Don Mingo was born in Minneapolis, MN in 1957 and is the oldest of six siblings.  He attended Lowell Elementary Grade School, Jordan Junior High, and graduated from high school at Minnehaha Academy in Minneapolis.

Raised in a Roman Catholic home, Don received Christ at the age of fifteen in 1972 under the ministries of the Plymouth Baptist Church of Plymouth, Minnesota while Dr. R. J. Terrey pastored there.

During a Missions Conference at Plymouth Baptist Church, God impacted Don concerning the spiritual needs of people.  One missionary in particular, after sharing his ministry in Ethiopia asked, “Is there not a person that would come to Africa and help us bring people to Christ?”  Don answered God’s call to ministry on the spot in 1974.

Attending Baptist Bible College 1976-80 in Springfield, Missouri, Don received a Graduate's Diploma in Bible and a BS degree in Theology.  He has also received a Masters of Religious Education from Bethany Theological Seminary in Dothan, Alabama and a Masters of Divinity as well as a Doctorate of Ministry from Luther Rice Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia.  Don is currently serving as the first ever Chaplain for the Eagan Fire Department.

Don met Kathy Walling, and they married in June of 1979. Kathy was born in El Dorado, Kansas in 1959. Earning a Graduate of Christian Education degree, she graduated from Baptist Bible College in 1980.  She received Christ when Don led her to the Lord in 1981.

“She is the love of my life and my best friend.  Kathy is a tiny woman in stature, but has a big heart for people, especially children.  We both come from extremely dysfunctional family backgrounds and have worked through a whole lot of pain.  We have gone down this path together, and God uses our background regularly to help others in the same situations.”

They served together in South Africa for twenty-two years as church planters, pastors, seminary professors, counselors, and just about any other way needed to impact people for Christ.

Don and Kathy have three sons and two granddaughters, Donald (his wife Tracy and daughter Aidan), Daniel (his wife Jen and daughter Addison), and Dennis.

I had the privilege of being raised in a loving Christian home, something I will never take for granted. I am the middle child of three, having one older sister and a younger sister. I grew up in Canada, mostly in the Vancouver area. Since then I have lived in various places including the US, Haiti and Senegal, West Africa.

I was adopted into God’s family at the age of nine, when I was old enough to understand what it was I saw in my parents that I was so drawn to. My walk with Christ has been one of steady growth and an increasing love and appreciation for my eternal Father. God has strengthened and stretched me in many ways at many times by guiding my family and me through years in overseas missions service and youth ministry.

My daily blessings come in the form of my loving and beautiful wife Kim and my three amazing and amusing sons Liam, Jude and Asher. If I could do one thing all day every day it would be hanging out with the four of them.

In His usual mind-blowing manner, God brought us to Chapel Hill and now here I am, blessed with the gift of mentoring an incredible group of teenagers in the youth ministry. Someday ask me how ironic and humbling that reality is.

I grew up in rural Wisconsin on a small dairy farm with my Mom, Dad, Grandpa, 4 sisters, 1 brother and lots of critters.  After graduating from High School, I moved to the Twin Cities to attend Bethel College.  There I met my husband Ron, and after my junior year we were married and left Bethel to serve as short term missionaries in Argentina.  Upon returning I completed my Bachelor of Arts degree and entered the work world. 

My husband changed career plans and returned to school to get his elementary teaching license, and when that was done we started a family.  In the spring of 1991 our first son was born and I became a stay at home mom.

We have been married 21 years now and have three children.  Tristan, age 16, Mackenzie, age 12 and Aidan, age 8.  I spend the majority of my time working with the Children's Ministry's families here at Chapel Hill and home-schooling our children.  I also volunteer with our home-school co-op and with La Leche League, helping moms and babies get off to a good start together.  My husband spends his time teaching elementary kids and then comes home to help teach ours, so you could say our passion is KIDS!