MEET THE TEAM
PASTORs RUSS & KRIS MICHAELS
CONNECT CHURCH PLANTERS
Russ and Kris have been leading Connect Church since its founding in 2008. Russ has been pastoring for more than thirty years, and he's a graduate of Northwest University In Seattle and the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri. Kris is the pathology lab supervisor at Bozeman Health and is an alumnus of Boise State University. Russ and Kris love helping people who might know "about Jesus" really get to "know Jesus."
DR. LUKAS GRAF
WORSHIP ARTS
Dr. Lukas Graf is a professor at MSU, the chorus master at Opera Montana, and leads the Worship Arts team here at Connect. Lukas, his wife Jessica and two wonderful kids, have been attending Connect since 2015, and on staff since 2019. Lukas loves leading and getting to encourage the hearts in our church and those are just getting to know Christ.
mICHAEL bENT
NEXT GEN
Michael’s been a Connector since 2012. He volunteered 6 years with YWAM in Australia and Papua New Guinea, where he met his wife, Katrina (married Dec 2022). Joining Connect staff in 2026 as Next Gen Lead, he is passionate about Jesus' model of discipleship—creating a fun, vibrant culture where kids and youth grow in faith, discover their passions, and build community. Outside of ministry, he enjoys connecting with people and chasing elk in the mountains.
Cameron Robinson
MINISTRY DEVELOPMENT LEAD
Cameron has been a Connector since 2012 and joined the staff in 2020. Born and raised in Montana, he grew up in Four Corners and graduated from Montana State University. In 2023, he and his wife Ruth moved to Texas, where he works as a biomedical engineer in cancer diagnostics. Cameron has a passion for coming alongside Connect's ministry leaders to help them shape the vision for their ministries, stay aligned with where Connect is headed, and think through the practical work of building healthy teams.
eMILEE wOOD
CAMPUS OPERATIONS LEAD & GRAPHIC DESIGN
Emilee moved to Bozeman in 2021, after spending 5 years in missions overseas. Shortly after, she began attending Connect and serving on the cleaning team. In 2022, she joined the staff as Campus Operations Lead and later added graphic design to her responsibilities (along with any other task she can get her hands on). Emilee's desire is for everyone who walks through Connect's doors to feel like they belong.
Jennifer Russell
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Jennifer has been a Connector since 2023. Two years later, she officially joined our staff as Connect’s Administrative Assistant, where she enjoys helping people get connected and stay in the know. She loves playing keys on the worship team, and spending time in the outdoors with her husband, Rich. You can find her most Sundays sharing the morning announcements, complete with some extra dad joke entertainment!
Tim & Jennifer Anderson
IT OPERATIONS LEAD
Tim and Jennifer have been Connectors since 2024. They returned home after 5 years in Japan and became Connectors shortly after. They have a combined tech experience of 30 years and enjoy helping create an atmosphere for people to connect into worship and service. Jennifer manages the tech infrastructure, camera switching, and digital streams to extend Connect Church into the online community and remove barriers for people worshiping and learning about God who attend in person. Tim manages and controls IT Operations for Connect Church and keeps our building, staff, and volunteers running on the IT side. Outside of Connect they enjoy playing with their son and volunteering with AFSP.
