Lead Pastor
bert@counciltreecovenant.com

It turns out that I’m now a pastor living a unique call these days. I showed up in 1998, fell in love with this place and have been here ever since. I served as the Youth Pastor for seven years and became the Lead in 2005. My wife Heather and I got to have and raise all three of our now young adult children here and we live in relationship with some of the world’s greatest people here at Council Tree. I love mountain biking, reading, running, backpacking, paddle boarding and cross-country skiing. I studied at Fuller Theological Seminary receiving an MDiv in ’98 and a Dmin in ’23.

Associate Pastor of Children’s Ministry and Connections
diane@counciltreecovenant.com

I was a part of our staff team from 2006-2018 and after a short break to finish seminary at North Park and lend a hand to a Covenant Church in Connecticut, I returned  to Council Tree in November of 2021. There is no other local church I’d rather be a part of! I’m a proud mother of 5 young adult children (+ one daughter in love and one son in love), a widow, a seven on the enneagram, and an almost Fort Collins native. I have walked three Camino’s through France, Spain, and Portugal and hope a 4th is in my future. I love to go on adventures of all shapes and sizes, feel the sun on my face, and use photography to help me practice the prayer of examen. I am ordained with the Evangelical Covenant Church.

Associate Pastor of Worship and Discipleship
dan@counciltreecovenant.com

Called to pastor God’s people in worship, Dan has a passion for leading the Church in the formational act of corporate worship and drawing people towards lives of ever-deepening discipleship to Jesus. Dan began at Council Tree Covenant Church in September of 2023 after serving another Covenant church in the Chicago suburbs for the previous eight years. Dan and his wife Molly are both from northern Illinois, where they had lived their whole lives until moving to Fort Collins. Together, Dan and Molly have two young kids and a very patient dog. Dan has too many hobbies, some of which include playing hockey, ultimate frisbee, skiing, hiking, backpacking, songwriting, and playing as many different instruments as he can. Dan has a Bachelor of Music Education from North Park University (2015) and a Master of Arts in Worship from Northern Seminary (2023).

Ministry Assistant
stacy@counciltreecovenant.com

When I reflect back on my time here at Council Tree, it feels like this has always been my home. In reality, I came to Council Tree at the height of the COVID pandemic in December of 2020, broken and hurting, and was fully embraced by everyone here. I was a stay-at-home mom for more than 14 years before joining the staff here at Council Tree in November of 2022. My husband, Paul, and I have called Fort Collins home since 2011, but we're native Midwesterners, dontcha know. Our two children were born in Utah, but we don’t hold it against them. I love a good book, a good laugh, and a deep conversation; blankets, sweaters, and tea; and knowing that the people I choose to spend my life on here at Council Tree accept me despite my many flaws (and despite my love for K-pop). For the record, I’m the funny one.

Council Tree Gardener
rico@counciltreecovenant.com

Hi. My name is Rico Lighthouse and I'm the gardener here at Council Tree. I am a husband, father, and avid forager and craftsman. My specialty is native and wild plants, and their use as food, medicine and craft. I love ethnobotany, which is the relationship between people and plants, and my goal here is to grow a garden that is both hospitable and healing. In my spare time (whatever that is) I like reading, riding my bike, foraging with family and friends, carving wood, playing music and scythe mowing. I think about the Garden of Eden everyday.