Bishop Designate Chris Kimmenez is from Washington, DC and resides in Philadelphia. He served in the US Marine Corps as a warrant officer from 1978 until medically retiring in 1994, having served in combat in Grenada, Panama, Kuwait, and Somalia. After a car accident and struggling with addiction, physical disability, PTSD, and a criminal record, he entered recovery on January 27, 1995.

Chris was ordained a Baptist Minister in 1998. He pastored three churches and currently leads the Pastors and Preachers Support Network, serving 350 pastors. He is National Director of Support Services for Healing Communities USA, a faith-based prison reentry initiative, and is a Mental Health First Aid Instructor and member of the Faith & Spiritual Affairs Advisory Board of the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disabilities. Chris holds a B.S. in Human Resources, a M.S. in Health Education, Psy.D in Psychology and is pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree. He is married to the Rev. Paula Burnett-Kimmenez with six children (one deceased) and twelve grandchildren.