Church Board
Church Board
email:Contact the Reservoir Church Board
Steve Watson, President
Steve Watson joined the staff of Reservoir Church as its senior pastor in July, 2013. Prior to that, he served as the principal of Watertown High School, as a middle- and high-school English teacher in the Boston Public Schools, and as a campus staff minister with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. In all of his endeavors, Steve has maintained great passion for teaching, coaching and mentoring, organizational and community development, and public healing and justice. In addition to his work at Reservoir, Steve serves on the Board of Greater Boston Interfaith Organization and the Council of Samaritans. Steve has a B.A from Brandeis University, a Masters in Education from UMASS-Boston, and has studied educational leadership, Bible, theology, and ministry at the graduate level.
Born and raised in eastern Massachusetts, Steve has traveled extensively but has never left behind his great affection for the Charles River, the Red Sox, and (almost) all things New England. Steve and his wife Grace, who shares his local roots and works as the director of Next Steps in Brookline, became members of Reservoir Church in 2006. They love this community’s accessibility, authenticity, and vibrant connection with a living God. When not at the church, Steve, Grace, and their three growing and grown children—Julianna, Zeke, and John—enjoy all manner of family adventures big and small together.
Ann Bakun
Ann started attending Reservoir the first Sunday after moving to the area in the year 2000 and has been grateful to call this her community ever since. What Ann appreciates most about Reservoir is the sense of belonging and acceptance that has remained consistent throughout many different seasons and transitions in life. Plus the people are pretty great too. Over the years, Ann has led small groups and served on various Sunday teams. Ann’s current gig as a Sunday morning greeter has her stationed at the front door warmly welcoming people into the church and also diligently preventing small children from running out unsupervised. After stints in economic consulting and marketing analytics, Ann has settled into a role as a general business manager for her family bringing her personal and professional life into alignment. Ann and her husband, Adam, picked their current home for its proximity to the church and are currently living up to their “Hungry Bakun” reputation by hosting the Pizza Goals community group.
Peter Choo
Peter is a physician-epidemiologist by training. He came to Boston in the 1990s for graduate school and found a supportive community at what would later become known as Reservoir Church in 2000. Peter lived in South Korea as a boy when it was still a low-income country and since then has had a heart for working to improve the health status and quality of life of the poor. To that end, he has partnered with several non-profits that focus on education, healthcare, and gender equity. He is also an investor in healthcare and social enterprises. Peter and his wife, Stephanie, love their community at Reservoir, are involved in several community groups, and desire that we all may flourish in our lives.
Emmett Jorgenson
Emmett started attending Reservoir when they moved to Boston in the fall of 2018. Their family had lived in the Boston area when Emmett was in elementary school and they had attended the church when it was the Cambridge Vineyard. It was a gift that the one Boston-area church Emmett was familiar with from childhood was also the right church community for them in adulthood. Emmett appreciates Reservoir’s focus on beloved community, genuine inclusivity, and justice. Emmett currently leads the LGBTQIA+ community group and has benefitted from the nourishment of multiple community groups at Reservoir. Emmett is a middle school special education teacher and enjoys hiking, scuba diving, gardening, and reading.
Manny Nicholas
Manny was drawn to Reservoir church in 2000 by a postcard invitation and by the Holy Spirit, and he says he has been growing ever since – mentally, physically, and spriitually. Before Reservoir, Manny wasn’t a church goer; looking back, he feels he was a lost soul. Manny lives in Lynn with his wife Muriel and their five year old son. He has worked full time in the restaurant equipment industry for twenty-two years. On the side, Manny also runs a nonprofit in Haiti called AHPAG, founded in 2006 by his family to help support the community and provide better education for the children. Manny strives to help others, and living to see the residents in his home region of Haiti flourish is his biggest dream.
Michelle Phillips
Michelle has been a member of this community for over 15 years. She is encouraged by this community; an environment where everyone can voice their opinion and not be judged by it. Michelle is a member of the prayer team, a small group, and has also been on many committees during her time at Reservoir church. During the day she works as an Executive Assistant for a company in the health field. She has one daughter that she is very proud of.
Amanda Proctor
Amanda has been a member of this church since her college days at Tufts University in the late 1990s. Amanda has a Masters in Social Work and in her day job, she leads a street outreach team with Pine Street Inn, serving Boston’s unhoused community. Amanda’s husband and two children are also active members of Reservoir, and in her free time, she loves to run, swim, and pray with and for people.
Vidya Sivan
Vidya has been attending Reservoir Church since Easter of 2004. At Reservoir, she has been a community group leader and helped lead various classes including SEEK and Unpack. In addition to the Board, Vidya also serves on the Partnerships Team and the Worship Team. Vidya found Reservoir through a then-colleague and stayed because of our church’s commitment to welcoming all without exception. Vidya’s Reservoir family is a mainstay of her life in Boston, and she is grateful for the love, fun, and personal and spiritual growth being a part of this community has brought her.
Chris Tolles
Chris has been attending Reservoir Church since summer 2009. Originally from New Jersey, Chris lives in West Cambridge with his wife, Tory, and their four kids.