Senior Pastor Succession

Pastor Dan Cochrane has served at CrossRoads Church as the Senior Pastor for over 25 years. In January 2022, Dan asked to step down from this role effective at the end of 2023. We appreciate Dan's heart and leadership, and we look forward to seeing what God has for him as he steps into this new season.

The CrossRoads Church Board continues to process the direction God is leading. The Board will provide regular updates to the congregation, including answering some questions below. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How will the Church Board include the congregation and the staff in the search?

Over the past eight months, the Board has sought input from the congregation and church staff through a variety of meetings. On June 29, 2022, the Church Board gave an open invite to the congregation to attend a meeting in the church gym. At this meeting, input was sought on the next Senior Pastor through a cascading activity. This same process was then used with the Young Adults group on May 23, 2022, where they shared their thoughts on the next Senior Pastor. Through these meetings, the information was formulated and then presented to the Senior Pastor Search Committee.

What we heard from our meetings with the congregation:

• The next Senior Pastor should have a number of years of life experience, including experience leading a mid-large church.
• A strong and passionate biblical teacher is important but must also be personable and approachable and live with a posture of humility.
• Well grounded theologically, but very much able to speak to tough issues, and with grace, in light of the many societal pressures in these times. The pastor must also have the ability to relate to multiple demographics.
• A shepherd’s heart with a clear anointing of the Holy Spirit upon them as they lead us.

On November 8, 2022, members of the Church Board met with Pastors and staff in director positions to seek their input on the next Senior Pastor. This input was recorded and then given to the Senior Pastor Search Committee to review.

Throughout the process, we welcome your input by contacting one of the search committee members.

2. How can I be involved in the process?

We are asking as a church that we pray. We need God’s guiding hand throughout this process, and prayer is a way for us all to be involved. Prayer points are available by clicking here.

The Search Committee is available to be contacted at any time throughout the process. If you know of someone that you feel the Search Committee should explore, or if you have any questions or comments about the search process, you can speak to any one of the Search Committee Members or send an email to Kendra at kendrab@crossroadschurch.ca. She will ensure that the committee receives your suggestion.

3. How will a new Senior Pastor affect us as a congregation? What things can we expect might change?

It might be more helpful to know what will not change. We believe the vision we have to reach Central Alberta is a vision God gave us as a church family, so we do not anticipate this changing. We will always be seeking to reach our families, friends, neighbours and co-workers for Jesus and doing so with hearts filled with compassion and grace for all people. And so we will look for someone with a similar heart. (see the section below titled About CrossRoads Church)

The things that might change a bit will be in the ‘how’ we go about doing this, and that will be a wait-and-see approach. The additional parts of us that are critical to keep beyond that vision will surface after prayer and conversations with the body. 

4. What does the process look like to find the new Senior Pastor?

The Search Committee is meeting every three weeks to consider potential candidates and prepare for interviews. Between regular meetings, the members of the Search Committee are also spending time researching potential candidates. The Committee has reviewed individuals from over 150 churches to date. The Committee also interacts with the Board on a monthly basis, so there are continuous discussions and times of prayer happening throughout the month. We recognize our dependence on the Holy Spirit during this search and ask that you join us in praying to this end.

Once a suitable candidate has been found, the Search Committee will present the individual to the Church Board, who in turn will present the individual to the membership for their affirmation. Our bylaws state that the membership makes the final decision with a 75% or better vote of confidence. Before such a vote, there would be a time when we all get to meet the individual and hear their heart and call to ministry here at CrossRoads.

5. Where are we at in the search process?

The committee meets on average every three weeks to discuss and plan what next steps are and to discuss the work that has been done by each member between meetings. We realized from the beginning that the hiring process would be challenging and take some time. Some of the things that have been worked on include:

• Building a matrix criterion to show what is most important when looking at potential candidates. This matrix included input from the committee, the Board, and our pastoral team.
• The committee members have looked at more than 150 churches to see if there are potential people we can reach out to.
• As a group we have listened to hundreds of hours of sermons to make assessments and look at what theology the individuals may have.
• In this process, we have reached out to some individuals and tapped them on the shoulder to have a conversation of interest or if they had other names that could be passed along to us.
• We have reviewed the few applications that have been submitted and have worked through them.
• We have connected with some individuals to get more information.
• We will continue to connect with people and press into ones we feel strongly about.

In all of this work we trust the Lord in His leading.

