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Pastor Steve

Christ’s Church

is a congregation with roots both in the United Methodist Church and the Presbyterian Church United.   We are a community of followers of Jesus Christ who strive to grow together in discipleship of Jesus and who go to serve in the community to extend Christ’s ministry of love, grace, hope, peace and justice.  Our worship contains both traditional elements of worship as well as new expressions of faith through song, liturgy, and the possibilities of the electronic age.  

We welcome all people to join us in this challenging and exciting journey of discipleship and service!

Pastor Steve


Rev Steve Mitchell

has been serving Christ's Church since February 2022. Pastor Steve is a Retired Elder of the United Methodist Church. He currently also serves ¼-time as Pastor of Falls City United Methodist Church.
    Previous appointments were in Klamath Falls, Salem Englewood, Silverton, Astoria, Lakeview, and Paisley United Methodist Churches, and he served as Student Pastor of Bethlehem United Methodist Church in Bremen, GA.
    He is married to Christine. Together they have a son and daughter, both married. They are proud grandparents of five boys and a girl.
    Pastor Steve enjoys music, and he plays the bassoon in the Salem Symphonic Wind Ensemble and in Christ’s Church’s Joybells Handbell Choir.


Rev Ruth Marsh

is an Oregon girl whose ancestors arrived by wagon train in 1846 and settled out in the Dayton area. The dairy farm I grew up on was N.W. of McMinnville. Good fortune has let me travel, live other places, and then come home!
     My oldest adult offspring is Michael. He lives in Willamina and works at the McMinnville Roth’s. The middle offspring is Bethany. She and Daniel live on the eastern plains of Colorado and are the parents of the two most fabulous grandsons in the whole world. Waylon is 8 and Houston is 5. Beth is an Ag. teacher at Northeastern Junior College. The youngest offspring (acquired during COVID) is Logan who lives in Idaho Falls where they chef at a local restaurant named Bees Knees.
     I have been married to David Armstrong for 23 years. We met at Annual Conference, fell in love at first sight, and got married 11 months later. We only waited 11 months because the D.S. wouldn’t let us get married a week after we met! David works at Oregon State as an I.T. professional at the School of Business.
     My undergraduate degree in philosophy comes from University of Northern Colorado, and my Master of Divinity degree was earned at Iliff School of Theology in Denver CO. I have served as pastor at Amity/Sheridan, Halsey/Shedd, Florence, and Trinity in Idaho Falls, all of these being UMC churches within the OR-ID Annual Conference. Currently I am serving Dallas United Methodist Church three-quarter time with another quarter-time focused on development of Methodist services in western Polk County.
     David and I enjoy hiking, traveling, and lazy Saturdays.