STAFF TEAM
AUSTIN GOHN
Lead Pastor
Austin has been the lead pastor of Bellevue Christian Church since February 2020, but he’s been living in Bellevue since he was a freshman at Northgate High School. He and his wife Julie have three kids, Levi, Evelyn, and Clive, and live within walking distance of the church. He loves baking sourdough bread, and you’ll often see him riding his bike down Lincoln Avenue. He wants nothing more than to see God stir up renewal in Pittsburgh. He’s also written a book about the five searches of young adulthood called A Restless Age.
JUSTIN LANGSTON
Worship Director
Justin visited eighteen different countries by the time he finished college, but he’s always called Pittsburgh home—living in Bellevue since elementary school and graduating from the University of Pittsburgh in 2022. He’s been leading worship since high school, and he grew up attending our youth group. In addition to his role as our worship team leader, he’s a medical assistant with UPMC Children’s Community Pediatrics—so don’t be surprised if you see him at your kids’ next appointment. (And, he loves seafood!)
TALIA EAMES
Kids Ministry Director
Talia is from Kansas City, which means she’s a Chiefs fan, but we still like her. She’s new to Pittsburgh, but she’s already acting like one of the locals—mostly because she loves french fries on everything. She is always reading and learning so that she can help kids and their families love and follow Jesus. She met Isaac, our youth pastor, while they were both attending Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL, and got married to him in 2022.
ISAAC EAMES
Youth Pastor + Groups Director
Isaac has lived in Bellevue almost his whole life—with the exception of the four years he spent at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL. He came back to Bellevue because he wants to invite ordinary students into living everyday life like Jesus in the same ministry where he started following Jesus when he was in high school. He’s married to Talia Morrow (our kids ministry director), and he knows more than anyone should know about High School Musical.
EMILY PODLESNIK
Administrative + Executive Assistant
Emily is from Wisconsin, but she’s made Pittsburgh her home in recent years. She and her husband Ben, along with their two sons, Theodore & Samuel, live in Bellevue’s neighboring borough of Avalon, PA. She has an eye for making things both organized and beautiful—whether that’s in the 100+ year old home she and her husband are renovating, her square-foot garden, or the creative projects she works on for our church. She loves exploring Pittsburgh with her family and finding fun weekend getaways that are close enough to be back for Sunday.
NAOMI ATWATER
Social Media Manager
Naomi is the youngest of nine kids and grew up on a Christmas Tree farm in Rochester, New York—just your average American childhood. She ended up in Pittsburgh after graduating from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL. In addition to her role as social media manager, she does graphic design and social media for a European mission organization. She has a huge passion for sharing the Gospel through social media theology and theory. If you want to know the next coffee shop you should try, just ask her—because she’s tried them all!
CAROLYN PALETTA
Business Director
Carolyn left her career as a lawyer in 2020 to spend more time at home with her young sons. In doing so, she also discovered that she had a gift for everything related to the operational side of church, and what began as a volunteer position turned into a part-time role here. When she’s not doing that, she loves to golf, cook, travel, host, and get outdoors. She and her husband, Joseph, have been married since 2009 and they live in Ross Township with their two sons and two cats.
COURTNEY MCCLELLAND
Communications & Alpha Coordinator
Courtney is a Pittsburgh native, who grew up in the North Hills and now lives on the Northside with her husband Zack, their son Caleb, and their cat Zoe. She loves volunteering with theater and teaching the Bible at Urban Impact Foundation—one of our partners in the city. She paints watercolor portraits of people's pets (including guinea pigs!), and, if you start a quote from Friends or Gilmore Girls, she could probably finish the quote for you.
CHRIS STEINER
Custodian
Chris grew up in Steubenville, Ohio, but now he and his wife Sanghee Ku (along with their two sons, Christopher and Lincoln) live right here in Bellevue. He loves this neighborhood, and he’s a Teacher Assistant (Paraprofessional) for the Northgate School District. In addition to working here as our custodian, he volunteers with the kids ministry as a teacher for our 4th-6th graders on Sundays. He’s always up for anything Star Wars, a good hike, or anime.