2018
Jen Gillan
Jen Gillan first came to ResCov as Resident Pastor of Worship and Creative Arts in the Fall 2012 and served in that role through Summer 2014 before transitioning to serve as Interim Pastor of Formation for about six months. Jen is grateful that her journey has brought her back to ResCov to serve in the area of Christian formation.
Jen graduated from North Park Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and has worked in adult medicine and community health. Currently she is working toward a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from North Park Theological Seminary. She is passionate about the inner life of Christ followers and how important it is in connection with sustaining the church’s mission to love mercy and do justice.
As a native Chicagoan and daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, Jen cares deeply about this “beautiful and yet broken” city of Chicago, as we often say at ResCov, and about moving deeper and more faithfully in the areas of racial healing and cultural identity. In this second decade of ResCov’s story, Jen is excited for the community to continue pursuing what it means to be an inclusive, diverse, and inter-generational community committed to the work of God’s Kingdom.
2018
Dave Bjorlin
Dave Bjorlin first joined the Resurrection Covenant pastoral team in 2009 as Pastor of Worship and Creative Arts. After a two year hiatus in Boston, he returned in the Fall of 2014. He leads the planning and implementing of Sunday morning worship with an emphasis on music, offers pastoral care, and preaches on occasion. He is passionate about congregations indwelling the dramatic story of God in worship that they might live out that story of God in the world for God’s glory and neighbor’s good. Dave believes strongly in worship that uses both the rich traditions of the historical Church (liturgies, hymns, confessions) as well as the continuing creativity of the people of God that is emerging within current Christian communities around the world.
Dave studied at North Park University (B.A. history/secondary education), North Park Theological Seminary (Master of Divinity), and is currently working on a degree in liturgical studies at Boston University School of Theology. His academic interests include hymnody, the connection between worship and ethics, and the incorporation of children in worship. He has served at three Covenant churches (including ResCov) as worship pastor. Hailing from Hermantown (near Duluth), MN, Dave enjoys concert-going, reading fiction, running (well, enjoy might be too strong of word), and playing music. He is excited to be back at ResCov and looks forward to the ways the Holy Spirit will guide and form the community.
2018
Kyle Mecher
Kyle joined the pastoral team in Fall 2015, and has been attending ResCov since 2011 when he returned to his hometown of Chicago. As our interim pastor of Christian Formation he is developing our growing children’s ministry as well as exploring new ways to build faith and relationships among all members of our community. While attending North Park Theological Seminary he managed the church properties as Sexton, a role he began in 2012. He enjoys the dynamic variety of caring for a place and a people. On a given Sunday you may find him changing light bulbs, teaching the children’s lesson, providing pastoral care, and preaching—but rarely all at once.
Kyle earned his Masters of Divinity from North Park Theological Seminary after completing a six-year stint as Operations Director at Covenant Point Bible Camp in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. While there he learned the formative power of offering hospitality and caring for people in need of sacred space. He is passionate about how faith can be lived out and better understood through tangible ways such as play, work, and hospitality. He is excited to see how the Holy Spirit might use his experience in this community to serve God and neighbor.
2018
Aaron Johnson
Pastor Aaron Johnson joined the staff of Resurrection Covenant Church in September of 2006. As the pastor, he is engaged in all aspects of the life of the church, helping to foster leadership and initiative among the congregation to carry out the church’s call to mission, community, and discipleship. Aaron is very passionate about leading the church to better understand our call as Christians who do justice and love kindness.
Before returning to school at North Park Theological Seminary, Aaron worked in several non-profit organizations in Chicago. Through this work, he became interested in community development and grassroots organizing. Having completed a master of social work in 1999, he was intrigued by the call to love our neighbor as ourselves and how that could and should be lived out in an urban context like Chicago. It is Aaron’s sincere desire that we as a church, and as Christian people, become fully rooted in our communities, living out the gospel for God’s glory and neighbor’s good.