Church Staff
Who We Are
Josh Bower
Pastor
Greetings! My name is Josh Bower and I have served as the Pastor of Arcade United Church of Christ since 2020. In that short period of time – much of which was impacted by a global pandemic – it has been incredible to see the amazing work that God has been doing in our midst and within our greater Pioneer community. It is a joy to be able to grow and serve with the great people of Arcade UCC. My wife Nicole and I live in a home we built from the ground up in my hometown of Ellicottville, which is a good middle ground between Arcade and Little Valley, where Nicole works as a Registered Nurse for Hospice. We have two dogs named George and Ginny.
I am currently completing my Master of Divinity degree through Chicago Theological Seminary and completed my undergraduate work at the University of Pittsburgh – Bradford. In my free time I enjoy cooking, barbequing meat, hiking, skiing, and gardening. Feel free to email me if you have any questions about our faith community!
585-492-4530
Shannon King
Office Manager
Hi! My name is Shannon King - I began this position in February of 2018. I am available two days in the office where you can find me finalizing the weekly bulletins to email and print, creating the monthly newsletter, advertising upcoming events, updating the church’s social media and webpage and more. I enjoy assisting the congregation of Arcade UCC with anything they might need, as they help our community and spread God’s love! The congregation here is a close-knit family, who open their hearts and give of their time and talents to make this community a better place. I am proud and honored to be a part of that and I truly love the people of this church with all my heart.
I live just outside of Arcade in Freedom, NY with my husband and two boys, (ages 14 and 11 as of 2023). My husband works as an electrical lineman, but we are also starting a small local family business called Freedom Valley Farms where we sell our hydroponic vegetables, King Maple Farm syrup, homegrown pumpkins, firewood and much more. I also work for the Arcade Free Library teaching their Preschool Story hour program, I am a personal trainer for several clients and a group fitness instructor teaching classes 2-3 days a week. I am also the editor of the In the Vineyard Western Area newsletter and a Norwex consultant. I enjoy volunteering in the community with various programs and events, and in my spare time, I love to run, spend time with family and work outside!
585-492-4530
