Ministry Staff
Dave Hooper
Senior Evangelist
Angela
Hooper
Women’s Ministry
“Dr. Dave” came to Austin after serving four years on the mission field in post-Soviet Russia. As the story goes, there just wasn’t enough guacamole and jalapenos to keep him there for long. While in Russia, Dave married his wife, Angela in 1993. They arrived at Austin Christian in 1996, one year after it began. The Hoopers have raised 3 beautiful daughters. Dave finished his Doctorate of Ministry from Abilene Christian University in 2018. Dave loves sports of all kinds and you are likely to hear a good sports analogy in his sermons.
“Ange,” as she is called by her friends, has worked in women’s ministry since 1992. She is one of the warmest people you’ll ever meet and makes a mean chicken pot pie. Some in the congregation have intentionally gotten sick or had a baby simply to have her bring them some! Ange loves doing things for others. Thoughtful gifts are her thing. In her free time, Ange loves crime shows and Jane Austen books – a rather curious combination.
Christian
Flores
Evangelist,
Tribe
Deb Flores
Women’s Minister,
Tribe
Christian is Austin Christian’s very own “international man of mystery.” Half Chilean and half Russian, Christian has lived in Russia, Chile, Germany and Mozambique, speaks four languages and has a Master’s degree in Economics. To top it off, he had a successful music career in the 90’s in Russia and co-founded his company - Third Drive. Christian has worked in ministry around the globe in faraway locations such as Moscow and Kiev as well as more exotic places such as Los Angeles and Miami. Christian has a passion for film-making and absolutely loves Austin.
Deb studied Theater and left a thriving career in the entertainment industry in Hollywood to pursue her dream of missions. She was so passionate about missions that she moved to Russia and married Christian in 1999. The Flores have three beautiful daughters and Deb is redeeming her own education by homeschooling them. Deb speaks three languages has a passion for learning and loves new things. She is a Packer fan, but no one holds that against her.
John Glinski
Youth and Family
Minister
Carol Glinski
Youth and Family
Minister
John is a graduate of the University of Texas. At 6’8”, he is the tallest person on staff at Austin Christian. John began working in ministry as a campus minister and now runs his own company while serving the Youth and Family ministry. John loves backpacking, soccer, and craft beer, though not necessarily in that order. John may be the smartest guy on staff. On a math test in college, he actually derived a forgotten formula to get a correct answer on a test. That same semester he got a B in volleyball, but he doesn’t talk about that much.
Carol is a graduate of the University of Texas. Carol began working in ministry as a campus minister and now has her own Arbonne business while serving the Youth and Family ministry. Although her family hails from Mexico, she is the quickest to get sunburned. She is a fierce competitor and loves exercise. Carol is loads of fun and if you ever played a game at Youth & Family event, chances are, it was her idea!
Brian Tan
East Side Minister
Erika Tan
East Side Minister
Brian got his MBA from the California Institute of Advanced Management. Now Brian is about God’s business working with campus ministry at the University of Texas. Brian grew up on Guam and therefore enjoys Austin’s laid-back style. He married his wife, Erika in 2014. He loves music and food, all the more reason for him to love Austin. Brian plays guitar, drums and he sings.
Erika is so supportive of her husband that she also got her MBA from the California Institute of Advanced Management, just to make sure Brian would finish. Erika now utilizes her business acumen working with students at the University of Texas. Erika grew up in the Pacific Northwest and is super grateful for the Texas sunshine. Her passions include hiking, movies and the Beatles.
Elias
Delault
Tribe Minister
Rachel
delault
Tribe Minister
Elias grew up on the east coast, led ministries on the west coast but has finally decided that coasts are overrated and that being right in the middle is the place to be. Elias is a man of many talents. In addition to his passion for ministry, Elias is an accomplished musician having written and recorded 3 full-length albums. Elias also loves skateboarding and if you arrive to church early enough, you may catch him jumping curbs in the parking lot.
Rachel landed in Austin after working in ministry in such far away places as California, Oregon & Washington. Rachel has a delightful spirit and a great sense of humor, most likely attributed to the fact that she gave birth to 4 boys in 4 years. Half Mexican/American and half Peruvian/Chinese, Rachel speaks English, Spanish and Japanese. This only partially makes sense but is impressive nonetheless. If you spend any time with Rachel she will surely rope you in to what constitutes a perfect Chai Latte. Fun fact: Rachel completed 2 marathons!
Brandon yi
Youth and Family
Minister
Lauren yi
Youth and Family
Minister
Brandon grew up in Virginia though he came to us from Boston. Brandon is the resident foodie on our staff with opinions about everything from BBQ to hot sauce to kimchi. He also loves fast food, which feels a bit oxymoronic. Almost every sermon Brandon preaches will contain some kind of a food reference. Brandon has an unexpectedly deep voice that serves him well as a speaker. However, at 12 years old, he frightened the parents of his peers. Brandon has a passion for youth ministry and you will often find him playing Spike ball with the teen ministry.
Lauren hails from Boston and attended college at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. Lauren loves dogs, paddle-boarding and pasta, though we are still trying to understand the connection between those hobbies. Lauren is loved by all of the teenagers in the congregation in part, because she looks like she is their age. Lauren also loves music and you’ll often find her singing and playing guitar with the worship band.
Katie tudor
Campus Minister
Katie was born and raised in Texas, which means she is pretty awesome. She holds a masters degree in Social Work from Abilene Christian University and is a LMSW (That’s Licensed Master Social Worker for those of us not down with the acronyms). All this means that Katie has a big heart for people and is perfect for ministry. Katie loves running and coffee, though probably not at the same time. As a native Texan, she is also a big fan of avocados.