Promise Staff
Pastor Chris Deknatel
Founding Pastor-Mission Planter
I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. I grew up in a row home in a poor part of the city. It was a violent time, with desegregation, busing, riots, and racial tensions warranting the National Guard. My Dad was a printer and my Mother a stay at home mom who could make a meal that would feed a family of four for a week. Unfortunately, my parents eased their pain with alcohol!
As a sophomore in high school, I went to school, worked as a janitor and learned the trade of upholstery, eventually successfully opening my own business.
I married my girlfriend of five years, had three daughters and now have five grandchildren. I went from being a youth to a youth worker and at age twenty-five, I felt God’s calling into full time service to the Lord and His church. I went to Concordia University in St. Paul Minnesota to be a Director of Christian Education and earned a double minor in Youth Ministry and Family Ministry. After thirteen years of service in the church, the Lord once again called me to become a Pastor, which meant four more years of Seminary with a Masters in Theology as a Mission Planter in a multi-cultural class at Concordia University, Irvine.
“My” plan was to become an Associate Pastor and serve a church overseeing, Youth, Education and Family Ministries. I would preach in rotation and live happily ever after. “God’s” plan was that I become a Mission Planter and start a new church in Murrieta, California. He gave me a vision of a church that was eclectic in nature. It would seek to bring all ages and cultures together. It would be a loving, open place of acceptance, teaching and training of the “true” Word of God.
This ministry description sounds like an interesting story, but what is not told, is how incredible God is and how unworthy and incapable I was to do this task. I was told I could never make it in college by my parents, friends and first English Professor at Essex Community College, but God had other ideas. I was withheld funds, and people tried to coerce our church into something they wanted. I had resistance from a lot of people I should have had support from. I didn’t know how to navigate through this or even what was happening at the time. I made many mistakes! But, one thing I never gave up on, no matter how poorly I shared my vision, was the model of a church that God instructed me to create, and to make sure above all else, I taught the true Word of God.
So, if you come to Promise you will be taught correctly the word of God, interpreted from its original languages. I ain’t bougee, but I try to be honest and respectful of everyone. I speak from a long life of experiences and sometimes my past comes out my of mouth in ways that may offend you, but I will ALWAYS be honest, straight and true. So put on your “adulting” pants and give us a try. We ain’t perfect people, but we are real and that I can Promise!
Ron Holliday
Administrator
I was born, baptized, attended school, and was confirmed in a Lutheran church in San Pedro, CA. I didn’t take my faith seriously back then but God never let me go. In my 40s, at God’s leading, I started attending a non-denominational church in Murrieta. God used that and my daughter to bring me to Promise in 2011. God is always faithful even when I am not. Once at Promise, with my background in finance and accounting, God opened the door for me to serve as Treasurer starting the beginning of 2014, a position I am still honored to have. In 2017, with Pastor’s workload increasing, I became the church and school administrator. Promise is where God has called me and my family. It doesn’t mean it is always easy but it is always home.
James Bowes
Vicar
After spending 20 years in the Navy, and being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, James began feeling the call in the ministry. James is currently perusing the pastoral ministry, attending Concordia University Irvine, at the Cross-Cultural Ministry Center. He was also awarded a graduate certificate in Pastoral Counseling (Military Resiliency) from Liberty University and a B.S. from Trident University International. In the Navy, James served as a Hospital Corpsman, Preventive Medicine Technician, and Instructor of Microbiology and Entomology at the Medical Education and Training Campus affiliated with Uniformed Services University of the Health Science, College of Allied Health Sciences.
James currently serves as Vicar at Promise Lutheran Church. Before Serving as Vicar, he volunteered with the youth at Promise and then King of Glory in Williamsburg, VA. He also had the opportunity to teach and lead adult bible studies at Shepard of the Hills in San Antonio, TX. With planned graduation in the Fall of 2024, he prays that he will continue to fulfill what God has called him to do.
James is married to his supportive wife, Lauren, and is blessed with two wonderful girls, Bella and Lilia. When not studying, James enjoys spending time with his family, camping, or generally just relaxing in his off time.
Jenna Hollister
Bookkeeper
My name is Jenna, and I have been a part of Promise since 2007. My oldest daughter started in the preschool when she was just 20 months old. Following her enrollment I started working for the preschool, January 2011, as an aid for Ms. Tricia. By then my second daughter was in preschool. We started coming to the church in 2009 and my third daughter joined the preschool when she was old enough. I have been a teacher’s aide, teacher, floater, receptionist and now I am the bookkeeper for the church and school. I have been married for 17 years and enjoy the outdoors. Promise is my second home, in fact sometimes I’m at promise more than my home. This is a wonderful school and church, and it has been my pleasure to serve here all these years.
Laura Eide
Secretary
Hi! I’m Laura. I’ve been with Promise since December 2016. I love my job! It is very rewarding to serve the Lord while helping the families, students and staff of Promise. It doesn’t seem like work at all. When I’m not at Promise you can find me spending time with my husband, 2 boys and dog. My favorite ways to relax are watching a good documentary or going to a hockey game (Go Reign Go!). My favorite bible verse is Micah 6:8 “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what the LORD requires of you but to do justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?
Julie Chapel
Secretary
I was born, baptized and confirmed into the Lutheran faith in Orange, California. I lived two blocks from my childhood church and walked every Sunday to services with my family and grandparents. I come from a long line of Lutherans; with a few being Commissioned Pastors, teachers, and DCE.
I attended Pre-K through 8th grade at the school that was associated with my home church. I later went to the local Lutheran high school and did extracurricular activities that included soccer and track and field. When I graduated high school, I started working as an aide in the preschool of the church that I grew up in. I later became a preschool teacher and eventually the Church secretary.
My husband, Steve, was also raised in the same church and schools. We were married at our home church and two years later moved to the Murrieta area.
I started working here, at Promise, in April of 2014 as a preschool teacher, and eventually became a part-time secretary. I took a break from working in 2016, to be a full-time mom to my two daughters and was re-hired in August of 2021 to serve in the position that I am in now.
I serve as a Secretary to Pastor Chris and the other church and school staff, here at Promise. I thoroughly enjoy my position and look forward to coming to work everyday!
My family and I have been members since I started working here in 2014. We LOVE our Promise family and spend most of our extra time sharing in the fellowship events and using our God-given talents and gifts in any way we can. Our church family has it’s ups and downs, like any family, but we are committed to loving and serving our Lord and each other.