Ministers and Staff - Country Club Christian Church

Rev. Carla Aday
Senior Minister

In April 2017, the Congregational Board of Country Club Christian Church called Rev. Carla Aday as the church’s eighth Senior Minister.

Rev. Aday has served the church since 1988 in various capacities, most recently as the Executive Minister in charge of administration, finance and stewardship in addition to preaching, teaching and planning. As the Senior Associate Minister from 2004-2014, her responsibilities included developing mission partnerships, adult spiritual formation, leadership development, ministry planning and staff supervision. When she was hired in 1988, she was the church’s first female minister.

Rev. Aday holds a Masters of Divinity degree from Yale University where she was honored with the Mersick Prize for effective public address and preaching. She is an experienced teacher and trainer, holding licensing and certification with various curricula.

She has led 20 mission trips both internationally and domestically, including trips to Nicaragua and India. She is a member of the Association of Disciples Pastors in Theological Dialogue, past member of Clergy Spiritual Direction, and has previously served on the Administrative Committee and General Board for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), as Moderator of Greater Kansas City Region of the Christian Church, on the Homeland Ministries Board, as a board member of the Girl Scouts – Mid America Chapter, and as a member of the MORE2 Clergy Caucus.

She has served as a volunteer at Della Lamb Community Services, Argentine Middle School, Notre Dame de Sion School, Habitat for Humanity, and Marillac Center for Children. In 2017 she spent one month as a volunteer at Mediterranean Hope, a project working to address the dramatic refugee migration by sea from North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East towards Italy.

Rev. Aday was the recipient an Eli Lilly Clergy Renewal Grant for a 2002 sabbatical program in Great Britain, has conducted independent study in theology with professors from Yale Divinity School and St. Paul School of Theology, has competed a writing course with Yale Divinity School, and has written and contributed to numerous publications.

Rev. Aday and her husband Dr. Dave Ehman have three adult children, Connor Ehman, Kyle Ehman, Karmen Ehman Major, and five grandchildren.

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Rev. Bryce Bowers
Executive Minister

Reverend Bryce Bowers joined our clergy as the Executive Minister on January 15, 2023. Bryce’s roles include leading the engagement and enrichment ministry of our church. To date, his experience in this area has included creative approaches like leading the church presence at local farmer’s markets and community festivals, reimagining visitor engagement ministry at each church he has served, and creating new opportunities for connection such as hiking groups and family events. In addition, Bryce will be directing the operational life of the church.

In addition to receiving his Master of Divinity from Emory University, he also has a BS in Communication with an emphasis on conflict management from Baker University. He most recently served as the Pastor for Marion Christian Church in Marion, IA but is not a stranger to the Kansas City area. His parents and his wife’s families live in Johnson and Franklin Counties.

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Rev. Ashley Cheung

Minister of Congregational Care

Reverend Ashley Cheung was called by the Congregational Board as the new Minister to Congregational Care in August of 2024. Ashley received her Master of Divinity, with honors from Saint Paul School of Theology and her Bachelor of Business Administration and Marketing from Wichita State University, where she graduated summa cum laude. Ministerially she has served as a Youth Pastor, Chaplain Resident, and Director of Connectional Ministries. Most recently she served as the Planned Giving Specialist for Church of the Resurrection Foundation, where she has worked since 2021.

Ashley is married to Kin and they are parents to Katherine (16) and Ian (13). In her free time, Ashley enjoys practicing yoga, reading great books (and welcomes recommendations), listening to brilliant podcasts from kind humans, drinking inappropriate amounts of coffee and laughing as often as possible.

Ashley’s gifts include nurturing meaningful relationships which goes hand in hand with being an excellent listener and communicator. She prides herself on remembering the “littlest” details about those she meets. Ashley has several strong and passionate beliefs including that God “unconditionally loves creation, including ALL people.” In addition, she believes our God-breathed “calling” is to manifest sacred connections with one another, especially during moments of heartache, joy and transition. She looks forward to being a part of CCCC and says she is “honored to be creating a sacred connection with this compassionate, inclusive and vibrant church community.”

Rev. Katie Smith Mussat

Minister to Families, Youth and Children

Reverend Katie Mussat began serving as the Minister to Families, Youth and Children in July 2024. She brings 10 years of full-time ministerial experience in youth ministry and has a particular passion for Intergenerational Ministry which is the focus of her doctoral studies. The Search Committee was impressed with her pastoral presence and her proven ability to develop curriculum for child and adolescent spiritual formation. She has led mission trips domestically and internationally. She is originally from Kansas where she graduated from Friends University and has done advanced studies at Baylor, Princeton and Fuller.

Several of our members had the opportunity to chat with Katie last Sunday morning or during the Community Block Party which she attended with her husband Aaron and their two girls, Chaney (7) and Maebree (3). Also part of the family is Ruby Lou, their Australian Shepherd. Some of Katie’s favorite things include family dance parties in the living room, good coffee and Saturdays. Katie shares “in just a short amount of time our family has felt the warmth and hospitality of this congregation”. She sees CCCC as a place where they can grow and be nurtured in faith and says she cannot wait to love, learn, lead, create, play, and serve alongside the families at CCCC!

Rev. Dr. Mike Graves
Scholar in Residence

Mike Graves is a native Texan, who for thirty years taught preaching and worship in various theological seminaries. He has written or edited several books, including Craddock Stories; Table Talk: Rethinking Communion and Community; and is currently finishing up a manuscript titled, Your One Wild and Precious Life: What Jesus Can Teach Us about Life Before Death.

Upon retiring from Saint Paul School of Theology in 2018, he now serves as Scholar in Residence at Country Club Christian. Mike has lectured and preached all across the United States as well as internationally. Despite retiring from teaching, he remains active in the Society of Biblical Literature which meets each fall.

As might be expected of a former professor, he loves to read scholarly books, but also novels and poetry, especially Mary Oliver. He also loves golf and will gladly share about the many times he has played the Old Course at Saint Andrews in Scotland, the home of golf. He and his wife, Carol, have three grown children and six grandchildren, all of whom he plans to teach how to play golf.

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