Richard Lanford

An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ since 1984, the Rev. Richard Lanford has led congregations in the greater Chicago area of Illinois for more than 25 years. Today, Richard Lanford serves as Pastor and Teacher at St. Peter's United Church of Christ, a mainline Protestant church established in 1867 in Skokie, Illinois. As Pastor of the church, he leads a diverse congregation of 180 and performs a wide range of duties that include teaching the Confirmation Class, writing much of the church’s monthly newsletter and Sunday bulletins, as well as officiating at sacraments, funerals, and weddings.

Prior to joining St. Peter’s UCC in 1992, Richard Lanford served for more than seven years at St. Nicolai United Church of Christ in Chicago. He previously earned a Master of Divinity in 1984 from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey. The Rev. Lanford also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.

In addition to his duties as Pastor of St. Peter’s UCC, Richard Lanford contributes his time to the Chicago Metropolitan Association’s Church and Ministry Committee and promotes interfaith relations within the Skokie community as a member of the Niles Township Clergy Forum. He also supports many charitable organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, A Just Harvest, Church World Service, Amnesty International, and amfAR.

In his leisure time, Richard Lanford enjoys music, exercise, and historical biographies. He also likes reading sports periodicals and watching his favorite teams, namely the Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Vikings, and the University of Minnesota Gophers. The Rev. Lanford currently lives in Chicago.