AL IS THE LEAD PASTOR at CityChurch. While pursuing a successful business career in London, he encountered God in a powerful way and eventually God led him to quit his job. After a mission trip to Bolivia, he spent the next 6 years in drug rehab, working with homeless people struggling with addiction in London. He then trained as an Anglican minister at Oxford University, where he and his wife Niki started their first church—in their kitchen. Since coming to Charlotte to start CityChurch in 2006 with Niki and their three kids, Al has developed an insatiable appetite for BBQ, become a passionate Panthers fan, and earned quite a reputation for using strange British phrases in his sermons!

Matt is the online pastor at CityChurch. He grew up in London in a non-religious household and didn’t come to faith until the age of 32. Finding faith in Jesus transformed his life, and after working as a video producer for some years, he and his wife Kim joined Al and Niki Hardy to help establish CityChurch Charlotte. Over a decade of ministry later, besides watching Arsenal soccer club, following Formula 1 racing and trying to keep up with his 3 daughters, Matt still sees following Jesus as the greatest adventure in life.

NIKI IS A SPEAKER and writer (check out her blog at www.nikihardy.com) who trained in business and then teaching before joining Al to plant a church in Charlotte (and raise three lively children!). As a wife, mother, church leader, dog lover and cancer survivor, Niki is passionate about encouraging us all to allow God into our messy lives in a deeper way so that He can bring us hope and peace and sustain us through difficult times. A self-confessed fresh-air junkie, Niki loves to run and hike trails with her dogs Chester and Charlie, followed by afternoon tea with friends.

LYNSEY IS OUR WORSHIP DIRECTOR who joined us from our sister church, St. Mary’s London, where she was one of the worship leaders. During her time in London, Lynsey grew in her awareness of and passion for the work of the Holy Spirit. Her desire is to see the church fully encounter Jesus as we meet him through corporate worship. Lynsey is also passionate about sharing the gospel and leads our Outreach Team. Her vision is to connect with our neighborhood through fun events to build relationships and share the love of Jesus! She also runs our yearly Alpha Course. Lynsey is known for gathering people for the most fabulous parties, from cocktail master classes to racing inflatable animals at your local pool.

Click here to learn more about Alpha.

BRENDA IS OUR DIRECTOR of Children and Family Ministries and also oversees CityChurch communications. She is passionate about healthy families and partnering with parents to show kids the extraordinary love Jesus has for them. She left her career in journalism to stay home with her three children, but later felt God calling her to a vocation working with children. She’d tell you she has been on an amazing adventure ever since and loves the journey that God has been leading her on She was thrilled to be given the opportunity to serve also as the Director of Communications, which allowed her to happily dust off and put to use the old journalism degree. To recharge, she enjoys taking long walks with her husband and their two dogs on the nature trails near their home. She’s also a huge fan of the University of South Carolina swim team, where her youngest son Chase swims and studies.

KIERON IS OUR STUDENT MINISTRY LEADER. He is passionate about investing in our students and leading a team of volunteers to walk alongside them. He particularly excels at planning wild games and activities the student group gets into when they gather. When he isn’t connecting with our middle and high schoolers, Kieron is a seminar student at Gordon Conwell. Kieron is an avid road biker, soccer player, and handyman at his home. Kieron also serves as our Building Manager, looking after building maintenance, set up and general care of our facility.

MARISSA IS OUR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. Here’s what she has to say: Hiiiiiii, I am Marissa Adams, married to Jack Adams. I was born and raised in Arizona. I made the transition to be in North Carolina  because I fell in love with this beautiful state ever since I visited frequently here as a child. My family lives here, and I also wanted to be closer to them. I have a knack for assisting people on my team, taking tasks to ease their workload, and getting creative. I have a passion for all things dance because it makes me feel at ease, forget all of my problems, and lose myself in the music, as it is healing. I hope to make many more connections and get to know everyone more.

WINN IS OUR BOOKKEEPER/FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATOR.  She transitioned from being a volunteer in the office to staff member in 2014.  She manages the church bank accounts, payroll and spending and serves on the finance committee.  Winn and her husband were among the original CityChurch partners in 2007 and have loved seeing God move and being part of the church’s growth and evolution.  When not spending time with her husband, four children and two dogs she enjoys running, yoga, reading and puzzles.