Emmanuel Covenant Church

Our Church

Our Leadership Team

Emmanuel members reserve the right to vote on matters that affect them and delegate authority to called and appointed leaders.

Chris Studenski

Founding and Senior Pastor

Pastor Chris provides visionary and supervisory leadership for ECC’s staff and congregation. He received his formal education from Bethel Seminary and was ordained by the Evangelical Covenant Church. Prior to founding ECC, Pastor Chris served at a Gospel Mission in Minneapolis, on the Board of a Children’s Home in Mexico, at a small church in New Ulm, at a mega-church in Arden Hills, and on the back of a garbage truck in Mendota Heights. Today, he enjoys spending time with his family, serving our church, being outdoors, competitive sports, devouring leadership books, and paying others to haul his garbage away. Pastor Chris lives in Shoreview with his wife Laura, their two girls, and their two dogs.

Email Chris

Elder Board

Emmanuel members call a Senior Pastor and elect Elders to serve as representatives of the church. Together, the Senior Pastor and Elders comprise our Elder Board. This plurality of carefully vetted leaders ensures healthy checks and balances. The Elder Board is charged with the responsibility to see that our common mission is pursued and that ministry is carried out in a wise, God-honoring way.

Email the Elder Board

  • David Hanson

    Elder

  • Jordan Luhmann

    Elder, Financial Officer

  • Dan Owen

    Elder, Secretary

  • Deb Runke

    Elder, Nominating Committee Chair

  • Sharon Steen

    Elder, Vice Chair

  • Jon Taylor

    Elder, Chair

Senior Leadership Team

The Senior Leadership Team works together to set priorities and make decisions that are aligned with our mission, vision, and values. Their primary responsibility is to our church as a whole. Their secondary responsibility is to the departments they represent.

Our Staff

Emmanuel is blessed with an amazing staff! Our staff members are empowered to build teams and carry out ministry.

Community Life

Kids, Tweens, Teens

Operations

Worship Arts

Pastoral Relations Committee

The Pastoral Relations Committee (PRC) administers the Senior Pastor’s performance review and may be called upon to mediate specific congregational concerns.

Email the Pastoral Relations Committee

  • Joyce Hardwick

  • Jeremy Marr

  • Jeremy Rockford

  • Sharon Steen

  • Tim Stenerson

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee prayerfully submits candidates for Emmanuel’s representative boards and other open positions assigned to it by the Elder Board and/or Senior Pastor.

  • Bruce Anderson

  • Tim De Haan

  • Curt Folkestad

  • Donna Gapinski

  • Penny Johnson

  • Dori Juliette

  • Deb Runke

  • Natalie Schmidt

  • Michelle Westerlund

Our Members

Emmanuel members have been baptized (as an infant, child, teen, or adult), profess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and look to the Bible as their standard for belief and conduct. Prior to becoming a member, individuals also complete our Explore Membership course and sign a Membership Covenant. We offer our Explore Membership course about once every six months. Contact Pastor Chris to learn more.

Contacts
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