Jonathan Parnell is the lead pastor of Cities Church in the twin cities area where he lives with his wife, Melissa, and their seven children. Originally from the Raleigh-Durham area, the Parnells moved to the Twin Cities in 2008 where Jonathan completed his Master of Divinity from Bethlehem College and Seminary. Jonathan served as a writer and editor for Desiring God, and he is the author of Mercy for Today (2020) and Never Settle for Normal (2017), among other titles. He and his team were sent out by Bethlehem Baptist Church in 2015 to plant Cities Church, a Multiplying Church in the middle of the Twin Cities metro.