Having lived here most of his adult life, Chris considers Philadelphia home—but a love for college football and fried okra bear witness to his southern roots. Chris grew up around Atlanta and graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.A. in history, soon after marrying his college sweetheart Bonnie. Together they moved to Philadelphia to study at Westminster Theological Seminary, where an invite to a staff dinner persuaded them to take on a part-time job leading the youth ministry at Resurrection (then City Church). Chris graduated from WTS with an M.Div., Bonnie with a degree in counseling. Today Bonnie works with John Applegate & Associates, where she specializes in therapy for children and adolescents. Chris became Resurrection’s lead pastor in summer of 2021. The Curries have three wonderful kids and live in Fairmount. When he gets a spare moment, Chris enjoys playing the guitar and writing songs, drawing and painting, traveling, cheering for the Georgia Bulldogs, reading Harry Potter (with or without his kids), and doing pretty much anything that feels like an adventure

Christopher McDonald leads us in worship through music, and oversees the audio and video teams that help amplify the service both in the building and on the web. While church music is in his blood (his dad is a minister and his mother a music teacher/director), Christopher never imagined he’d become a church music director. But making church music in Resurrection’s style has a way of keeping things fresh – as does the practice of hiring some of Philly’s finest musicians to rotate through our worship teams. Christopher is married to Stacey, a designer and photographer. The McDonalds and their daughter Cecily live in Germantown/Mt. Airy and love Philly’s food scene, green spaces and brutal honesty! In addition to his work at Resurrection, Christopher runs a small production company (Christopher Andrew Studios) and plays in the band Cuddle Magic.

Cyndi Parker has lived in more places that she can count. Time spent as a child in Albuquerque gave her a love of mountains and sunsets and living in Detroit grew her sensitivity to issues of race. In moving every few years and meeting many different kinds of people, Cyndi learned that wisdom is more about how you interact with people than earning academic degrees. That said, she believes in academics enough to have earned a Ph.D. in Theological & Religious Studies from the University of Gloucestershire and is the host and creator of the Context Matters Podcast. Cyndi enjoys Philly's food scene, especially the amazing vegetarian food. Being in nature - in a garden or on a trail - is one of her great loves, unless it is cold, in which case she’d rather be lost in an epic sci-fi or fantasy book, or in an action-adventure movie. Cyndi has taught in churches in New Zealand, Singapore, England, Canada, and the USA – she’s always up for an adventure, especially if it includes a kick of adrenaline.

Originally from Delco (Delaware County), Dave notes, “People say I have an accent, but they’re wrong.” Dave and his wife Katie met at West Chester University. Since moving to West Philadelphia in 2009 with Katie and their two children, Dave has found his niche as an urban activist, working on issues such as litter, bike safety, food insecurity, and creating equitable housing opportunities. Dave loves getting around the city on a bike and finds that even after a decade of exploring, there are still new places to discover. In addition to his work at Resurrection, Dave serves as a missionary with Cru City, where his focus is uniting churches across racial and denominational lines to bless the city.

Ryan McCormick helps college students become mature, life-long followers of Jesus through community, discipleship, and Christian intellectual formation. Growing up in the small town of Butler, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, taught Ryan the beauty of community and a sense of place. Ryan studied history at Grove City College and graduated from Westminster Theological Seminary. Ryan’s wife, Vieen, is a native of Hong Kong, and a public finance consultant based in Center City. Together they have three children: Michael, Ethan, and Emma. The McCormicks live in Logan Square, just a couple blocks from the Schuylkill River and a short trolley ride from the campuses in University City.

Terri Taylor leads our community in vision for creative discipleship of children, youth, and families. Born in Kentucky and raised in Virginia, Terri has a deep appreciation for warm hospitality and a welcoming embrace. Terri studied Philosophy at Wheaton College and came to Philly for graduate work in Philosophy at Temple. When she first saw the giant clothespin whimsically positioned across from City Hall, Terri was sold on Philly: the city’s humor and lack of pretentiousness drew her in. She completed an MA and the coursework for her PhD when the needs of her growing family put her formal studies on hold. Terri is married to Steve, who grew up in Brazil and is a New Testament professor at Missio. Together, they’ve raised 5 grown children — from a Physics professor to an artist to a nurse/counselor and computer developer. Along the way, Terri has edited newsletters, launched a thriving local ministry, and served as communication leader at an international nonprofit. In her free time, Terri loves to bike fast on her electric bike, kayak with her dog, hang out with her kids, and play with her grandkids.

Paul seeks to help our middle and high schoolers experience the grace, beauty, and depth of the gospel. Paul's own faith journey began in the Bible Belt (Dallas, TX), put down lasting roots in the mid-Atlantic (Richmond, Virginia), and matured in the gritty Northeast (Philadelphia, PA). Paul began to feel a call into ministry while a student at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Since that time, he's completed an M.Div at Western, finished his MSW at West Chester University, and accumulated 10 years of experience in social work, with lots of ministry experience in the mix. In addition to leading our middle and high school students, Paul works full-time as a family therapist with Philly’s Public Health Management Corporation. Paul’s wife Amanda volunteers with the youth ministry and serves as Director of Marketing for the Please Touch Museum. The Burkharts love savoring the great food our city offers, walking along Kelly Drive, and puzzling over whodunits of any kind. Paul has been a member of our church community for longer than our 9th graders have been alive!

In the basement of her childhood home in the Chicago suburbs, Liz pretended that she was the editor of National Geographic, transforming a piece of posterboard into a chart with a year’s worth of magazine content. She pretty much never grew up, and has a calendar along those same lines at Resurrection (albeit with a technology update she now uses Google Sheets). Liz majored in English at the University of Iowa, and has a MS in communication from Temple University. In addition to working for Resurrection, she is the Communication Director at seeJesus, a ministry focused on helping the church rediscover the beauty of Jesus and catch a vision to live as he lived. Liz lives with her husband Ted and their two daughters in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia.

Olivia was born and raised in South Jersey, and she’s #SouthJerseyProud. She attended local community college for Business Administration, but decided it wasn’t a good fit and shifted to mission work instead. Olivia graduated from Iris Harvest School of Missions (Pemba, Mozambique) and traveled the “bush” sharing the gospel with unreached tribes. A couple of years later, she joined The World Race, traveling 11 countries in 11 months, sharing the gospel and doing humanitarian work. Olivia met her husband JP, a full-time freelance videographer, through mutual friends and moved to South Philly in 2017. When not working, cooking, or stooping (it’s a Philly thing), Olivia is slowly turning their home into a jungle, which pleases their cat to no end.

Scott was born in the Philly burbs, but spent most of his growing up years in Western NY. He went to Lancaster Bible College for undergrad and grad school, meeting his wife Lisa their freshman year. While at LBC, Scott and Lisa became friends with Jared and Monica Ayers and the four decided to move to Philly in 2009 together to plant Liberti Center City (which eventually merged with City Church and became Resurrection). Scott, Lisa and their two kids live in Passyunk Square, where they love to take walks, hang out at local parks, and enjoy good food at neighborhood restaurants. When not busy managing Resurrection operations or spending time with his family, Scott enjoys playing soccer in local sports leagues, riding his bike, or (when sitting still) reading a good book.