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The United Church of the Valley was conceived with a vision. In 1993 seven people gathered to dream and plan for a new church in Murrieta. The United Church of Christ sent Rev. Randy Leisey to be their guide on this collective journey of faith in the fast-growing Temecula Valley.
As the group grew in numbers, the congregation began meeting at the Murrieta United Methodist Church, and then spent twelve years ‘wandering in the wilderness’ of school multipurpose rooms — Murrieta Elementary, E. Hale Curran, Thompson Middle School, and Shivela Middle School (where we currently worship).
With the new millennium came an increase in growth, activity and progress for UCV, including the momentous cross-country trek (California to Massachusetts) by our ‘pedaling pastor’, Randy Leisey, on his Bike America campaign to raise the funds to begin our building process.
After several years of gathering in members’ homes and the Korean church, the choirs’ needs led to the rental of The Joyful Noise Center, on Washington Street in old Murrieta. In addition to providing a temporary home for our choirs, JNC has been the center for many of our programs for the past five years. When we lost our lease in September, 2005, St. Thomas of Canterbury Episcopal Church in Temecula generously offered to share their home with us for our music and education programs. In 2006, after an interim location at the studios of our gifted pianist, Susan Miyamoto, we moved our activities to The Community House, our new church and community center in Historic Downtown Murrieta, across from the Post Office.
In 2002, the church became dually-aligned, as we partnered with The Christian Church, Disciples of Christ. Our ministry expanded in 2003 with the addition of a second minister, Rev. Suzanne Castle-Rolen. After Suzanne relocated in Texas with her family, we welcomed Rev. Sarah Halverson as our Minister of Christian Education and Youth in March 2005 to assist us in this ever-growing mission. Sarah left United Church of the Valley when she accepted a call to the position of Senior Minister at Fairview Community Church in Costa Mesa in August, 2006.
The dreams of the original founding members of UCV were for a community of faith where God’s people would embrace all persons with love and dignity, learning to celebrate diversity as God’s very image. Since then, United Church of the Valley continues to be a leading voice in progressive Christianity, a witness to God’s inclusive love, a refuge for many beaten down by religion, and a place where matters of justice and peace are taken seriously.
The 100 members of United Church of the Valley invite you to grow with us as we work to establish a permanent gathering place, where our dreams will find a home.
As we focus now on reaching out to others, we have faith that soon, and very soon, our mission outpost will become a reality.
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 Our New Pastor:
In January 2010 the members of the United Church of the Valley voted unanimously to call Joe Zarro to serve as our new full time minister, taking over our spiritual guidance from Bridge Pastor Brian Foxworth and retired founding minister Rev. Dr. Randy Leisey.
Rev. Zarro was ordained into the United Church of Christ on April 25, 2010 at Manhattan Beach Community Church, where he was raised, and installed on May 2.
After earning degrees in English and philosophy at San Diego State University, Joe joined AmeriCorps where he built homes for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, worked on projects throughout LA, attended builds in Dallas and New Orleans, after Katrina. Joe served as Youth Assistant at the Manhattan Beach church prior to receiving his Master of Divinity Degree at Harvard Divinity School.
United Church of the Valley is Rev. Zarro’s first call to ministry. He felt called to UCV because he believes in its mission and what it wants to accomplish in Murrieta and the church universal. Joe brings many gifts to our church. He is a well-educated scholar capable of engaging the Christian tradition at the highest levels but also a progressive young adult with a passion for art, justice and technology. He is an excellent writer. UCC and DOC Conference members have praised his sermons as very inspirational and impressive. He loves music and plays guitar, clarinet, and trumpet.
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 Music Ministries - Lynne Bradley has served as Director of Music Ministries at the United Church of the Valley since its inception. Lynne has directed choirs at Fallbrook Union High School and in the Chicago area. Choirs under her direction have sung in Europe, with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, at national and regional choral and music conferences, in Carnegie Hall and on television.
A graduate of Northwestern University, Bradley sang for many years with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chorus. She is a member of ACDA, Chorister's Guild, MENC, AGEHR, and AOSA. She offers enthusiasm for choral music and understanding of its value in the development of a sensitive, caring, and confident young person.
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 Choir Accompanist/Pianist - Susan Miyamoto graduated from Cal State University, Los Angeles in 1983 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance. She currently has a studio in Temecula where she instructs piano students of all ages. Ms. Miyamoto performs regularly as an accompanist and with local chamber groups. She is an active member of the Music Teachers Association of California and the Temecula Valley Music Teachers Association. She has served as chairperson of the Arts Council of Temecula Valley's Piano Competition for 6 years. Susan has enhanced the worship services at UCV and accompanied our choir since 2000.
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 Administrative Assistant - Beth Elwood brings to UCV 16 years experience as an Office Administrator in United Church of Christ churches. She served two churches in Illinois (a large congregation of 2000 and a smaller 300 member church) before moving to California in 1995. In 1997 she began working for Seaside Community Church in Torrance, where she and husband Larry directed the Handbell choir and actively participated in the life of the Seaside Church as well as United Church of the Valley. After several years of volunteer service, Beth became an official UCV staff member in 2006.
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 Our Founding Minister, the Rev. Dr. Randall A. Leisey, served the United Church of the Valley from its conception in 1993 through September 2008. After 15 years of ministry at United Church of the Valley, Rev. Leisey retired and moved to Cody, Wyoming, with his wife, Beverly Perkins who is a missionary to the art world as an Art Conservator. Randy laid a strong foundation for our congregation, teaching us to "do good and fight evil" as we became a mission outpost in the Inland Valley, and in developing our ongoing partnership with the community of Chacraseca, Nicaragua.
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