A third-generation Navigator and missionary kid, Kristie lived in Africa for 15 years as her parents pioneered ministries in Ghana and South Africa. She made an early confession of faith at four years old, then experienced a clear calling and lordship decision at age 13. At that time, her deepest lifelong desire became Philippians 3:7,8: “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (NIV).
Kristie met her husband, Paul, upon returning to the United States to attend Wheaton College. She joined Navigator staff in 2001, leading a missional community on Chicago’s north side, and began serving on the b2g (now Navigators 20s) leadership team in 2002. During those years, she also worked as a labor and delivery nurse, helping to deliver more than 250 babies. In 2010, she and her family moved to Northern California to develop a community of believers reaching out to the San Francisco Bay area. In 2015, she joined the Navigators Neighbors leadership team and, in 2018, moved to Detroit to serve as City director.
In 2022, Kristie was appointed as one of three Mission co-directors for D4L along with Tom Bourke and Neighbors Director Bob Adgate. In late 2023, Kristie was commissioned as the overall Mission director for D4L and began serving on the U.S. Leadership Team in 2024.
Kristie and Paul are both passionate about cities, serving others, being transformed by Jesus, and sharpening one another. They have been married 25 years, lived in five states, shared 12 addresses, and driven across the continental United States six times. Paul currently works as a software engineer and manager for Ford Motor Company and dabbles in trading on the side. Together they have six children, ages 10 to 21, three cats, and a dog. (The pets were all bribes to convince the kids to make another interstate move.)