Our Pastor
Pastor Chris Harris
Pastor Chris Harris leads Bright Star Church in Chicago’s Bronzeville Community and has ministered in over 24 countries singing Gospel and Jazz.
He is the founder of Bright Star Community Outreach, a 501(c)(3) dedicated to youth & family anti-violence programs. He has developed the TURN Center (The Urban Resilience Network) based on the Israeli model of NATAL in Tel Aviv. TURN endeavors to focus on five core competencies: counseling, parenting, mentorship, work-force development and advocacy. Its unique model will utilize faith and community leaders as trauma counselors and use community surveys as the basis for services that directly correspond to the unique needs of constituents. Its end-to-end approach offers a replicable, evidenced-based template for risk assessment and program evaluation. Although the TURN Center will sit in Bronzeville; it will serve Chicago as a whole, and our ultimate goal is to replicate this model across the United States in other traumatized communities.
BCSO’s partners in this effort are: Northwestern Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, Jewish United Fund, Sinai Community Institute, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and now CIGNA to name a few. This community impact project has received more than $9 Million dollars of support thus far. BSCO now employs 500+ (full and part time) residents in Chicago and has served thousands of residents in the Bronzeville Community. One of the most exciting things for Pastor Harris and BSCO is their Greater Bronzeville Community Action Plan where more than 50 Bronzeville organizations are collaboratively partnering to make a community level impact on violence and trauma. This collaborative vision plan birthed from and led by Pastor Harris recently received a $1 Million Grant from the MacArthur Foundation over a four year period.
Pastor Harris has served as National Council Member of AIPAC (the American Israel Public Affairs Committee) and is the Chairman of the Bronzeville Community Action Council. He is also a member of the University of Chicago Medicine (UCM) Community Advisory Council and has served as President of the 4th Ward & Cook County Clergy Coalitions. He’s the proud husband of Jojo Harris and father of four beautiful children – Chrystal (26), Chris Jr. (21), Christian (19) and Christiana (16).

Pastor Chris Harris
Our Ministers / Leadership

Elder Rodney Carter Jr.
Assistant Pastor

Evangalist Regina Crider
Women's Ministry Director

Minister Cicely Anderson
Minister of Worship

Elder Jeremy Johnson
Youth Pastor

Elder Antuan Spann
Assistant Minister of Worship

Elder Carl Hearne
Minister of Music

Elder Elijah Kindred
Co-Director of Christian Development Institute (CDI)

Elder Kris Pinder
Community Outreach Director

Evangelist Annette Barnes
Pastoral Care Director

Evangelist Connie Rogers
Intercessory Prayer Director

Minister Khadijiah Freeman
Women's Ministry Assistant Director

Missionary Patricia Harris
Director of Missionaries

Elder James Lashley
Holy Communion Director

Elder Todd Harris
BrightStar Church Staff Member

Missionary Linda Carter
Director of Baptism & Baby Christening

Evangelist Shari Addison
BrightStar Church Staff Member

Evangelist Phyllis Hope
Holy Communion Assistant Director

Evangelist Sharnia Lashley
BrightStar Church Staff Member

Evangelist Rhonda Evans
BrightStar Church Staff Member

Evangelist Sherrie Morgan
BrightStar Church Staff Member

Kevin Spears
Minister in training

Minister Gregory Jones
BrightStar Minister

Missionary Ashle' Anderson
BrightStar Church Staff Member

Missionary Chrishanda Banks
BrightStar Church Staff Member

Ernest Johnson
Minster-in-training

Jasmine Bankhead
Minister-in-Training

Missionary Marva Nichols
BrightStar Church Staff Member

Melanie Brown
Minister-in-Training

Missionary Devlonne Carter
BrightStar Church Staff Member

Missionary Monika Nichols
Minister-in-Training

Elder Willie Rogers
BrightStar Church Staff Member

Elder Arthur Evans
BrightStar Church Staff Member

Missionary Yola'nda Bell
BrightStar Church Staff Member

Minister Rodney Moore
BrightStar Church Staff Member