānanalua and Sid is a clergy member in the ‘Aha O Nā Mokupuni ‘O Maui, Moloka‘i a Me Lāna‘I Association of the Hawai’i Conference of the United Church of Christ.

Sid has served churches in Indiana, Texas, and Hawai’i since 1979. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Indianapolis, and he holds both seminary and doctoral degrees from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. For 33 years, Sid served as the lead pastor at Trinity Church of Austin in Texas, a congregation affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, and Creation Spirituality Communities. Sid currently serves as a national board member of Equity for Women in the Church. He is the author of Christian Antisemitism and Paul’s Theology (Fortress Press, 1993) and is the co-author with James Harrington of Three Mystics Walk into a Tavern (Hamilton Books, 2015). Sid and Mary have four adult children and three grandchildren. When not in Hāna, Sid and Mary like traveling and dividing their time between Windsor, Colorado and Conway, Michigan.

Mary and Sid treasure being a part of the o’hana at Wānanalua Congregational Church, living in Hāna a portion of the year, and participating in Wānanalua’s kahu hui.

Hola! 

I was born in San Antonio, Texas and received my call to serve, preach, and teach at the tender age of 15 years old. My undergraduate degree is from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, in Psychology of Religion. I graduated from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas with a Masters in Theology with a focus on Liberation Theology and Church History. I have additional training in Spiritual Formation and History of Early Christianity Spirituality.

In my 40 years as an Ordained Elder in the United Methodist Church I have served 7 congregations in South Texas. I have mostly served rural congregations. My ministry skill set lies in community organization, particularly in building ecumenical relationships, building immigrant support networks, and creating and organizing teams to create results. 

I retired from 42 years of full-time ministry in 2024 and was contacted by my supervisor who asked if I would serve part-time at Lakehills United Methodist Church, close to San Antonio, Texas. I said “yes”, for the fire still burns in my soul to serve God’s people. The leadership of the Lakehills Congregation have given me total support for joining the Kahu Hui of Wānanalua. 

My personal mission statement is to “Make Jesus Happy!” What that means for me is that I understand Jesus to be about making relationships and introducing people to the heart of God. This makes me happy, too. I love all of creation, enjoy reading and music, and I have a passion for practicing hospitality.

On May 28, 2022 Madge Rashell and I married. We are still on our honeymoon! Together we have 6 children. There is no such thing as stepchildren in our hearts and minds. 

We are so very honored and excited about serving Wānanalua Congregational Church beginning in June 2025.

Audrey Ward is a mother of 2 daughters and a son, and a grandmother to 6. She is an ordained United Methodist Church minister who has served as senior pastor or pastor in charge for 39 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science from Nyack College, and Masters of Divinity from Graduate Theological Union and UC Berkeley. She has also attended the Carl Jung Institute in Boston and studied Religion, Ethics and Public Theology at Oxford School of Theology in Christ Church. 

When her three children were 16, 10 & 8, the family lived in La Brulat du Castellet in the Provençal region of France (two of her children went to a local one-room schoolhouse in the village to learn French and make friends). That experience changed their lives.

Audrey has taught World Religions and Philosophy at the college level, and is an author and columnist. Her books include the memoir Hidden Biscuits /Tales of Deep South Revivals Told by Heart (2015) and contributions to the anthology Women at the Well, (Judson Press). She writes a weekly column “Regarding Children” for Napa Valley newspapers, and her presentations include The Christian Education of Teens, Or, “I Can’t Hear You Through These Earphones”. She is the founder of HomePeace and The Children’s Council. Audrey also co-founded California Interfaith Clergy, advising state social service agencies, and co-chaired quarterly meetings in Manhattan 4 years with the Board of Global Ministries, United Methodist Church, regarding Child Protection.