OUR ELDERS

John Webster – Elder Chairman 

John was born and raised in New Jersey graduating high school in 1966. Moving on to college in North Carolina (Catawba College) and receiving his BA in 1970. It was here he met his wife Sue and began a wild journey in business moving for opportunities seven times in seven years. Finally landing in Mobile Alabama where he started two businesses in 1980. Plastics manufacturing for the chemical industry and a mechanical construction company kept him busy for 28 years until he sold his businesses un 2008.

It was the fall of 1976 that he met Jesus at a John Osteen Wednesday night service in Houston Texas. The journey has been challenging and gratifying experiencing a number of denominations and service on boards along the way. Additionally, serving as Board Chairman for a Pro Life organization (Sav-A-Life) for 10 years. In the business community he found activity serving locally with CBMC (Christian Business Man’s Committee) facilitating a group of business owners called the Forum.

After retirement, he moved to a small beach town in Florida (Watersound Beach) and served on a community churches leadership team. Desiring the mountains for summer relief, he moved to Bigfork in 2012. Both John and Sue recognized the need for community which required more than six months at each location. The decision was easy for us to leave Florida and become full time residents of Bigfork and the Crossroads family in 2015.

Chad WermerChad Wermer

Chad Wermer grew up in northwestern Ohio   farming community where he helped his grandfather on the farm.  When Chad graduated High School in 1990, he enlisted in the Marine Corp and served a short time.  An old football injury ended his time in the Marines, so he started working at Kennedy     Manufacturing in the tool box industry.  He attended a small protestant church as a young boy and was confirmed into the church at the age of 13.  Although Chad knew who Jesus was, he didn’t understand the relationship Jesus wanted to have with him. 

In 1995 Chad moved to Montana where he met his wife Denise while working at her family’s cherry farm.  Chad and Denise went to College in Wenatchee, Washington to attend Wenatchee Valley College in 1996.   He learned to be a Refrigeration/Heating and Air Conditioning service Tech while Denise studied horticulture.  Chad and Denise moved back to Montana where they were married in September of 1997. They have 3 Children, Adam 19, Aaron 16, and Ayla 12. Chad worked at Kalispell Regional Healthcare for 20 years in Facilities Management until June of 2019, when he chose to end that career and work full time on the family cherry farm. 

In the Spring of 2012, Chad attended Tres Dias and ran flat into Jesus, where he had a radical transformation of his heart. He entered into a Relationship with Jesus after reading Romans 10:9-10.  Today, his passion is to help men understand who they are in Christ and to recreate that passion in other men. 

Bill Goodwin – Elder Board Secretary

Bill Goodwin was born and raised in West Virginia. After graduating from Duke University in 1968, he joined Northwestern Mutual where he spent his entire business career. For the final 27 years of that career, he was the company’s Managing Partner in their Atlanta, Georgia, office. During his tenure there, his team built an esteemed organization, and in 1996 Bill became the 33rd person to be inducted into his industry’s Agency Management Hall of Fame.

Along the way, Bill has served on the Boards of The American College, West Virginia Wesleyan College, and Athletes In Action. He chaired the Board of Trustees at Northside United Methodist Church in Atlanta. He is currently on the Board of the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch in Billings and presides over the Board of Directors of Child Bridge.
 
Despite growing up in the church, Bill didn’t find Jesus until 36 years of age. That relationship has changed his life. He is married to his college sweetheart, Valerie, and they are the parents of 4 and the grandparents of 15. They purchased property in Bigfork in 1997 and first attended Crossroads in 1998. Upon his retirement in 2006, Bill and Valerie moved to Bigfork as snowbirds, but when they realized that their deepest sense of community lay here, Bigfork became their year-round home in the summer of 2015.

Jon Marinaccio

Jon Marinaccio entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ in June of 1998 after watching a Billy Graham crusade. One year later Jon and his wife Stacie found Crossroads through a mutual friend and have called them home ever since. Jon and Stacie have been married for 26 years as of 2020 and have two children, Michaela, 18 and Luca, 16. Jon started learning to be a carpenter in 1991 and still enjoys the challenges associated with this line of work. During his personal time Jon can be found in a Kung Fu studio, shooting range, or his shop.

Russ Sande
Russ was born and raised in Southern California, attending elementary, high school, and college in San Diego. He received his BA from San Diego State University in 1971. He married Sue several years later and they have been blessed with two daughters and five grandchildren.

Russ enjoyed a 43 year career in Commercial Real Estate where he was active in brokerage and the development of commercial and residential properties. He served on numerous Boards until he sold his real estate company to an international brokerage firm and retired in 2018.
He was confirmed in the Lutheran Church at age 12 but didn’t become an ardent follower of Jesus until his mid-30’s when he began to read the Bible and reflect about his real purpose in life.
Like many people, Russ and Sue didn’t know why they were drawn to Bigfork in 2015, but it has    become clear to them that they are here to serve this church family and this community.
Russ is passionate about “mentoring” after creating a Mentorship Program for graduating students in Real Estate at SDSU and wants to initiate a program at Crossroads for men seeking personal, professional, and spiritual support.

Greg Walker 

I was raised in northern California in a Christian home, with parents that were an exceptional model of service to the church and people around them. In my teen years I lived and worked at a Christian camp where my parents were directors. I became a volunteer Firefighter at nineteen and in a very short time felt that this was the career path God wanted for me. Lynn and I met at community college in 1987 and were married in 1990. We have four amazing children. We moved to Bigfork in 2018, one year after I retired from the fire department. My faith and relationship with Jesus were solidified when we were expecting our first child and complications came up. I served in children’s ministry in various capacities in our previous church where we attended for 22 years. I am excited to see where God is leading Crossroads                                                                             and I am honored to serve in this capacity.