6. Who gets the final say on who we hire?

The congregation will eventually have the final say on who is hired, as our bylaws require a 75% vote in favour of who the Church Board presents as the Senior Pastor candidate. 

7. What if we don’t find someone in the time frame between now and the end of 2023?

Let’s all trust the Lord in this process and believe that He has someone special for our church. What we do not know is the timing, but we will proceed and ask God to provide. We as a Board have asked if Pastor Dan would consider continuing in his role as Senior Pastor for an additional 6 months which will have Pastor Dan here until the end of June 2024. Pastor Dan has graciously agreed to stay on in this capacity for the next year but will not extend past the end of next June. We are truly blessed and grateful to have the caliber and character of Dan as our Pastor.

Some of the reasons we have taken this step of having Pastor Dan stay on, is to provide more time for us to search for a new person. Should we find a candidate and they can start prior to June, we would like to bring them on to the Church staff. This will allow them to the end of June 2024 to begin to build relationships with staff and congregation and to have Pastor Dan and Pastor Jordan impart their passion for God’s Word and the vision that God has given CrossRoads.

8. How will we be led (structured) in the future?

We know that Lead Team needs to be expanded to a least one more member, and further, that we want to see good collaboration at various levels of staff leadership. The Church Board will be expanding the Lead Team in the early part of 2024 and look to include internal staff.

9. I have questions that have not been answered by FAQ. Where do I go to receive answers?

We are always open to any questions you may have throughout this process. Those questions can be directed to the search committee through the following email addresses, boardchair@crossroadschurch.ca or jordanp@crossroadschurch.ca.

10. Who are the members of Senior Pastor Search Committee?

Jordan Polson has served in the role of Executive Pastor here at CrossRoads for over 18 years. In his role, he is also a member of the Church Board. Prior to being on staff as the Executive Pastor, Jordan has been involved at CrossRoads Church since 1980, serving in the church in a variety of capacities, from being on the Church Board at different times along with multiple pastoral search committees, including the search committee that brought our current Senior Pastor, Dan Cochrane. Jordan will be serving to lead the committee and bring this experience.

 

Brad Vonkeman has been involved at CrossRoads since 2008. Over the years, Brad and his wife have raised their children at CrossRoads into adulthood. He has served in various ministries over the years, including youth, prayer, Celebrate Recovery and worship ministry. Many times you will see Brad on a Sunday up on the stage playing the bass guitar on the worship team or up front after the service on the prayer team. He has served as the chair of the Church Board since February 2017 and has served on the board since 2014.

 

Justin Munchinsky has been a part of CrossRoads since 2002. Justin and his wife have been involved in leading different small groups over the years, regularly welcoming others into their home. He also sees CrossRoads from the perspective of a parent with three active kids, all in the Kindergarten-Grade 6 (K-6) program at CrossRoads. 

 

Doug MacDormand has served as a member of the Church Board since January 2012. Prior to that, Doug and his family have been a part of CrossRoads since 1991. Doug served as Executive Pastor from 2001 to 2003 and has also served with Alpha since 1999, where he continues to have a heart for those seeking to know Christ.

 

Kendra Berniko has been attending CrossRoads Church since 2007. She and her husband have an active family that is comprised of four daughters ranging in age from 3 to 12 years old. She comes from the perspectives of a parent with children in early childhood, K-6 and youth group, along with being a member of the church staff where she has served for a number of years. Kendra is in the role of Director of Human Resources and Finance on staff, which provides added knowledge to the committee in Human Resources.

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About CrossRoads Church | Our Unique Calling

Our Vision

We want to give everyone in Central Alberta an opportunity to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and by following Him together, impact our world with compassion and hope.

This means:

• That we remain focused and passionate about reaching the lost here in Central Alberta (Matthew 18-20).
• That we follow Jesus and are becoming people fully devoted to our Lord and His teachings.
• That we are missional and offer compassion and hope for our world (local and global).

The Four Ways We Follow Jesus

Undergirding our vision are four priorities for ministry from Isaiah 58, which is as clear an expression of God’s heart as you will find in the Bible. This chapter states God’s priorities for His people with refreshing clarity. Following these priorities ensure we will not only fulfill our vision, but we will also keep in step with the Spirit of God.

