Ministers
Chris Armstead
Worship Minister
Chris joined Northlake in 2019 and serves as our Worship Minister. He is passionate about a cappella music and helping to create a culture of diversity and participation in worship.
Chris is originally from Cincinnati, OH and is a graduate of Lipscomb University where he and his wife, Charity met. He is also pursuing a doctoral degree at Pepperdine University.
Why might Northlake be
a place where a person could find hope?
Northlake is a community of people from diverse backgrounds who experience the transforming power of the good news of Jesus Christ through our worship. I find that a common difficulty people face in finding a church to call home is a lack of communal worship experiences where people feel connected. We seek to be intentional in celebrating our differences and modeling inclusivity in our worship. Worship is where we share common ground as believers and serves as a connection point for all aspects of our faith, connecting us to God, our theology, and each other.
Esther Basnet
Care Minister
Esther grew up in India and later settled in Bhutan where she and her husband, Khare, raised their two sons, Benjamin and Yonten. Under challenging circumstances, she helped found a church there which provided her with rich experiences and life long lessons that have informed her faith walk. She has worked for UNICEF and World Relief, a refugee resettlement program.
Esther lives in a multigenerational household with her husband Khare, son Benjamin, daughter-in-love Leela, and grandson Yohanan Eden, who is their pride and joy.
What do you find
exciting and hopeful about Northlake?
I am excited to be a part of Northlake’s work to welcome multi-cultural communities. I am hopeful that we can intentionally provide shepherding and pastoral care to all members, especially to the vulnerable. Northlake is and will continue to be a place of hope as we face some of the worst global crises the world has ever seen. I want Northlake to be open to what God wants to do in us and through us!
Lauren Calvin Cooke
Associate Minister
Lauren Calvin Cooke serves as the Associate Minister at Northlake. She holds a Ph.D. in Religious Education from Emory University, an M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a B.A. in Theology and Ministry from Lipscomb University. She and her husband, JP, are blessed with two boys, John and Leo.
What do you find
exciting and hopeful about Northlake?
I feel excited and hopeful when in worship each Sunday, a chorus of voices joins together to witness to the presence and work of God in the world. From elders offering congregational prayer, to young children reading Scripture, to young men and women in the youth group preaching or sharing testimony, to families presiding over communion together – and often in a variety of languages! – the Image of God is beautifully represented by the diversity of our church family and our many ways of experiencing and bearing witness to the God who loves us.
Crystal O'Neal
Children's Minister
Crystal grew up attending Northlake and now serves as Children’s Minister to our babies through 6th graders. She is a certified teacher for Early Childhood through 6th grade and taught in public schools for seven years. Crystal and her husband, Shane, have four young children: Penelope, Joe, Amelia and Hazel.
What do you find
exciting and hopeful about Northlake?
Our willingness to surrender to God’s deliverance fills us with excitement and hope! At Northlake we do not all look or act alike, but we find unity in putting our love of God and His people before ourselves. I see this in the way the children in our church family are valued as unique people to whom God has given special talents and abilities.
Ike Reeser
Preaching Minister
Ike has been ministering at Northlake since 1985, and now serves as our Preaching Minister. He and his wife Gwyn have four children, Paul, Isaac, Allie and Taw Ywa Mu, and two grandchildren, Milo and Salvares.
Ike has degrees in Bible and Conflict Management.
How have you seen
people finding God at Northlake?
Northlake’s love for God and neighbor inspires me! We know the task of caring for the weak, oppressed, and lonely in our society is Christ’s work. And it seems as we follow Jesus’ way of life we keep finding the presence of Christ in our friends and neighbors … and in each other.
Paul Mvukiye-Reeser
Youth Minister, Director of Outreach
Paul is a life-long Northlake member. He has a degree in Theology and Ministry from Lipscomb University, as well as a Master’s in Restorative Justice and Conflict Transformation from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding. He is an experienced community leader whose work has spanned from non-profit leadership and peacebuilding to education and youth development to sports and community agriculture. Paul currently also serves on the leadership team of Re’Generation Movement, a local peacebuilding organization. He lives in the Clarkston community with his wife Maura and son Salvares.
What do you find
exciting and hopeful about Northlake?
What is so exciting? We believe that Jesus is saving the world, and we are Christ to the world! In our family, we listen when a teenager speaks about seeing the image of God in friends and enemies. (How awesome is that!) I am convicted when I see the men and women who taught my Bible classes continuing to be transformed by Jesus’ teachings and devoting themselves to ministry to the poor, marginalized and wrongdoer.
Elders
The Northlake elders serve the congregation by providing oversight to the church’s life and ministry, offering pastoral care, and leadership through their own varied ministries.
Northlake Elders are selected by the congregation through an affirmation process every three years.
Elders’ statements to the congregation can be found here.
Patrick Bradshaw
Finance, Human Resources, Pastoral Care
Jeff Hendrick
Campus Stewardship, Global Outreach, Worship
Cliff Shelton
Adult Spiritual Formation, Children, Community Outreach, Compassion & Assistance, Pastoral Care, Youth
Stewart Smith
Campus Stewardship, Children, Community Outreach, Compassion & Assistance, Youth
Brent Wiseman
Adult Spiritual Formation, Finance, Human Resources, Worship
Deacons
The Northlake deacons provide support to our ministers and ministry areas. Their responsibilities range from leading the ministry, to assisting and collaborating with ministers.
Adult Spiritual Formation
Marion & Sandra Baggett
J.P. Cooke
Campus Stewardship
David Carne
Kyle Huhtanen
Shane O’Neal
Kimbra Wiseman
Community Outreach
Benjamin Basnet
Compassion & Assistance
Doris Graham
Aaron Zee
Children's Ministry
Allie Goodson
Brandon Johnson
Finance
Neal Stubblefield
Global Outreach
Sharon Kemp
Worship Ministry
Monica Bradshaw
Shanon Crane
Grace Hall
Youth Ministry
Brian & Page Ikeda
