ST. PAUL'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST OUR OPEN DOORS WELCOME EVERYONE
Rev. Ingram graduated from Western International University, with a BS in Computer Science, and later earned an MBA in Logistics from Golden Gate University. He attended Iliff School of Theology in Denver where he completed his Master of Divinity. He interned at First Plymouth Congregational UCC in Englewood, and served as the interim minister at Community UCC in San Antonio, Texas. Rev. Ingram has relocated to Laramie from Austin, TX. In Austin, Rev. Ingram worked at Heart Hospital of Austin and with a hospice company as a chaplain, and volunteered at his church. “I have been a member of big churches, and little churches. The history of St. Paul’s, and the members of the congregation are gems on the prairie. I feel like I am coming home. The first UCC church I joined was very similar to St. Paul’s. It feels like a perfect fit for me.” Rev. Ingram said that he was hoping to return to this area, having lived in Ft. Collins and Denver for a number of years, before moving to Texas. His husband, Don Denham was born and raised in Boulder, and his family is still in the Boulder, Longmont area. They live in Laramie, with their two dogs, Rocky the 3 legged wonder, and Magenta (she's the boss of the whole house). Rev. Ken is on the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Church of Christ board of directors, and serves as the moderator. He is also a board member for the Wyoming Interfaith Network, and a former board member for Wyoming Equality. In 2019, Rev. Ken and Don were married at St. Paul's. Besides their families and friends, the members of St. Paul's also attended.
Don and Rev. Ken Photo below by: Bert Noel
Rocky and Magenta Photo: Kenneth Ingram
Our Associate Minister Rev. Dr. Mark B. Lee The Rev. Dr. Mark Lee (you can call him “Mark”) comes to St. Paul’s with a rich background serving the church. He was intentional interim pastor for First Congregational Church of Rapid City for two years during the pandemic. Prior to that, he served 11 years as Director of Adult Formation at Plymouth UCC in Fort Collins. Before he joined the UCC, he was a minister in the Metropolitan Community Churches (“MCC”), founding churches in Fort Collins and Cheyenne, and serving as an interim in Rapid City. Earlier in life, he did overseas missions, national park ministry, and had administrative positions in MCC, Unitarian and Episcopal churches. He has also served the wider church, in MCC as Assistant District Coordinator (US) for the Mountain & Plains District and as Christian Education faculty for Samaritan College. In the UCC he served the Platte Valley Association as chair of the Church and Ministry Committee, and the wider Rocky Mountain Conference as ONA Coordinator.
A graduate of LeTourneau College (now University) in Longview, TX, he first attended seminary at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL, but was given the “left foot of fellowship” when outed as gay about halfway through. He then completed his Master of Divinity at Iliff School of Theology in Denver. He later earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Iliff, writing a dissertation on preaching in LGBTQ+ communities. This varied theological training, encompassing both evangelical and progressive traditions, has helped him to be multi-lingual theologically. In recent years his horizons have broadened even more, with study and pilgrimage experiences in Turkey, Israel/Palestine & Jordan, Iona, and annual retreats at Wyoming’s own Ring Lake Ranch.
Mark lives on a small acreage in rural Larimer County, CO north of Fort Collins, which he and his late partner of 29 years, Ivan Loy (a UW graduate who taught math at Front Range Community College and died suddenly in 2022), built into a gardening and Boer market-goat operation. He still has a few dwarf goats, some chickens, three big dogs and writes his best sermons while pulling weeds in the gardens.
Having a discussion with an Elder Pine, Ring Lake Ranch, WY, 2023
Speaking at Pro-Choice Rally after the Dobbs ruling, 2022