Rev. James Patrick McCracken
Senior Pastor

The Rev James Patrick McCracken was called to serve as Pastor of Park Ridge Presbyterian Church on November 1st, 2000. Jim is a life-long Presbyterian, having grown up in East St. Louis, IL and Fairview Heights, IL, and regularly attended the First United Presbyterian Church in Belleville, IL. Almost from the beginning, he was very active in youth ministries of the church, and eventually served as an adult leader and sponsor. After his 5 year enlistment in the Navy as a computer specialist, he returned to his home church and continued to serve as a youth minister and student pastor in his home church as well as the First Presbyterian Church in Collinsville, IL.

With the GI Bill, Jim attended Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville where he earned a BS in Sociology with a minor in Child and Adolescent Psychology, He then went on to Union Theological Seminary in Virginia where he graduated in 1992 with an M.Div.

Jim was ordained June 1992 in his home church in Belleville Illinois, where his parents still regularly worship. Jim's first call was at Northbrook Presbyterian Church in Beverly Hills, MI, where he served as Associate Pastor for Youth and Families. In 1995, Jim moved to the First Presbyterian Church of Canton, IL, and served as Pastor/Head of Staff for one of the oldest Presbyterian churches in Illinois. Jim is also a trained Stephen Ministries Leader and has started a Stephen's Ministry Program here at PRPC.

Jim has been married since October 1994 to Amy McCracken, who is a litigation attorney at Duane Morris in the loop. Jim's hobbies include collecting comic books, watching his large collection of DVD's and reading and studying history. He believes that children cannot be considered our "future", but rather the church has a responsibility to include all of the youth and children into the life and ministries of the church.

Dr. Roger Scanlon
Director of Music

Roger is the chairman of the Voice Department and Director of the Program in Vocal Pedagogy at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University where he has been a member of the faculty since 1968. He holds Master and Doctor of Music degrees from the University of Wisconsin and Northwestern University respectively. He is a long time member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, in which he has served as President of the Chicago Chapter, Governor for Illinois, and Program Chairman of the 1986 National Convention. Roger provides leadership for our choir in regular worship services as well as special occasions such as cantatas and highlights in the church calendar.

Andrew Knoblauch
Youth Director

Amanda Breedlove
Director of Christian Education

Kathleen Keenan
Secretary

Kathy has been with PRPC since 1998, and has lived in Park Ridge since 1981. She has a Bachelors Degree in Education from the University of Illinois. Kathy and her husband have two children, one at Lincoln and one at Maine South. Kathy's hobbies are fostering kittens and cats from PetAble Adoptions, and throwing pots on her potter's wheel. Kathy enjoys and appreciates the hard work of the many volunteers in the church.

Kathy staffs the office Monday through Wednesday morning.