Preaching Team at Englewood

We believe in the importance of multiple voices speaking into our weekly worship gatherings on Sundays at 10:45 AM. This allows us to hear from different perspectives and experiences. The members of our preaching team are:

Rev. Dr. Christie Love, Senior Pastor

Christie Love holds a Master’s Degree in Practical Theology from Regent Seminary and a Doctorate of Ministry from Eden Theological Seminary. She specializes in researching the intersections of faith, religious trauma, and mental health. She regularly writes about trauma-informed ministry practices and religious trauma on her Substack.

Locally, Christie also serves as the Vice President of the NAMI Yakima Board, Co-Chair of the Yakima Association of Faith Communities, and Chair of the Yakima Immigrant Response Faith Workgroup. Nationally, she serves as the Second Vice-Chair of the NAMI National FaithNet Council.

Christie is an ordained minister through The Disciples of Christ. She published her first book, God of the Gaps, through Morgan James Publishing in April 2021. She is also a certified Enneagram trainer and teaches a ten-week class on this system in the fall and the spring.

Christie is married to Bob, and together, they have four adult children and three spoiled dogs. They relocated to the Yakima Valley from SW Missouri to serve at Englewood Christian Church in 2024.

Doyle Hardy

Doyle holds a Master of Divinity Degree from Christian Theological Seminary. His is ordained by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Following 14 years in parish ministry, Doyle became a licensed mental health therapist, specializing in adult, geriatric and couples counseling.

Upon retirement, he rediscovered the joy of facilitating adult learning in areas of theology, mental health, and communication, using an appropriate dose of humor. Doyle believes that all of life is interconnected and that “we are nothuman beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin).

Doyle is married and has an adult son. He has lived in Yakima since 1976 and loves the sunny days and beauty of our valley and surrounding area. He is an avid reader and enjoys watching documentaries on a variety of topics. Doyle became a pilot prior to retirement and enjoys flying a 1946 Ercoupe and socializing with the aviation community, particularly his Ercoupe partners.

Rev. Jeff Davis

Karissa Fischer

Karissa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Seattle Pacific University and a certificate in the Art of Spiritual from Stillpoint. Originally from Yakima, Karissa's journey has taken her to various corners of the country, including Seattle, Ann Arbor, MI, and New York, before returning home to start her family. Professionally, Karissa brings over ten years of experience in the tech industry, where she worked at Google and Airbnb. As a user experience researcher, she was focused on uncovering the underlying needs and motivations of users as the foundation for building effective product solutions. Her entrepreneurial spirit also led her to own a small cafe and retail business in Tieton, WA. 

Karissa’s training in spiritual direction through the Stillpoint program at Ghost Ranch has equipped her in the practice of sacred listening – a way of being present with others on their personal spiritual journeys. While rooted in the Christian tradition, Karissa holds a broad and inclusive perspective, valuing the wisdom found in diverse spiritual streams and extending a warm welcome to all. She is optimistic about the role the church can play in our communities as a refuge for rest in a chaotic world, a nurturing place for spiritual growth, and a catalyst for social change.

Her personal passions include the creativity of interior design, traveling the globe any chance she gets, and getting lost in a good book. Karissa and her husband Alex are parents to two young sons and one fluffy pup. Their family life abounds in both the chaos and the incredible joy of raising tiny humans. It’s from this place that Karissa is passionate about supporting young families in cultivating thriving spiritual lives in our modern and busy world.