I grew up in Northern Virginia and attended the University of Virginia (’08), where I became a follower of Jesus through campus ministry. While I had visited Blacknall many times since moving to Durham to pursue my MDiv at Duke (’11), I began regularly attending in 2021 and joined in 2022. In hindsight, I see threads of Blacknall’s ministry throughout my journey —from coming to hear John Perkins as a student, to volunteering with the food pantry at Iglesia Emanuel, and through the church’s support and prayers as I launched InterVarsity at NCCU and later as I served as InterVarsity’s National Director for Black Campus Ministries work. I am grateful for the ways God has provided a worshipping community, accountability, and discipleship. Of note, I’m an avid baker, lover of board games, biker of AT on beautiful mornings, and a Urologic Surgery Resident at UNC. My life, faith, ministry, and leadership have been transformed by the triune God and it’s out of this transformation that I hope to serve. I am excited about how our community might grow in prayer, live more missionally, and bear witness to God’s glory in Durham and beyond.
Melissa Hartemink
I began attending Blacknall in 2001 when my husband, Alex, and I moved to Durham. We quickly felt at home: The Blacknall community is an integral part of our life together, where we can know and be known, love and be loved, serve and be served. Through worship, fellowship, and service, I see and experience Christ at work in the body of believers. My gifts include teaching, hospitality, and administration, and my walk with Christ compels me to serve the church. After 24 years of membership, I have participated in many ways, including Durham partner ministries, children's ministries, small groups, women's ministries, two staff search committees, and our recent pastor nominating committee.
My favorite part of Sunday is being with you, God's people, praising the Lord through song, and partaking in communion where I am reminded each week of the Lord's deep love for me, for us; that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We are His beloved children, and in Him, we have new life. God's Word, as revealed through the Scriptures, and my relationship with Christ are central to how I see the world, my relationships, and my vocation.
I am an educator by training and have taught elementary students in a variety of settings in Massachusetts, Durham, and Kenya. I am mother to Abigail (21) and Andrew (19) and stayed home with them for 10 years before re-entering my career as an educator. I am humbled by and grateful for this opportunity.
Stuart Knechtle
I was introduced to Jesus Christ by my parents as a young child and nurtured in the church ever since. I have served as a Sunday School teacher for children and college students, served as an elder at our PC-USA church in Madison, WI, and Blackhawk church in Madison, worked in the Blacknall nursery, and been involved in Christian ministry and outreach in a variety of capacities. Currently, I am involved in Reality Ministries and help teach the 4-year-old Sunday School class at Blacknall. Mary Banks and I love Blacknall and are excited about our church's future and its pastoral leadership. When asked to consider serving as an elder, I have carefully considered this and, if elected, will do my best to serve the church. Blacknall has a wonderful history of faithful ministry to God's people, and I hope and expect that its vision for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ will continue to impact both Durham and beyond through our ministry partners.
My professional work is as a transplant surgeon at Duke. My delights are my wife, children, and grandchildren. My hobbies include piano, tennis, and gardening. Mary Banks and I live in Hillsborough.
Dan Kronstad
I am humbled to be considered to serve at Blacknall as elder for a second term. My wife, Tanya, and I have made Blacknall our church home for the past 15 years, along with our three sons (Erik – 20, Caleb – 18, James – 16). For the last 20 years, I’ve served with the ministry of International Students Inc. (ISI), currently as the Triangle Area Director. Tanya now also serves with ISI, as part of the international student conferencing team. Throughout the years, ISI (and hundreds of internationals students) have been blessed immensely through the Deep Common Journey partnership with Blacknall. A phrase often heard in our household and ministry captures well my heart and desire for Blacknall: “Building bridges of trust that can bear the weight of truth”. A passage of scripture that speaks to this, found in 2 Corinthians 5, has profoundly stirred within me a yearning to love Jesus and to love others in His name. The call from Jesus is to be an ambassador/minister of reconciliation to others. This has led to what has become a lifelong journey and vocation of being a bridge builder culturally and spiritually. If elected Elder for a second term, I believe the ways God has shaped me through this first term on session and as a cross-cultural worker will be useful in helping to lead Blacknall as we continue to be beacons for Christ in Durham and the world.
Erin Collazo Miller
I grew up in Florida and moved to Durham to attend Duke. My whole life I have particularly experienced communion with God through time in Scripture. Through high school youth group and InterVarsity at Duke, I grew to understand the Gospel more deeply, and to experience the ways community and prayer are central to the life of faith.
