Reverend Peter J. Wehrly - brief biography

I was born and raised on a dairy farm in west central Illinois. The youngest of four children, I attended the University of Illinois and Western Illinois University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics in 1974. In 1985, after many years working in the secular world, I answered the call of God on my life and entered the process to become an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. I received my Masters of Divinity from Eden Seminary in St. Louis. I have served both rural and urban appointments, with my most recent appointment at the United in Christ Parish of the United Methodist Church, Galesburg IL.

I have two sons from my first marriage. The elder, Kyle, was killed in Iraq in November of 2005. Kyle is survived by his wife, Janet and daughter, Kylee, 11, who live in Galesburg. The younger son, Lance, is an Orthopedic Surgeon practicing in Janesville, WI. He and his wife, Katrina, were married December 2007 and had their first child, Elin, in May.

Our blended family includes four additional children. Our eldest is Victoria (Tori), who lives in the St. Louis area with her mother. Jaquita, a Navy veteran, lives in Springfield, IL with her two daughters, Jamaria and Jayonna. She attends college and is working on a degree in nursing. Shana, our youngest, attends Jackson State University in Jackson, MS. We have a fourth daughter, who although not legally a member of our family, is loved as one of our own. Nancy lived with us for a year while a foreign exchange student, and lives with her husband, Danny, in London, England.

My wife, Susan Meister, and I were married in 1993. Along with children and grandchildren, we also have a dog, Malachi, and a cat, Midnight. Susan is employed by the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) as the US-based Calendaring & Communications Coordinator for UMVIM teams traveling to Haiti. She has also worked with UMCOR as the Gulf Coast Communicator following the destructive hurricanes in 2005. From 2000-2006, she was on staff at the Illinois Great Rivers Conference as Director of Missions/Outreach and Communications.

We are delighted to be in Lebanon and look forward to meeting you soon!

July 2011