Michael Allen, Senior Pastor

Please read about our senior pastor's full biography here 

Mark Jones, Associate Pastor

Associate Pastor Mark Jones was born in Chicago and grew up in the Uptown community. He gave his life to Christ in September of 1990. God used founding pastor Jim Queen and associate pastor Tim Larkin among others to lead him into a new relationship with Jesus Christ. Jeremiah 29:11 is his life verse.

Pastor Mark was brought on staff at Uptown Baptist Church in the fall of 2000. He serves as “associate pastor of small groups.” The Lord has blessed him with a wonderful wife and two children. 

Pastor Mark earned a Master of Arts in Missions from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in December 2009.  He enjoys spending time with family and friends. His favorite activities are fishing, grilling food, traveling and reading in his leisure time.  

Jonathan Hayashi, Music Minister

Please read about Jonathan's full biography here 

Uyen Nguyen, Administrator

Uyen Nguyen was born and raised in Vietnam. At the age of eight, her mother decided to migrate to America so Uyen and her siblings can have a better life. Uyen and her family were sponsored by a Vietnamese Christian family, and it was here that Uyen first heard about the Good News. Although Uyen attends church services on a regular basic but not until the age of twelfth that Uyen truly accepted Jesus Christ as her savior.

Uyen served in the music, youth, food ministry and the board of deacons for the Vietnamese Baptist Church in Chicago over the years.  In May of 2011, Uyen graduated from University of Illinois at Chicago with a degree of Applied Psychology. Not too long after that God opened door for Uyen to serve at Uptown Baptist Church as the administrative assistant. Uyen is currently living in Chicago with her family, who are believers of Christ.  Uyen still pray for her grandmother and other relatives who have not yet believe in Christ. 

Garry Arkema, Food & Building Ministry

Garry Arkema grew up in a pastor's family and became a Christian before his first grade in school.  Garry feels God has directed him to live out the prayer of 1 Samuel 1:28, "For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord".  As a young adult, Garry publicly professed his faith and became involved in his church by helping to serve those in need.  Garry first came to Chicago in February of 1988 as a student-intern with Uptown Baptist's Associate Pastor Tim Larkin.

Beginning in July of 1988, Pastor Larkin and Pastor Jim Queen invited Garry to direct the Monday dinners and the Building ministry at Uptown Baptist Church as a full-time, self supporting missionary.  Serving in this capacity until August of 1994, Garry left the staff to attend Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL.  While being a student in 1996, Garry served one year as a Missions Intern at Uptown Baptist with Pastor Tom Maluga.  Garry returned the following year in July of 1997as a paid, part-time staff member with Pastor Maluga to again supervise the Monday meal, which had recently been renamed as the Fellowship Dinner.  Upon the departure of Michael Choby in 2006, Pastor Michael Allen asked Garry to serve as the Building Manager as well as continuing to supervise the Food Ministry.  Garry lives in Chicago with his wife and 2 children.