Meet Our Staff

DAVE ELLIFF | LEAD PASTOR

Dave and Mary are from Little Rock, Arkansas and have been married since 2012. They currently have six children, Caroline, Caleb, Elijah, Emily, Kate, and Annie who each have their own hilarious personalities and bring their parents much joy!

Before church planting, Dave spent three years on staff with a college ministry at the University of Oklahoma. He then moved to South East Asia for several years where he helped plant a church of university students.  It was there that God began growing Dave's passion for the local church and where he started to see the need for new churches. While completing his Masters of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, he and Mary began praying about where God might be calling them to plant their lives.  They firmly believe God has placed them in Seattle and have a desire to see those who don't know Christ find Him, and become multiplying disciples.  In their "spare time" Dave and Mary enjoy drinking good coffee, being outdoors, and playing with their kids.

kevin black | associate pastor

Kevin joined Roots Community Church as an Associate Pastor in March of 2017. He moved to Seattle from Little Rock, Arkansas where he studied communications and business before working in philanthropy for 5 years. His call to ministry included two major focuses: preaching the Gospel and making disciples of Christ. Teaching, preaching, leading men's ministry and other ministries make up his role at Roots. Kevin met his now wife Kasey playing volleyball at Roots not long after moving to Seattle. The two enjoy fishing, hiking, working out, and cooking together. 

kevin gibbs | executive pastor

Kevin joined Roots’ staff as executive pastor in January 2023. Born and raised in Austin, Kevin and his wife Rebecca felt a calling to Seattle in the summer of 2013 while serving with church plants in the city. He has a heart for those jaded about God to find true hope and life in Christ and for the outcast to find a home. Kevin is also passionate about turning good ideas into great ideas and cooperating with God to see big dreams become reality. On his day off, you’ll find him running, biking, hiking, or checking out the newest hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

DANIEL ELLIFF | WORSHIP AND MEDIA PASTOR

Daniel joined Roots Community Church in February of 2016 from Little Rock, Arkansas. He graduated from the University of Central Arkansas where he studied communication and public relations. Daniel has a deep desire to see people connect with, and be changed by God through praise and music and believes that corporate worship plays a significant role within the church. God placed this calling on his life in high school and he has passionately served on several worship teams since. Roots Community Church is Daniel's third church plant to be a part of. He is overjoyed to take part in God's plan for Roots and is excited to see God's gospel proclaimed in the city of Seattle. He loves running, coffee roasting, and spending quality time with his wife Corinn and two sons, Liam and Jonah.

 

MEET OUR SERVE TEAM LEADERS

 
 

Hannah Bonotto | Hospitality Team Lead

Originally from California, Hannah moved to Seattle in 2016 to begin a career in structural engineering. With a passion for welcoming anyone who is new or reconnecting with regular members, Hannah is often one of the first faces you see as you arrive at Roots. In her free time, you will often find Hannah riding her bike, exploring the outdoors, or playing games with friends.

 
 
 

Kyle & Alison Teegarden | Setup Team Leads

Kyle and Alison both hail from the Northwest (Portland and Spokane, respectively), but only moved to Seattle in 2018-2019 (Yes, Kyle followed Alison) and got married in the summer of 2020. They are thankful for the community they found in Roots, and love to work with the set-up team to make Roots run smoothly and create a space to honor Jesus. During the week, Kyle and Alison both work in product management (for different companies). Kyle loves all things outdoors, board games, college football, and sleeping in. Alison loves some things outdoors, Star Wars, adventures, and coffee. 

 
 
 

Josh Blue | Media Team Lead

Josh moved to Seattle in 2016, at the prompting of a member of Roots, and has been working as an architect for a firm downtown designing schools. The first day Roots held a service in the Ravenna-Eckstein Community Center, he was put on the spot to run slides for worship, and he’s been serving on the media team ever since. With his passion for quality and consistency, he is grateful for his team, as they take on the responsibility to provide a seamless worship experience for the entire church. Whenever the sun is shining, you’ll find Josh on the disc golf course, or in the field playing volleyball.

 
 
 

Cori Concepcion |Creative Team Lead

Originally from the Midwest, Cori made her way out to Seattle in the Fall of 2019 for a job working as a designer at a local architecture firm. Upon finding Roots near the beginning of 2021, she was thankful to find a loving, close-knit church home that she could become a part of. She loves to contribute on the Creative Team by developing graphics and visuals for Roots. You can also find Cori serving coffee on Sunday mornings. When not serving, Cori is probably off making neighborhood cat friends or reading in the corner of a local coffee shop sipping on (even more) caffeine.

 
 
 
 

Josh Matthews |Coffee Team Lead

 

Kevin Gibbs |Sprouts Children’s Ministry