Rev. Gregory E. Bryant, Senior Minister

Gregory E. Bryant is a native of Chicago, Illinois.   Shortly after high school he experienced a call to be in relationship an serve Jesus Christ.   Not long after receiving Christ, Rev. Bryant joined the Park Manor Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Chicago, where Rev. James L. Demus III, is pastor.   Rev. Bryant graduated from Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, Texas, with a Bachelor, of Science in History in 1990.   Later that same year, Rev. Bryant moved to Indianapolis to attend the Christian Theological Seminary where he completed his Master in Divinity Degree in 1993.   He was ordained as a minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in 1994.   In 1998, Bryant enrolled in the Doctor of Ministry program at Christian Theological Seminary and completed his core curriculum classes for the degree.   His focus of study was, How to do Multi Cultural Ministry, with Cultural Integrity.

While in seminary, Rev. Bryant served as joint Student Associate Minister to University Park and Faith United Christian Churches.   University Park was predominantly white, while Faith United was predominantly black; they shared the same worship and educational facilities.   Rev. Bryant also served as the Senior Minister of the Westlane Christian Church, an interracial congregational congregation on the north west side of Indianapolis, and as the founding pastor of Christ the King Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a new church start in Indy.

Rev. Bryant has been a realtor and has also taught in the Indianapolis Public School system.   In fact, it was while working on a Masters of Arts in Teaching program at Oakland City University, that Rev. Bryant received an answer to prayer--the call to serve Centenary Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).   He began his service in January, 2007!

As personal interests, Rev. Bryant enjoys reading, art, music, sports, especially basketball.   He is married to the former, Crystal A. Young, also from Chicago.   Crystal is an elementary teacher with the Indianapolis Public School system.   They have three children:   Two boys--Gregory Christopher and Isaiah John; and a daughter--Christiana Grace Bryant.

Barbara Loft, Student Minister

Born and raised in Tippecanoe County in Indiana, Barbara is the second of six children in her family of origin.   She now resides in Lafayette where she has lived for the past twenty years.   She is a single woman, never married, with no children.   She thinks of her nineteen nieces and nephews and nine great nieces and nephews as partially hers.

Most of Barbara’s adult life she has spent in the business world as a hairdresser, owning salons.   Today she is co-owner of Flair, a hair, nail and electrolysis salon in Lafayette.

Barbara is a second career minister.   She began to follow her ministerial call in the 1970’s and was ordained by another faith group in 1982.   Her call did not end there.   She entered Christian Theological Seminary in 2004 after receiving an Associate Degree of Science from Indiana Wesleyan University.   Barbara will graduate from CTS this spring with a Masters in Divinity.

Barbara has joined the Disciples of Christ and is in the nurture and certification process hoping to become an ordained minister with standing in the Disciples organization. This is her second year serving as Associate Student Pastor at Centenary Christian Church where she is also a member.

J. Loesje Chandler, Minister of Music

A native of Amsterdam, Holland, Loesje came to America at the age of 10.   She studied piano with James Kantarze and Dorothy Munger before graduating from the University of Indianapolis.   She received her music Master's Degree from Butler University, and taught music for Indianapolis Public Schools for 24 years.

Loesje became a church organist at age 14, and has been serving as choir director, bell choir director and organist of Centenary Christian Church since 1977.

She has also been Music Director at the Indianapolis Liederkranz since 1980--conducting both the Men's Choir and the Damenchor, and directing the Liederkranz Cabaret series.

Loesje plays piano professionally in the Indianapolis area, and accompanies many singers including Brenda Williams, Patrick Grant, Lori Ecker, and Tim Sprandlin.

Donna Callahan, Church Secretary

Donna is a life-time member of Centenary.   She has an associate degree in general studies from Indiana University.   She has been employed as the church secretary since September of 2005.

Her activities in the church include: deacon, member of the bell choir and orchestra, former youth sponsor and active in the food pantry.

Donna is married to Pat, who is employed in Columbus, Indiana.   Together they have three children, Tara, Tyler and Bryce.

Cindy Levi, Housekeeper