CHRIS ATWELL
Lead Pastor
catwell@porticocville.org
www.twitter.com/thecatwell

Born and raised in Charlottesville, Chris came to know the love of Jesus in his youth. He attended the University of Virginia, double majoring in Government and Religious Studies. Beginning in 1994, Chris served as Youth Pastor for Burke Community Church in Burke, Virginia, while completing his Masters in Ministry from Moody Bible Institute. In 2000, he left the East Coast to serve as the High School Pastor at First Baptist Church in Modesto, California. Under his leadership, over 300 students regularly participated in the program each year.

With the vision of an entrepreneur and a desire to see lives changed by the power of the Gospel, Chris is a natural church planter. He joined the Acts 29 Network in 2004, returning to Virginia to plant a church in his hometown. Within five years, Portico had grown from a few families to over 500 people in attendance each Sunday. Amidst this, Chris was diagnosed with cancer twice, undergoing aggressive treatment. Through God’s healing grace, he has been cancer-free since 2006.

In the fall of 2008, Portico moved into its current location in downtown Charlottesville. In its opening weekend, Chris preached to nearly 700 people. In February 2009, Portico launched its third service, ABIDE, a worship gathering for young adults.

Besides preaching Gospel-centered messages each Sunday, Chris leads the staff team and serves as an Elder in the church. Striving to see lives transformed within his community and beyond, Chris continually seeks out new and innovative ways to spread the Gospel. Chris has a passion for racial reconciliation, believing in the power of Christ to bridge cultural and racial divides. As a coach to rising church planters within the network, Chris is adept at advising churches in a variety of challenges they face, including developing growth strategies, securing financial support, caring for congregants and staff, among others. In addition, Chris regularly speaks for organizations and campus ministries.

Chris and his wife, Jennifer, have two daughters, Caroline and Ainsley.

To have Chris speak at your next event or inquire about one-on-one coaching, please visit www.chrisatwell.com.

You may also wish to visit Chris' blog, linked below.