I joined Blacknall (along with my husband, Dave) in 2007, and all four of our children – Simon (17), Jude (15), Wesley (11), and Eliza (10) – were baptized here. In different seasons, I have served in a variety of ministries: I participated in one of the first ever Durham pilgrimages, led by Chris Rice at Blacknall in 2009; chaired the small group ministry team; helped plan VBS; volunteered through World Relief and FMF; participated in Women’s Bible study and retreats; and served in the nursery. From 2015-2019, our family moved to Vancouver so Dave and I could study theology at Regent College. Since moving back, I have been involved with the Mt. Level Community Partnership for Racial Justice. I also volunteer with Blacknall youth. I work for Notre Dame (remotely) as the project director of Virtues & Vocations, a national forum that equips faculty to cultivate character in higher education.
I feel called to stand for elder because of my deep love for the church in general, Blacknall in particular, and for Durham, seeking wisdom from the God who provides it generously during this time of upheaval (in the church and the world).
Mark Paulson
My wife, Anne, and I were married in Charlotte in August, 1985 and moved to this area and got involved at Blacknall a year later in August, 1986. This community has been foundational for my family and me – our children (Courtney and Nick) were baptized and grew up at Blacknall, and our daughter and her husband Francisco were married here in 2015. The past 39 years have been a rich spiritual journey marked by deep friendships for which I am very grateful.
I love the diversity of our Blacknall community and the involvement we have both locally and globally in living out and proclaiming the gospel. I’m grateful for the thoughtful and humble leadership that God has provided.
I am a sinner that has been redeemed through Jesus. Christ is my hope and my purpose. Through His sacrifice on the cross I am able to know the God who created me and who sustains me daily. Out of gratitude for His love, I strive to walk in obedience to Him and His will. I recognize that sanctification is a lifelong process marked by confession and forgiveness and I am grateful for the Lord's faithfulness toward and patience with me.
I think relationships to those both inside and outside of our community of faith are fundamental to our mission as a church - to glorify the Triune God, to make known the crucified and risen Christ, and to advance the Kingdom that God is building in us, in Durham, and around the world. As an elder, I hope to promote and nurture opportunities for relationship and to weave those opportunities into our collective ministry."
Katie Reeder-Hayes
I am originally from Alabama but moved to Durham for medical residency 21 years ago and as life has worked out, we remained and NC has become our family's home. I came to Blacknall with my husband, Mark, in 2004 and we have raised our five kids here: Ben (21) Samuel (18), Connor (14), Patrick (13), and Everett (10). I feel as though different aspects of Blacknall's community life have been most front-and-center for us in different seasons, but serving in the nursery, as a Sunday School teacher for pre-school and elementary kids, as a participant and leader in the women's retreat, and on the Health Advisory Team during the COVID pandemic, have been some of my most meaningful areas of connection, and the children’s and youth ministries have been fundamental to our life as a family. Even though my faith in Christ has been central throughout my life, my experience continues to change. In the upheaval in the medical community, in the area of social justice where I work, and in the larger culture for the past few years, I feel newly challenged to trust that God is sovereign even when I can't immediately see that in circumstances around me, and newly convinced that only He is really trustworthy to hold me and those I love together! I feel called to share this reassurance with others at Blacknall as an elder, as we all navigate times when we feel the world to be unsafe, uncertain, or changing too fast for us.
Rebecca Alberti
My husband, Paul, and I moved to Durham about 3 ½ years ago from the Albany, NY area, which is where I am originally from. I have been working with refugees for the past 5 years, most recently at World Relief Durham. We had been coming to Blacknall for only a few weeks when I sat down with a group of strangers at the Block Party. They were friendly, and invited me to their small group, which really helped us get connected to the Blacknall community. I am currently serving on DMET and love the evening Women’s Bible Study group I am in.
My favorite verse is Psalm 62:8: “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” I am so grateful for Jesus, and my relationship with Him is the firm foundation of my life. I am convinced of the sovereignty of God and believe that He wants to be actively involved in our lives.
I appreciate the godly leadership and volunteer support at Blacknall. I enjoy connecting with others serving in the community, hospitality, game nights, and networking to get people/families the resources and support needed for their flourishing. As deacon, I am open to learning how I can strengthen connections with our neighbors, inside our church, and across the body of Christ.
