Bridgetown Elders & Board of Directors

The church is a family. And like any family, it needs both fathers and mothers to give healthy, humble leadership. All through the New Testament, these kinds of church leaders are called “elders,” who function as the authority of a local church. (See Acts 20v17-35, 1 Timothy 3v1-7, Titus 1v5-9, 1 Peter 5v1-4, and Hebrews 13v7-17).

Our dream at Bridgetown Church is to recapture Jesus’ view of authority and create space for our family to grow and thrive. In pursuit of this, Bridgetown Church is overseen by two bodies: the Elders, and the Board of Directors. Each group has responsibility over different areas of the church, according to both scriptural guidance and wisdom from other churches.

 


Elders:

The Elders of Bridgetown Church are the spiritual authority over the church as laid out in 1 Timothy 3v1-7, Titus 1v5-9, 1 Peter 5v1-4, and Acts 20v17-35. Their role is to guard and give shape to three major areas of the church:

Direction: they put words to what the Spirit is stirring in our community and articulate the vision for our future.

Doctrine: they teach the Bible, theology, spiritual formation, call out false teaching, etc.

Discipline: they oversee all matters of spiritual discipline within the church.

While the elders have spiritual authority over the church, including the board of directors, they do not have financial authority. That responsibility goes to…

 

Peter Quint
Peter and his wife Stephanie have been at Bridgetown since it began in 2010. He is a Pediatric Critical Care Physician at Randall Children’s Hospital, where he has served since 1982. Peter and Stephanie have two adult children. Peter desires to see “His kingdom come and His will be done in Portland as it is in heaven.” He wants to see this birthed through prayer, and desires to live a “Sermon on the Mount” lifestyle.

Morgan Davis 
Morgan and Karen have been at Bridgetown since 2016. He is a principal broker for his own company (Morgan Davis Homes) and part owner of Keller Williams. He and Karen have four adult children. His desire is to grow and mature into the kind of leader who can say with Paul, “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.”

Gerald Griffin 
Gerald joined Bridgetown staff in 2010. Together with Jenni he has three amazing teenage kids. Gerald oversees staff care, Alpha, prayer and community at Bridgetown. He loves getting to know more about the love of God through the Holy Spirit and enjoying the journey with the incredible people at Bridgetown.


Tyler Staton
Tyler has a deep passion for prayer, presence, and mission, and his hope is to see Bridgetown become a house of prayer for all nations. He serves as the lead pastor for Bridgetown church. Previously, Tyler co-founded Oaks Church Brooklyn in New York, where he served as its lead pastor until 2021. Tyler is the author of Searching for Enough and has a second book scheduled to release in 2022. He, his wife Kirsten, and their two boys enjoy exploring the city of Portland.

 

 


Board of Directors:

The Bridgetown Church Board of Directors are comprised of elders and non-elders and are the governing body accountable for the business operations and liabilities of the 501(c)3 organization of Bridgetown Church. Accordingly, board members are responsible for:

Finance and Compensation: The Board oversees Bridgetown Church’s annual budget, advises elders and staff on spending patterns, and approves/denies all major financial decisions including staff compensation and benefits and capital assets investments.

Human Resources, Legal and Compliance: The Board works with the elders on the recruiting, employment, annual evaluation, promotion, and (if necessary) the dismissal of Bridgetown employees, as well as risk management and legal compliance across all Bridgetown operations.

Architecture for the future: The Board provides the first line of feedback and accountability to the elders in processing the future vision of the church and guide the elders on how to best architect the future of Bridgetown Church organizationally in order to realize that vision.


Tyler Staton (President)
Tyler has a deep passion for prayer, presence, and mission, and his hope is to see Bridgetown become a house of prayer for all nations. He serves as the lead pastor for Bridgetown church. Previously, Tyler co-founded Oaks Church Brooklyn in New York, where he served as its lead pastor until 2021. Tyler is the author of Searching for Enough and has a second book scheduled to release in 2022. He, his wife Kirsten, and their two boys enjoy exploring the city of Portland.


Pam McConnell (Chair)
Pam considers her position on the board at Bridgetown to be both an honor and a privilege, and it’s a responsibility she takes very seriously. Her daily prayer is to bring as much wisdom, helpful knowledge and compassion as possible to this body of people and work. After nearly 40 years as a marketing executive and VP at Nike, Pam now enjoys spending time with her two children and four grandchildren, as well as mentoring young people, executives, and serving the church. Pam has been a part of Bridgetown since its inception in 2010.


Krystal Foote (Secretary, non-voting)
Krystal holds a deep conviction to care for the emotional, relational and physical needs of our community’s most vulnerable. Five years ago, she was personally motivated by Bridgetown’s commitment to children and families impacted by Oregon’s foster care system and has now incorporated that calling into her professional and personal life. Krystal served in Bridgetown’s children’s ministry before joining the board. She runs a commercial fishing operation in Alaska and also works in Portland’s non-profit sector as a grant writer and foundation strategist. Krystal, her husband Ryan, and their son have been a part of Bridgetown since its inception in 2010.


Sunny Grover

Sunny believes that God has intended Bridgetown to be a fresh manifestation of what spirit-filled communities of Jesus-followers can do when they are committed to consistent, steadfast, non-flashy, long-term obedience. He considers Bridgetown’s board to be a group of men and women that can serve Bridgetown elders and church members by ensuring appropriate and suitable fiscal and legal stewardship of this tremendous blessing of God. With a background as an electronics engineer, Sunny went to business school and now holds a senior position at Nike. Sunny, his wife Jessica, and their two sons have been part of Bridgetown since its inception in 2010.


Matt Norman
Having served as both a volunteer on the Sunday gathering’s setup and teardown team and as a church elder, Matt is intimately connected to Bridgetown church and is honored to share his expertise and talents on the board of directors. Professionally, Matt is a risk manager for Fortis Construction where he works on local and international projects. Matt and his wife, Anna, have four children and have been a part of Bridgetown since its inception in 2010.



Sarah Tatone

Sarah demonstrates passion and dedication to fuel Bridgetown’s justice work; from homelessness to the foster care system, Sarah recognizes the church’s potential for lasting impact across the city of Portland. Sarah leads global communications at Vacasa, an international vacation rental management company, and in her spare time she enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest with her family in tow. Sarah, her husband Luke, and their daughter have been part of Bridgetown since 2016.