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Buffalo Covenant Church

Buffalo Covenant Church

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Meet our Staff


Meet our Leadership




AJ Baker
Interim Middle School Ministry Director

AJ walks with middle schoolers and their families as they experience the world of early adolescence, helping them grow in Gospel truth and steady faith. He’s passionate about guiding students to follow Jesus through this fun and (occasionally) challenging season. AJ enjoys outdoor adventure like cutting trees and running, but you can also find him indoors reading The Lord of the Rings to his kids.

Dean Brown
Director of Discipleship

Dean encourages spiritual growth through developing relationships, organizing classes, and intentional faith conversations pointing to Christ. He wants to bring people closer to God and each other. He loves watching University of Tennessee football and basketball and hanging out with his grandchildren – ask him about roasting green coffee beans using a hot air popcorn popper.

Joe Buhlig
Technology Director

Joe shepherds digitally, herding glitches and protecting Wi-Fi, all while ensuring there is a seamless communion of faith and tech. He would love to keep every computer running two years past its prime, create mistake-free sound board mixing and have an unlimited budget for Apple cables. He enjoys chopping wood, making maple syrup and asking, “Did you restart?”

Darwin Doose
Director of Building & Operations

Darwin maintains all the square footage of the church grounds, ensuring BCC is a place where both prayers and light bulbs never flicker. He would love to keep everything from furnaces to fields operating smoothly and to never have to turn down a Room Request form. He enjoys drumming, practical jokes, and his grandson.

Chelsey Erickson
Director of Children's Ministry

Chelsey guides BCC kids as they grow in faith, explore God’s Word, and follow Jesus. She wants to show children and families how much God loves them and help them build meaningful connections together. She’s a mom to four lively kids, a devoted coffee lover, and believes some of life’s best conversations happen on a long walk.

Reid Gilbert
Care Pastor

Reid navigates the delicate balance between consoling hearts and managing farewells, often turning sorrowful moments into divine comfort. He would like to be by your side to show you God’s love when times are tough and provide encouragement through personal interaction. He enjoys mission trips, funerals, and farming.

Kara Larson
Director of Communications

Kara juggles pixels, pens, and ChatGPT, translating our physical and digital media into spiritual connections. She would love to make everyone feel at home, be engaged daily with God, and provide the right word for the right time, said or spelled correctly. She enjoys volleyball, knitting, saunas, and testing new recipes on the Blackstone.

Dave Macalena
Executive Director

Dave conducts the daily operations of BCC, harmonizing vision with logistics, while ensuring that every event and ministry unfolds with grace and excellence. He would love to meet every single person who comes through the door and some of them for the second time. He loves his girls, Diet Mountain Dew, and handshakes.

Joel McQueen
Lead Pastor

Joel translates Biblical truth and text into curriculum for life – he teaches classes with a mix of wisdom and relatability and delivers sermons with conviction and passion. He would love to see people on fire for Jesus through engaging with His Word. He loves hunting, reading, and chasing around his children.

Mary Redlin
Funeral Coordinator

Mary is a compassionate guide, helping grieving families through the process of arranging services while offering a steady hand of support. She’d like to ensure that each farewell honors the life of loved ones while providing God’s peace and comfort. She enjoys spending time with the grandchildren, travel, walking, and reading.

Dayna Reimers
Office Administrator

Dayna orchestrates everything that comes to the church office, seamlessly blending organization with efficiency and positivity. She would like to be a friendly face that everyone sees when they come to BCC. She enjoys reading, knitting, and spending time with family and friends.

Tonya Sands
Director of Special Needs Ministry

Tonya helps to include and welcome everyone within the special needs community. She wants to create opportunities for everyone to hear and respond to the Gospel in a way they understand and in an environment where they feel comfortable. She enjoys highly caffeinated tea, sunny days, and hanging with her family and golden retriever, Ruby.

Steve Stensrud
Finance Director

Steve manages financial records and functions to ensure compliance with best practices. He wants to support our  mission by providing transparent, accurate and ethical work and oversight so BCC can be a good steward of monetary gifts it receives. He enjoys reading, water sports and spending time with his family.

Ash Walz
Interim High School Ministry Director

Ash loves working with high school students and their families, partnering with parents to help teens grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. She is passionate about walking with students through this formative season of life and pointing them toward Jesus. In her free time, Ash enjoys reading, thrifting, and sitting by a campfire.


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1601 Hwy 25 N
Buffalo, MN 55313
763-682-1470

Office Hours:
8 am - 4 pm Mon-Thurs
8 am - 12 pm Fri

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