Ordained on December 20, 1992, at Karl Road Christian Church in Columbus, Ohio, Rev. Janet S. Helme has served churches in Ohio and Texas before beginning her ministry with First Christian Church/Antelope Valley on Sunday, April 1, 2007. She has been active at the regional and area levels of those states as chairperson of the Ohio Clergy Spiritual Life Committee, member of the Christian Education Committee and the Social Concerns Task Force, and one of two founding teachers of that region's Lay Licensed Ministers’ School in Columbus. In Texas she served as chairperson of the Christian Education Department of the Bluebonnet Area and as mentor for the Southwest Region's licensed ministers’ mentoring program in the San Antonio area. Rev. Helme has taught classes at two seminaries – "Education of Children and Youth" at Ashland Theological Seminary (OH); and "Disciples History and Polity" at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary (TX).

Baptized in the First Christian Church, Nevada, Iowa, when in the sixth grade, Rev. Helme has been a lifelong member of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She has written church school curriculum materials for the Christian Board of Publication, as well as other mainline denominations, for over 24 years. Her most recent publication is one week's devotional materials in The Upper Room Disciplines 2007, published by Upper Room Books, Nashville, TN. Another recent curriculum series for which she wrote for two age levels was The Inviting Word, a church school series supported by several denominations and published by Pilgrim Press, the United Church of Christ.

As a laywoman, Rev. Helme served in local congregations both in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ, as organist and choir director, Christian education director, curriculum consultant, and in various capacities for the Christian Church Michigan Region. She has led workshops in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Texas on prayer, spirituality, teacher training, and leadership training. In addition, she has led spiritual retreats for one day, up to six-days for various groups within the churches she has served.

Rev. Helme received a B.S. in Child Development/Elementary Education from Iowa State University, Ames, IA; a M.Ed. from Towson State University, Baltimore, MD; and a M.Div. from Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, OH.

"I believe that God has called me into ministry to help the church, and the people within a particular congregation, to be all that God has created them to be. Much of my ministry is a ministry of encouragement and equipping, helping people discover and develop their gifts and then using those gifts to God’s glory."

Rev. Helme and her husband, John, live in the Lancaster/Palmdale area. John is a graduate of Butler University, and a retiree. He has made two trips to Louisiana (October 2005 and February 2007) to do hurricane relief and rebuilding through Disciples Home Missions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

A son, Andy and family (Amy, Brant, and Charlotte), live in Palmdale. Both Andy and Amy teach at Lancaster's New Vista Middle School. The Helmes' other son Matt and family (Molly, Maisy, and Maddox) live in Baltimore, MD.