Gail Funk
I surrendered my life to Christ as a child living with my grandmother. I was baptized in a Presbyterian church as well as in the Jordan River. I have joyously served my Lord for many years. I believe Christ died for me to forgive me for my sins. I am truly grateful to serve my Lord, and it is He I give all the glory.
I am older and I have been blessed to have a passion for serving the homeless through Fresh Start, Families Moving Forward, and Durham Rescue Mission, and at one time I served as a nurse at Samaritan Health Center. As a professional nurse, most of my career was spent serving oncology patients. Oncology was my calling from the Holy Spirit, and I have truly been blessed. At Blacknall I have served as usher, SS 2-year-old assistant teacher, served with the Guild, supported WBS, and in recent years and presently I study with a mighty group of very devoted Christian women in Bible Study Fellowship. Everything I do, I do for the glory of my God. I am truly, truly blessed to know Him as my Savior.
Chuck Hoover
I am married to Sarah, and we have three children: Hannah (9), Claire (5), and Timothy (1.5). I have a degree in chemical engineering, and I work in pharmaceutical validation. I enjoy reading, playing video games, playing board games, and discussing theology.
Our family started visiting Blacknall in the spring of 2023, because we have several friends who are here. From the first time we visited, we felt welcomed as part of the Blacknall family. That, along with the preaching, the liturgy, and the church’s connection to Durham, made it clear that Blacknall is a place where we could grow in our faith and serve both the church and our local community.
While I grew up in church, it was in college where I began to learn what the hope of Jesus’ death and resurrection meant for my life. My faith is rooted in that hope, as I look toward the redemption of all things. Through the different seasons of my life, my faith has led me to serve wherever there was a need.
Here at Blacknall, I’ve been delighted to serve in the nursery on Sunday mornings, and with a few men’s ministry events. I’m thankful for being asked to stand as Deacon, and I’m looking forward to finding deeper ways to serve our church and to grow in my faith through that service.
Cory Pikaart
I am married to Christian and mother to 5. I spend my days homeschooling the kids and working on our property in Bahama. I take great delight in cooking experiments and time in the garden. Both are daily reminders of God's design and my place in all of it. My days are filled with the joyful triumphs and epic failures that go with rearing children. I have been attending Blacknall for about 15 years and have enjoyed the community and work of the diaconate so much that I would love to serve another term.
Robert Smith
I am a 3rd-year Ph.D. student in Operations Research at NC State and call the Triangle home, having been here for about 20 years. I came to Blacknall in the winter of my first year at State, looking for a church after three years in D.C. I was immediately struck the first time I was there by the kindness and outgoingness of the members to welcome in someone new. There was also a clear intentionality and conviction about the intersection of faith and our role in the community that kept me coming back.
My faith is rooted in the conviction of the Holy Spirit, His forgiveness of us, and the unique gifts He gives us — and how these three aspects play a role in how we live out our lives. As someone who spends most of his time analyzing decision-making, I am continually reminded of the magnitude and beauty of the plans He has for each and every one of us, even if we cannot see the clear path ahead. In my free time, I help coach baseball at a local Christian high school, trying my best to impart wisdom and guidance about the intersection of our interests and how our faith informs them.
I am particularly excited about passing on and extending the kindness and openness that the congregation showed me early on to all who come through Blacknall’s doors.
Dan Struble
I am completing my first term as Deacon this year and served as Chairman for the last two years. I have been a member/attender at Blacknall for almost 10 years, and my favorite volunteer activity has been working in the nursery with the youngest participants in our congregation (Lambs). I am Associate Dean for External Relations at Duke Divinity School, where I have served for 12 years. I am married to Karen Struble, and we have two children (Amanda and Benjamin) and two grandsons (Miles and Max).
Hadley Taylor
I moved to Durham at the end of 2020 to work as a nurse. With a hope for community in faith, I found myself in Blacknall’s sanctuary in 2022. Through relationship in small groups and Bible studies with congregants of all ages, my relationship with Jesus and perspective on how I can see Christ in creation and relationship changed. I sought out membership in a church for the very first time with my then-fiancé, Tom, and under Goodie and Dave’s counsel, we were married at Blacknall within the year. The Holy Spirit has worked through the unique, passionate, and persistent individuals of Blacknall to encourage me by simply walking alongside me, as I walk with Christ. I continue to find joy in genuine relationship with God’s people, finding out what makes them tick, cry, and smile. As a deacon, I hope to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a way that makes others feel as sought after and as welcomed as I first did.