Chris Howell

CrossPoint Trussville

Chris Howell

Minister Of Adults

Chris grew up in the Mississippi delta, coming of age in the 1970s -1980s in the heart of the birthplace of the blues. Chris graduated from Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi, in 1987 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. After completing a Master of Business Administration degree in 1989, Chris married his college sweetheart, Carrie Copeland. They settled in Cleveland, where Chris was the operations planning supervisor for a global medical devices manufacturer.

In January, 1997, Chris and his family moved to Birmingham so he could attend divinity school. Chris graduated from Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in 1999 with a Master of Divinity degree. Carrie has a Master’s Degree in Education with a concentration in school psychology. Carrie is a mental health therapist at Eastside Mental Health Center.

Chris and Carrie have two sons and a daughter-in-law. Their son and daughter-in-law, Daniel and Ashley, are actively serving members of CrossPoint. Daniel has an associate’s degree from Jefferson State Community College and additional computer science studies at the University of Alabama – Birmingham. Daniel works at American Lumber in Birmingham as an engineered-wood systems designer. Ashley graduated from the University of Alabama – Birmingham in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a minor in business administration. Ashley works as a real estate appraiser. Chris and Carrie’s son, Jordan, is also an actively serving member of CrossPoint. Jordan graduated from the University of Alabama in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science degree in athletic training. Jordan is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree at Samford University.

Ryan Whitley

Ryan grew up in Bluff Park, Alabama, and is a proud 1980 graduate of the W.A. Berry High School – Go Bucs! He completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After receiving a call to ministry in 1985, Ryan completed his Masters of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (1988) and his Doctor of Ministry from Beeson Divinity School (1996). Ryan and Vonda were married on February 8, 1986 at the First Baptist Church of Pleasant Grove, Alabama. Vonda received her Dental Hygiene degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She was a dental hygienist for several years. After the birth of their first child, she became a stay-at-home mom. Ryan and Vonda have two children – Taylor and Kelsey. Taylor and his wife, Lydia, both serve on staff at the International Baptist Church of Stuttgart, Germany. Taylor and Lydia are the proud parents of Luke Elijah. Luke is Ryan and Vonda’s first grandchild. Kelsey is a graduate of Samford University, where she received both her Bachelor of Arts and Masters in Social Work. She is currently a Co-therapist for JBS Mental Health. Ryan serves as an adjunct professor for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary at the Birmingham extension. At Beeson Divinity School he is a mentor in the mentoring program and he also serves as a trustee on the Alumni Trustee Board. Ryan enjoys running, CrossFit (when his back is not ailing him), reading and international travel with his wife.

Brian Harris

Brian grew up in Vestavia Hills, Alabama and is a graduate of Vestavia Hills High School (1993). After graduating from Vestavia, he enrolled at Samford University and graduated in 1997 with a B.S. in Education focusing on Church Recreation. Brian continued his education at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he graduated in 2001 with a Masters of Arts in Christian Education. As a child he always wanted to follow in in his fathers footsteps and become a Minister of Recreation. His dad was a Minister of Recreation for 40 plus years. It was between Brian’s junior and senior year of high school when the Lord put that calling on his life. Brian is married to Angie. They dated throughout college and married on May 30, 1998, one week after Angie graduated with a business degree from Samford. Angie is currently a stay at home mom after a 20 year career at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. Brian and Angie have two incredible kids that came into their family through the amazing gift of adoption. If you are reading this and considering adoption or know someone who is, please reach out to Brian or Angie. They would love to share their story. Kinley (born March 2006) is a student at Hewitt Trussville High School. She loves all things running but especially Cross Country, journaling and reading. Colton (born April 2009) is a student at Hewitt Trussville Middle School. He loves football, reading and anything on the water. Brian loves all sports but especially college football – Go Vols! His other favorite teams are the Atlanta Braves, San Antonio Spurs and the Pittsburg Steelers. In his spare time Brian loves playing disc golf, golf and spending time with his family. Brian joined the staff at CrossPoint in July of 2007 as our first Minister of Recreation. In July of 2023, Brian will be transitioning into a new role here at CrossPoint and become our Executive Pastor. As a child he always wanted to follow in in his fathers footsteps and become a Minister of Recreation. His dad was a Minister of Recreation for 40 plus years. It was between Brian’s junior and senior year of high school when the Lord put that calling on his life. Brian is married to Angie. They dated throughout college and married on May 30, 1998 one week after Angie graduated with a business degree from Samford. Angie is currently a stay at home mom after a 20 year career at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. Brian and Angie have two incredible kids that came into their family through the amazing gift of adoption. If you are reading this and considering adoption or know someone who is please reach out to Brian or Angie they would love to share their story. Kinley (born March 2006) loves soccer, cross-country running, journaling and reading. Colton (born April 2009) loves football, reading and anything on the water. Brian loves all sports but especially college football (Go Vols)! His other favorite teams are the Atlanta Braves, San Antonio Spurs and the Pittsburg Steelers. He loves playing golf and spending time with his family. Brian joined the staff at CrossPoint in July of 2007.

Buck Poole

Buck was born in Birmingham, Alabama and graduated from Clay-Chalkville High School in 2001. He received a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 2005 and a Master of Accountancy from Auburn University in 2006. After graduation, Buck worked for 11 years in public accounting before answering a call to ministry in 2017. He joined the CrossPoint staff in March of 2018 and received a Masters of Divinity from Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham in 2020. Buck and April were married on June 26, 2010. April also holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a Master of Accountancy from Auburn University. She spent 4 years in public accounting and 4 years in corporate accounting before staying home with their first child. While staying home with their children, April continues to practice as a CPA on a part-time basis. Buck and April have two children. Kate was born in May 2013 and Braden in September 2016. Kate loves to read and write, and her dad is trying to instill a love for basketball in her as well. Braden loves baseball and eating snacks! Buck, April, Kate and Braden have a rescue dog named Fairley “Bug” Poole. Buck has been involved in several ministries and civic organizations, including serving on the Regional Advisory Board for Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes, the Board of Directors for the Greater Birmingham Humane Society and as a volunteer instructor for Junior Achievement of Greater Birmingham. In his free time, Buck enjoys playing golf, watching sports and traveling. Buck and April were married on June 26, 2010. Buck and April have two children. Kate was born in May 2013 and Braden in September 2016. In recent years, Buck has been involved in several ministries and civic organizations, including serving on the Regional Advisory Board for Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes, the Board of Directors for the Greater Birmingham Humane Society and as a volunteer instructor for Junior Achievement of Greater Birmingham. In his free time, Buck enjoys playing golf, watching sports and traveling.