Meet Chris Timson
Word is spreading—Summit Orlando has a new campus minister! Chris Timson will be joining our staff this December, and we thought it’d be fun to introduce you to Chris, his family, and his heart for ministry.
A year ago, our Executive Leadership Team began to prayerfully seek God’s direction for a Orlando Campus Minister: prioritizing leadership chemistry, congregant care, and passion for our mission. Enter Chris Timson.
When asked about his journey to Summit, Chris said, “Well, this is an interesting question because my journey brought me here a couple of times. The first time my wife and I attended Summit was in 2015. We were looking for a new church community. In that life stage, Summit was a place of healing, growth, and love. We attended both the Orlando and Waterford campuses, making lifelong connections. I then graduated from seminary, and God called us to Nebraska, where I had my first pastoral position. After several years with two different churches, God called us back, and we knew Summit was the community we wanted to be a part of. For the past year and a half, I have been working in the school system and attending Summit. During that time, Abby and I were in prayer about what God was going to do next. Now, to my joyful surprise, God has allowed me to serve vocationally at this church that I love so much.”
With ministries like Base Camp Live, reGROUP, Summit Students, and our new Rooted groups thriving, Chris arrives during an exciting time of growth at Summit. His deep connection to Summit’s history and mission positions him well to help lead the church into this new season.
We asked Chris what he loves most about Summit, and after some thought, he said, “I’m going to say community, but there are layers to that. I love the diverse backgrounds and stories that God brings to the Summit community. I love that Summit strives to be a place where everyone is welcome inside the house. I love that Summit is a safe place to ask hard questions. Lastly, I really love that Summit is committed to serving the community and the city it is a part of.”
Bringing a wealth of experience, Chris has worked as a speech-language pathologist in local schools and has extensive pastoral experience. From 2018 to 2021, he served as Pastor of Discipleship at Hope Community Church in Lincoln, Nebraska. Most recently, he was the Online Campus Pastor and Pastor of Discipleship at Estero Church in Estero, Florida.
Chris highlighted this as something unique he brings to Summit. “My perspective and experience with serving churches is unique. As I have said before, I have a connection to Summit, but where I learned how to pastor was at a small Midwestern Reformed church and a large United Methodist Church in South Florida. I have learned a lot from a spectrum of Christians. I also have a deep interest for learning about people’s passions and figuring out how I can support people on their specific missions.”
With a big heart and a background like this, Chris says he’s excited about the coming season of ministry. He said, “I’m excited to build relationships with staff, volunteers, and the congregation. I am also immensely excited about where Summit is uniquely positioned to go. Summit has an incredible platform, and I truly believe that God will use this church in miraculous ways that will surprise and excite all of us.”
This weekend, Chris and his family will be at Summit for a meet-and-greet, so come prepared to say hello! Describing his family, Chris said, “I have a beautiful wife named Abby, and we’ve been married for eight years. She’s an Operations Team Leader working with the Jesus Film project, and has an extensive background in project management. She loves running, reading, hiking, and generally anything active outside. We have one son named Isaac, our high-energy, fun-loving four-year-old who loves to climb on anything and play in the mud any time he gets the chance. We all love being outside and going on adventures together. We also have a gigantic bear of a dog named Heidi. Her hobbies are sleeping and barking at threatening UPS trucks.”
It already sounds like Chris and his family are going to fit right in! We’re sure some cute—and maybe a little embarrassing—sermon illustrations featuring Isaac and Heidi will rival some of our favorite stories from Michael, Kailey, and Johnny.
If you’re able to join us this Sunday, plan to stay a little longer and meet Chris and his family. Let’s extend the warmest of welcomes and encourage Chris as he steps into this exciting new role!