Staff
Rev. Dr. George R. Graham
Pastor
Rev. Dr. George R. Graham began as pastor of Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ in January 2024. Prior to beginning at Pilgrim, George served as Vice President for the Council for Health and Human Service Ministries (CHHSM), United Church of Christ, and as a part-time worship leader at Archwood UCC in Cleveland. George has held a number of other positions with the National Offices of the United Church of Christ in publishing and fund development, as well as with the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church. He has also worked in institutional advancement for Adoption Network Cleveland and for Seidman Cancer Center of University Hospitals in Cleveland.
George earned a B.A. in Religion and German at Hiram College and his M.Div. from Vanderbilt Divinity School. He recently completed a D.Min. at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis. He was ordained to Christian ministry at Pilgrim in 2003, where he was a member from 2001-2011.
George lives in Lakewood with his husband Mike, son Robert (22), and daughter Ellen (18). He enjoys reading, gardening, running, cycling, travel, and the arts.
Kathy DeJohn
Financial Administrator
Kathy DeJohn holds a BA in Marketing from Ursuline College and a Master of Science in Organizational Development from Case Western Reserve University. She was a member of Pilgrim Church from 2003 to 2008 and has worked at Pilgrim since 2013. Currently she holds membership at the West Shore Unitarian Universalist church in Rocky River. Kathy has held many positions in her work career as Marketing Director for a record label in Beachwood Ohio for fifteen years and worked for her family’s funeral homes in South Euclid and Willoughby Hills Ohio.
Currently, Kathy is the Financial Administrator at Pilgrim Church and works closely with our Pastor, Treasurer, the boards and other staff here at Pilgrim.
Kathy lives in Westlake, Ohio and is the proud mom of her daughter Amanda (Aurora, Colorado) and son Carl (North Ridgeville, Ohio) along with three beautiful grandchildren CJ, Lacey and Maura. She enjoys reading, needlework, genealogy and snuggling with her two tuxedo cats Moon and Mocha.
J. Atlee Horner III
Pastoral Associate
Pastor Jay is a 3rd generation member of the UCC denomination. He has a BA in Spanish, French, and Psychology from John Carroll University. He continued his studies and earned a Master of Education from John Carroll U, as well as, a Masters of Arts in Spanish Language culture, and history, from Cleveland State University. He graduated in 2025 from the UCC's Chicago Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity and a major in Chaplaincy. He has been with Pilgrim Congregational Church since 2022. He was previously the Director of International Programs for an orphanage, school, and clinic in El Salvador. He is currently working through his Discernment process for UCC ordination and plans to begin a doctorate focusing on healing Religious Trauma and non-atonement Christian theology. Pastor Jay is a protestant Liberation Theologian who has been immersed in LT since the late 1980s when he began his studies at a local Jesuit University.
Wendy Robar
Office Administrator
Wendy Robar joined Pilgrim Church as Office Administrator in September of 2023. Prior to that she served at the Office Administrator at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lakewood, Ohio for 18 years.
Wendy lives in Lakewood with her husband Dave and loves spending time with her daughter Paige (32) and son Cooper (28). She enjoys art, architecture, gardening, music, and taking care of those around her.
Katherine Schultz
Facilities Manager
Katherine began working at Pilgrim in March of 2020. She oversees building and grounds maintenance and coordinates building use. Prior to being employed at Pilgrim, she spent several years doing farm and local food systems work, and monitored woodshop and welding facilities at the University of Akron.
She enjoys hiking, reading, DIY projects, growing native plants, and recently completed the Western Reserve Land Conservancy’s “Tree Steward” program.