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Phillips's Biography

What do you do at Main Street?

Each week, I have the privilege of leading Main Street's worship gatherings. During the week, my time is split between overseeing the preparation for those weekly gatherings, including rehearsing the Praise Choir and Praise Band, and conducting the administration of the church.

Tell me about your family?

Originally from Burlington, KY, I am the youngest of three boys. My mother and father still live in Burlington, and both my brothers are married. I have four fantastic nephews and one beautiful niece. I am also blessed to have a very large extended family (over 60 cousins!).

In April 2010, I was blessed to marry Stephanie Alford Brunner. God has so richly blessed us, and waiting for 36 years for God to reveal the right person to be my life partner is one of the greatest testimonies of my life. Main Street overwhelmed us with a wedding worship service and celebration unparalleled in our minds to anything we have experienced. Stephanie and I look forward to following God's leadership in our lives as Mr. & Mrs. Brunner from now until we meet our Savior.

What is your background?

I graduated from Conner high school in 1991. I attended the University of Louisville where I received two degrees in 1996: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts in Music. I worked for one year with Kentucky Opera in Louisville, KY, assisting the Executive Director and working in the production department. I attended the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music for graduate studies in arts administration. I first completed my Masters in Business Administration from UC in 1999, and then I completed my Masters of Arts Administration in 2004.

My ministry training came through my involvement with Baptist Campus Ministries at the University of Louisville and working Centrifuge staff. Through BCM, I was given the opportunity to lead weekly worship services, direct creative ministries teams, serve as campus President and as a state officer, travel on many campus mission trips, serve as a summer missionary, and lead a creative arts team to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Through three summers of Centrifuge camp, I was fortunate to help lead worship, creative Bible studies for students, and serve as camp Missions Coordinator. I joined the staff at Main Street part-time in February, 1999, and then full-time in August, 1999.

What do you love best about Main Street?

The people of Main Street truly desire to be living for Christ with an understanding that this means continually stretching to do more, to reach out, to see bigger visions from God, to be a part of God’s miraculous work today, and to love people. The people of Main Street know what it is to do church God’s way. That’s what I love most!

What do you like to do in your free time?

I like to cook. I love to travel – if there is a road or air trip, I want to be on it. I love hanging out with students because they keep me young and honest. I love spending time with anything having to do with arts – theatre, musicals, operas, museums, ballets, symphony, movies (can you tell performing arts is my preference?). Finally, I love to be with people, to hang out with people, and to experience new things with new people.

Music
Most Christian styles and artists (Steven Curtis Chapman especially), Broadway (Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables), Opera (I Pagliacci), Classical, 80’s and 90’s pop, no country please.

Movies
The Man From Snowy River, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Elf, Polar Express, Beauty and the Beast, Charlotte's Web, Usual Suspects.

Books
The Heart of the Artist by Rory Nowland, The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, Laugh Again by Chuck Swindoll, A Mystery of Majesty by Dennis Jernigan, The Jesus I Never Knew by Yancey, Reflections on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis.

Food
Italian, Chinese, Mexican, German, and Southern (of course, mom’s homemade is the best!)

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