About

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, 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