1. Living Godly Lives – We believe God’s grace is available to all without exceptions. His grace grabs us where we are but doesn’t leave us there. He gives us His empowering presence to live godly lives.
• Spending time in God’s presence and His word
• Confessing our sins
• Depending on the Holy Spirit daily to help us follow Jesus
2. Loving Each Other Deeply – We believe love is very practical (I John 3:16-20). The best place for practical expressions of love is in caring for and showing grace to one another.
• Living at peace with one another
• Serving and encouraging one another
• Participating in community
3. Giving Priority to the Lost, the Last, the Least, the Little and the Nearly Dead – This priority has two facets: participating in sharing the Good News of Jesus that brings new life and hope to all people and also, attempt to unleash unprecedented amounts of compassion both locally and globally.
• Sharing what Jesus has done for me
• Praying for God’s heart; gaining understanding and direction for my part
• Giving of ourselves and our resources
4. Delighting Ourselves in the Lord through Worship – At the heart of worship is a desire to make Jesus’ name great. It is His name we want lifted high in Central Alberta and around the world.
• Coming together weekly in worship
• Giving our whole body to Jesus daily as an act of personal worship
• Setting apart one day in seven to rest in the presence of Jesus

As we wholeheartedly embrace these priorities as a church and as individuals, we know God will do more than we could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

Our Guiding Principles

1. We stay focused on the main thing; doing fewer things and doing them very well.
   • All that we do must be ‘sustainable’ to ensure that we do not spread our resources too thin and become less effective.
   • We maintain a simple ministry model, pouring our resources into a few select core areas of ministry rather than investing in many diverse areas of ministry.
   • We will depend on many from our church family to do the ministry, while the role of staff is to lead or support the ministry, shepherding, instructing, equipping, and modeling the way for our church family and all those who serve.
   • Ephesians 4:12 (Equipping); 2 Timothy 4:1-5 (Instructing); Acts 20:28 (Shepherding)
2. As we get larger, we must get smaller
   • We do this in many ways, with our primary means being small groups and midsize groups.
   • We desire that all who call CrossRoads home would find a community that knows them by name and cares about them personally.
   • A continual emphasis will remain to call people into groups for the purposes of community, connecting, care, accountability, and encouragement.
   • CrossRoads has small groups but is not made up solely of groups.
   • Acts 2:46 (Broke bread in their home groups); 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (Building each other up)
3. We go forward on our knees
   • We humble ourselves before God, admitting that we cannot reach Central Alberta and our world for Jesus on our own. We are completely and unequivocally dependent on God.
   • We want to go only where God wants us to be. We dare not ask Him to join us in our work; rather we follow His lead and join in His work. Then we will know we’re on the right track.
   • Numbers 9:15-23 (Go where God leads us); Exodus 34:14-15 (God with us)
4. We stay together and grow together
   • In 1996, we came together as a united body of believers and felt an overwhelming sense of calling and blessing from God to commit to staying together and therefore growing together. God has continually blessed this commitment and until He tells us otherwise, we will remain committed to this direction. We have considered satellite churches in Central Alberta but have yet to feel released to act on this.
   • Due to our current size the Lord has provided us with an abundance of resources such as knowledge, experience, and financial means, to name a few. We believe that when much is given, much is required, so we are always watching for ways to use our resources to support other churches and organizations in Central Alberta, Canada and around the world.
   • It is not about size, but rather, we want to do everything we can to follow God into Central Alberta and do the things He has asked of us.
5. We joyfully anticipate the extravagant outpouring of God’s Spirit on Central Alberta, when thousands meet Christ and all the churches in the region overflow with those coming to hear about God.
   • Our ministry activity must be ‘fluid’ so that our numbers can flex quickly and with minimal loss of effectiveness. We will hold our programs loosely and concentrate more on cultivating healthy environments of discipleship, from salvation through to spiritual maturity.
   • Our ministry leaders must always be asking themselves, “What programs, policies, procedures, or practices would become bottlenecks if God added large numbers to us today?”
   • Joel 2:28 (Outpouring of the Spirit)
6. We are committed to being inwardly strong and outwardly focused, missional in all we do.
   • Inwardly Strong
     • Our teaching will always strive to move listeners from knowledge to application, that they would know God deeply.
     • 2 Timothy 3:16 (authority of scripture and useful for training), Romans 12:2 (Renew your mind), Colossians 2:7 (Transformation through teaching)
   • Outwardly Focused
     • We focus on training, equipping, and encouraging believers so that they can go out and share the Good News of Jesus with their families, friends, co-workers, and community.
     • We each pray for at least three people to come to know Jesus. We pray for open doors (opportunities), open mouths (that we speak the Good News), and open hearts (that they will receive).
     • Matthew 28:19-20 (Go and make disciples); Deuteronomy 10 (We were once foreigners)