Chris Reinertson
LEAD PASTOR
email Chris
Chris Reinertson is the Senior Pastor of Southtown Baptist. He is deeply in love with Jesus and his family. He is a passionate spokesman for Jesus. He is a visionary, motivating coach-type leader. He naturally loves to rally individuals, teams and congregations around the vision of Jesus. There is nothing he would rather do than work with people to ignite a passion in them and train them to reach those who are far from God.
Chris is a native Minnesotan who loves the outdoors and bleeds purple (Vikings). He was raised on a small lake in Robbinsdale, which allowed him to begin his love of waterskiing at a young age. He has been active in sports his entire life and continues to instill the love of these games into his children and the youth teams he coaches. His body is now better geared for non-impact sports so he continues to stay active bicycling, waterskiing and walking. He loves to experience culture and then discuss that experience; reading a book, going to a movie, experiencing art and enjoying the beautiful Twin Cities and northern Minnesota.
Pastor Chris was blessed to marry an incredibly talented, creative, beautiful woman. He and his wife, Jude, have four children: Kia (23- a graduate of Azusa Pacific University in CA), Anikka (20, a student at California Baptist University), Tre (18, a student at Bethel University) and Taiva (16). As a family they are very close and active in sports, church and playing games together.
LEAD PASTOR
email Chris
Chris Reinertson is the Senior Pastor of Southtown Baptist. He is deeply in love with Jesus and his family. He is a passionate spokesman for Jesus. He is a visionary, motivating coach-type leader. He naturally loves to rally individuals, teams and congregations around the vision of Jesus. There is nothing he would rather do than work with people to ignite a passion in them and train them to reach those who are far from God.
Chris is a native Minnesotan who loves the outdoors and bleeds purple (Vikings). He was raised on a small lake in Robbinsdale, which allowed him to begin his love of waterskiing at a young age. He has been active in sports his entire life and continues to instill the love of these games into his children and the youth teams he coaches. His body is now better geared for non-impact sports so he continues to stay active bicycling, waterskiing and walking. He loves to experience culture and then discuss that experience; reading a book, going to a movie, experiencing art and enjoying the beautiful Twin Cities and northern Minnesota.
Pastor Chris was blessed to marry an incredibly talented, creative, beautiful woman. He and his wife, Jude, have four children: Kia (23- a graduate of Azusa Pacific University in CA), Anikka (20, a student at California Baptist University), Tre (18, a student at Bethel University) and Taiva (16). As a family they are very close and active in sports, church and playing games together.
Betsy Timmons
MUSIC MINISTER email Betsy Betsy came to Southtown in January of 2003 after receiving a bachelor's degree in church music from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama and a master's degree in music from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. She is a native Midwesterner, growing up in Neenah, Wisconsin. Betsy and Robby married in May 2008 and they make their home in Woodbury. Robby is a pilot for Delta Airlines. They have three boys, Everett, Caedmon and Alden. Betsy's passion for worship and music education drives Southtown's music ministry. She plans and leads all worship services at Southtown and directs the adult choir, children's choir, and praise team/band. In addition to her role at Southtown, Betsy is also the Worship Director for the Minnesota Wisconsin Baptist Convention. Under this title, she helps churches across the convention develop their music and worship programs. Betsy also does some teaching for the Contextualized Leadership Development program as an adjunct professor at Midwestern Seminary. |
Eduardo and Helô Mendes
Missionaries in Residence SERVING FAMILIES & CHILDREN email Helô email Eduardo Eduardo and Helôyse are native Brazilians and arrived in MN with their two sons in January of 2016. Eduardo loves Corinthians, the best soccer team in Brazil. He loves to teach the Word of God. His father is a pastor in Brazil, and since he was a child, Eduardo has been involved with this church plant, First Baptist Church of Atibaia-São Paulo. He served as an elder from 2009-2016, executive director for Brazilian ministries Preach the Word and at EPPIBA(Church-based Seminary). He had a graduate degree in Business, post-graduate degree in Strategic Planning, a Masters in Educational Leadership and is working toward a DMin in Theology. Helô loves to read and hike. For the past ten years in Brazil, she taught 4th grade, pre-school, special eduction and most recently English for kindergarten. She has a graduate degree in Special Education and Elementary Education and a post-graduate degree in Psychopedagogy. They both have a passion for children and strengthening families. They are missionaries for TLI - Training Leaders International and we are excited to have them serving here at Southtown along with their boys Luca, 17 and Nathan, 15. |
Carla Bergman ADMINISTRATIVE
ASSISTANT
email Carla
Carla has served Southtown as Administrative Assistant for over 30 years and has attended the church since her birth. She received a two-year degree from Normandale Community College and worked both summers as a "Kelly Girl" (secretary temp) at various companies. In 1980, she graduated from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas with a BBA degree and that May was offered the position at Southtown.
