our Team
The staff and leadership is comprised of men and women who love, care and pray for the people of Journey Church. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and email them or call our church office. You can contact the church office at
Staff & Leadership
Bart Bentley
Lead Pastor
Bart grew up in the foothills of Los Angeles County. After attending Bible College in Eugene, Oregon, he was a Youth Pastor in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for seventeen years. In 2004 he earned his Master of Divinity in Dubuque, Iowa. He came to Journey Church in 2013 and lives in Loves Park with his wife Erin and their three children. He enjoys outdoor trail runs, spending time with family, and his morning coffee. His desire is to help people grow in their faith and come to know Jesus personally as Savior.
Trevor Seeburger
Associate Pastor
Born and raised in Riga, Michigan, Trevor felt called into ministry at the age of sixteen. After high school, he attended Master's Commission in Spokane, WA. He married in 2008 and moved to Eugene, Oregon to finish his BA degree in Pastoral Studies. Trevor served in the Spokane area for three years as Youth Pastor. He and his wife Erin have two children. In April 2016 Trevor and Erin moved to Illinois to serve Journey Church.
Jassiel and Stephanie Perez
Children's Pastors
Born & raised in Chiapas, Mexico, Pastor Jassiel grew up in a pastoral family. In his youth he moved to Guatemala to do missions work among children and families. There he finished his Bachelor’s degree and met his future wife. They now have two children. In 2017 the Perez family moved to Illinois and have been part of Journey Church since 2019. He and his wife are committed to seeing Jesus' shining His light on the hearts of the younger generations.
Patty Meyer
Office Administrator
Patty is native to the Loves Park Machesney Park area and served as Youth Pastor at Journey for ten years before assuming her current role in 2016. She attended Christian Life College in Mount Prospect, IL, and has been involved in most every aspect of church ministry since then. She and her husband Tim live in Caledonia, Illinois. They have three grown children, three precious grandsons.
Erin Bentley
Bookkeeper
Erin grew up on a farm in northern Iowa and has been active in various aspects of church ministry childhood. She attended Eugene Bible College for Office Administration and another year of community college to get her Medical Secretary training. She was bookkeeper for a Christian preschool in Iowa for ten years prior to serving as bookkeeper here at Journey Church. She is married to Pastor Bart and loves teaching/discipling, homeschooling, and playing piano.
