Chris Dalton

Chris Dalton has been married to his high school sweetheart, Carissa, for nearly thirty years. They have three sons: Caleb, Noah, and Nicholas. Raised in Scottsdale, Arizona, Chris spent his formative years helping his parents run a church plant, which sparked his dream of working in and around churches.

For the past thirty years, Chris has worked bi-vocationally as a youth minister in Gilbert, a college minister and film department head in Phoenix, and a life group co-leader in Chatsworth, California.

In corporate roles, he worked for Eli Lilly, Lockheed Martin, ACS, and small businesses, managing communications and public relations. After fifteen years, he became a freelance writer and marketer, a path that led him to Hollywood and the Act One Program. There, Chris led development, wrote programs, and mentored writers pursuing Christian storytelling for mainstream Hollywood.

After moving back to Arizona in 2020, Chris and Carissa launched a Film Lab at their church, training writers, directors, and actors to create short films. Over two years, they produced more than 30 short films and a feature film, All The Dragons, made possible by volunteers.

After the Film Lab ended, Chris began teaching English Language Arts at Arcadia Christian Academy and screenwriting at Grand Canyon University. He and Carissa then sought a new church home, ultimately joining Mountain View Presbyterian Church.

After a year, they became members and deacons and, encouraged by Pastors Steve Beard and Drew Hulse, started ministry preparation at ECO’s seminary, the Flourish Institute of Theology. Chris is currently on the Ordination track with ECO, pursuing a Masters of Divinity, and working with leaders at MVPC.

As a child of God, husband, father, pastor’s kid, professional illustrator, writer, and lifelong learner, his passion is to know Jesus and make him known: “This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3; ESV)