Carla brings to her position a rich background through her knowledge of both the people that make up the family of faith here as well as her familiarity of the church's history and heritage. Her other activities in the church include singing in the choir, assisting the Sunday School administration team, and Hospitality Committee. She is also involved in the Bloomington network of Church Office Professionals.
In her personal life, she is an avid creator of stamped greeting cards, loves to read and shop, and enjoys organizing and decorating her home.
ASSISTANT
email Carla
Carla has served Southtown as Administrative Assistant for over 30 years and has attended the church since her birth. She received a two-year degree from Normandale Community College and worked both summers as a "Kelly Girl" (secretary temp) at various companies. In 1980, she graduated from Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas with a BBA degree and that May was offered the position at Southtown.
Carla brings to her position a rich background through her knowledge of both the people that make up the family of faith here as well as her familiarity of the church's history and heritage. Her other activities in the church include singing in the choir, assisting the Sunday School administration team, and Hospitality Committee. She is also involved in the Bloomington network of Church Office Professionals.
In her personal life, she is an avid creator of stamped greeting cards, loves to read and shop, and enjoys organizing and decorating her home.
Nico Reinertson Bonanni
STUDENT MINISTRY DIRECTOR email Nico Nico feels privileged to serve the teenagers and families at Southtown. He loves getting to know the students, hanging out with them and teaching them more about Jesus. His natural friendly personality is also why Nico is a greeter and host at Southtown Church. Nico is a duo citizen of America and Italy. He was born in Minneapolis but grew up in Northern Italy in a town called Vignale Monferrato, between Milan and the Mediterranean Sea. Every summer since he was seven, he travelled usually solo to visit his American grandparents in MN. After graduating from high school in Italy, he spent a wonderful life-changing year in Lancashire, England at Capernway Torchbearers Bible School. He then attended Bethel University in Arden Hills and graduated December 2015. During that time he worked as a paid intern for one year with a student ministry at a local church in Eagan. Nico loves to read, especially the Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky and go to action/drama movies. He is an die-hard Vikings fan and also follows the European soccer circuit. He likes to travel, have fun with friends and spend time with his family. |
OUR CHURCH PLANTERS
Kevin Yi Chen
CHURCH PLANTER Chinese Church, St. Paul email Kevin Kevin Yi Chen is one of our church planters reaching out to the Chinese speaking residents of the Twin Cities area. Kevin was raised in a Christian family in China. He accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior in his early 20's. He served as a full time seminary lecturer and a part time minister in China for ten years. He loves to share the word of God, enjoy the time with family and friends. His wife, Joy, enjoys cooking food and organizing their home. They have a daughter, Yunru and a son, Zheru. 
Andrew Parks
CHURCH PLANTER Kangnam Baptist Church, Bloomington email Andrew Andrew and his family, including wife Esther and daughter, Grace, moved from North Dakota to fill the need of Pastor for a new church plant of Koreans in the Twin Cities area. Originally meeting in a Korean restaurant, the group now holds services at Southtown Baptist Church at 10:00am and eat together for fellowship each Sunday lunch. The Parks also have 3 other adult children living around the United States. |
Hank Harris
CHURCH PLANTER Church of the Way, Burnsville Hank and his wife, Angi both originally hail from Missouri. After a military career, Hank felt called to go into full time ministry and moved to Minnesota to plant a church reaching out to those struggling with addictions and hurts. They have two adult daughters, a son-in-law and an adorable grandson. |
John Steger
CHURCH PLANTER Grace in the City, Minneapolis John and his wife, Robyn serve the many nations and people of inner-city Minneapolis through their coffee-shop Ministry, Jaur Cafe and their church. |
