CHARLIE DEAN
Lead Pastor
Charlie grew up in rural Peoria county and spent a good chunk of his childhood playing baseball, building forts in the woods behind his house, and pulling weeds in the family garden. After going away for college and graduate school, Charlie returned to the Peoria area in 1999 to become the high school youth pastor at his home church.
In the fall of 2007, through the community of his small group and with the support and blessing of the church he was currently serving, he became the first pastor of Imago Dei Church.
In his role as lead pastor, Charlie is the primary teacher for our Sunday gatherings and facilitates good conversation between the teams that lead the church.
When he’s not meeting with people at One World, studying for his next talk, or brainstorming new ideas and approaches to ministry, Charlie can often be found at his home hanging out with his family of six, trekking across the countryside on his bicycle or reading a book.
You can follow Charlie’s thoughts on his blog or check out the articles he’s written for the ImagoWEEKLY.
DAVE CROW
Associate Pastor
Dave Crow is a graphic designer who accidentally became a pastor. He is from the Peoria area and was in Charlie’s high school youth group. In 2005, he graduated from college with a degree in graphic arts, married his high school sweetheart, and, six days later moved to Appleton, Wisconsin to serve as the graphic designer at a large church.
In August of 2008, Dave and Megan followed God’s prompting to come back to Peoria and be a part of Imago Dei. Dave gets to do all the things he loves at Imago: leading music, as well as graphic design, web development, hanging out with good friends, and making new ones.
Apart from his responsibilities at Imago, Dave enjoys playing with his baby girl, finding new music, biking, collaborating on freelance projects with friends, and eating his wife’s delicious cooking.
Check out more of Dave’s thoughts in past ImagoWEEKLY articles.
BETH BERNARD
Kids’ Coach
Beth grew up in Chillicothe, and her parents still live in the same house she grew up in. She went to a Christian liberal arts college in the Chicago-land area then returned home to use her new found education to start her career in social work, advocating for victims of violent crimes.
From a young age she has had a love for binders and school supplies, so joining staff to do the administraive side of Genesis, was a natural fit. She has also had a heart for kids ministry for several years and while at her previous church she volunteered with the high school students for 6 years. When feeling led to be a part of the launch team for Imago Dei, she soon found herself volunteering in the nursery. And in an effort to get to know people in the church who are over 3 foot tall, she runs a monthly game night and has also been dubbed the “decorating guru” at Imago Dei.
Emily Ambroso
Administrative Assistant
Emily is originally from a small town in northwestern Illinois but moved to Peoria to attend college. After graduation she moved to the Chicago suburbs with her husband but never felt at home until they returned to Peoria several years later.
Over the years Emily has been involved in various ministries in the churches she’s attended – from leading women’s ministry to helping in the nursery. She now splits her days between her engineering job and Imago Dei, where she helps ensure people, information, and objects find their proper place.
When not at Imago, Emily also enjoys playing volleyball, teaching ESL classes at the Women’s Pregnancy Center, and spending time with the amazing group of people God has brought in her life.
