Reverend Chris Dowd, Senior Pastor of Christ United, is a native Texan whose family moved to Maryland when he was 7 years old.  Raised Roman Catholic, Chris graduated from the University of Notre Dame (Go Irish!), before serving as a Supply Officer in the US Navy for four years.  After the Navy, he moved back home to Dallas, working as a consultant and then as an operations manager in the logistics industry.

After hearing a call to ministry, Chris attended Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, earning a Master of Divinity degree Summa Cum Laude.  He has served as Associate Pastor and Youth Minister at Arapaho UMC in Richardson, Senior Pastor at First UMC of Henrietta, and Senior Pastor at First UMC of Sherman.  He joined the staff of Christ United in July 2019.

Chris and his wife Whitney have two sons, Max and Sam.  All four of the Dowds are incredibly excited and honored to be part of what God is doing at Christ United, a congregation that takes seriously our mission statement of Loving God, Serving Others, Transforming Lives.

Reverend Kristin Steed, our Pastor of Family Ministries at Christ United. Kristin and her husband Trent have been members of Christ United for fifteen years. She joined our staff in 2016, serving first as a part-time social media coordinator before becoming our Communications Director. She was serving in that role when she heard her call to ordained ministry. While she was in seminary, she coordinated Adult Discipleship before becoming our Director of Children’s Ministries. Her broad range of experience on our staff, and more importantly her fifteen years as part of our church family, are an amazing gift as she becomes a pastor.

Kristin says, “I am filled with excitement and gratitude for the journey that lies ahead. Over the past year, my role as Director of Children’s Ministries has been truly fulfilling. Journeying alongside our youngest members and their families as they explore their faith has brought me immense joy. As I step into this new role, I am excited about expanding my support to include not only our children but also our youth through college. These formative years are vital, and it is my passion to help foster strong relationships with Christ within our loving community here at Christ United. I am filled with joyful anticipation for the wonderful opportunities and growth that lie ahead for our family ministries.”

Kristin just graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Master of Divinity degree from Perkins School of Theology at SMU, and will be commissioned on the Elder track on June 3rd. She will serve as our Pastor of Family Ministries, with responsibility for children’s, youth, and college-age programming. She’ll also preach several times a year in our traditional services, stepping into the role Rev. Raegan Gilliland has had the past four years.

Having grown up in Plano, Kristin graduated from Plano West High School before going to the University of Texas at Austin, where majored in Government and minored in Business. During her corporate career, she earned an MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas. She and Trent have two daughters, Lyla (10), and Nora (7).

Rev. Ramsey Jay, our Pastor of Adult Discipleship & Modern worship.

Ramsey graduated Summa Cum Laude from Vanderbilt University, then earned her law degree with honors from the University of Texas at Austin. She worked in corporate litigation and then family law for several years before hearing a call to ordained ministry. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Perkins School of Theology at SMU. Ramsey has had a variety of pastoral responsibilities serving Highland Park UMC over the past thirteen years, making her the ideal fit for our needs in adult discipleship and modern worship.

Ramsey and her husband Spencer are a blended family. She has one son, Noah, who turns 10 this month, and a stepson Caden, who is 18. They will be a wonderful addition to our church family, and I could not be more excited to welcome her in September. Please be in prayer for Ramsey and her family as they prepare to join us here at Christ UMC.
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Reverend Mike Flynn is Associate Pastor of Congregational Care at Christ United. Mike is a former 30-year employee at EDS/HP, where he worked as a project manager for sales development programs. Mike followed his calling in pastoral care in 2010 and graduated from Perkins School of Theology, where he received his Master of Divinity in 2016. During his seminary years, Mike also served as a chaplain at multiple local hospitals.  He was ordained Deacon in the UMC in 2018 and continues to lead and empower others in ministries of care and compassion. He currently lives in Dallas and enjoys traveling, music, science fiction, and treadmilling.

Mike joined the staff of Christ United in July 2016 and currently directs the church’s care ministry activities.

Adult Discipleship and Modern Worship

Reverend Don Underwood concluded his his 37th year as Senior Minister of Christ United and is now serving as Pastor Emeritus – Director of Donor Relations. During his tenure, Christ United has experienced rapid growth, as worship and Sunday school attendance have doubled. The church places great emphasis on lay ministry and missions, and Rev. Underwood has been intentional in developing an organizational style that focuses on ministry rather than management. Rev. Underwood received his Bachelor’s Degree from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas and his Master’s of Theology from the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Texas. Rev. Underwood and his wife Bobby have two children, Adam and Joshua. Don enjoys quarter horses, hunting and is an instrument-rated private pilot.

For over 30 years, Don Underwood’s weekly columns have touched hearts and changed lives. They are great reminders of how God is ever present. Visit here if you are interested in receiving these columns each week.

Don’s books “The Long View” and “Pray Like Jesus” are available Amazon.

After more than 40 years of ministry, Don will be retiring in June of 2020.