Meet our Staff
Dr. Peter R. Shaw, Pastor
Pete’s first day on the job as Pastor was November 1, 1999. He was just ten years old… wink, wink….
Pete earned his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Ottawa University (Kansas) in 1992, his Master of Divinity from Northern Seminary (Chicago Area) in 1995, and his Doctor of Ministry from Northern Seminary in 2006, focusing his thesis and project on Soteriology and Adult Transformational Learning Theory.
Darlene Valencia, Executive Pastor
Dar started attending CrossWalk as a teenager in the late 1960s! In the early 2000s she began volunteering at CrossWalk as an Administrative Assistant, and she has gradually developed her skills and experience, culminating in her current role as Executive Pastor, which means she oversees our very busy and complex daily operations. Dar has been married to Ted (pictured above) since 1975, when powder blue tuxes were cool (the first time around).
Lynne Shaw, Children’s Ministry Director
Lynne has rejoined the CrossWalk staff, returning to the role of Children’s Ministry Director, beginning October 1, 2021. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from William Jewel College (MO) in 1990. She has been married to Pete since 1992, and her pride and joy are her and Pete’s two kids, Noah and Laiken.
Board of Stewards and Officers
Stewards serve for a three-year term (unless filling a vacancy), with three new Stewards voted in each year as three roll off. Our current Stewards and the final year of their term are: Becky Peterson (Moderator, ‘24), Liz Bonnet (Vice Moderator, ‘25), Karen Kenny (‘24), CJ Prutch (‘24), Loren Haas (‘25), Emily Vigoda (‘25), Pam Gumns (‘25), Bob Nations (‘25), and Sharon Rogers (‘25). Our Church Treasurer is Ed Edwards. Our Church Clerk is Carol Toland. Our Financial Secretary is Elizabeth Tausch. The Treasurer and Clerk are elected annually. Our Financial Secretary is appointed by the Stewards annually.
Our leadership model
We operate with a system whereby the pastor has the authority and responsibility to lead the church as necessary, held accountable by a group of elected trustees (the Board of Stewards). This system protects the church from being led by a dictator while freeing the church to be led by a strong leader. Ultimate accountability resides with the church’s membership, which votes annually on an annual budget, church officer elections, and, when necessary, to call a new pastor (or release the current one!).
How we handle money
We have a very carefully constructed system for handling donations as well as releasing funds for ministry. Multiple eyes count donations each week, and separate people sign our checks. In addition, a Finance Team provides regular fiduciary oversight and provides information for the Board of Stewards to assess the church’s fiscal health. The pastor does not touch the money and is entirely removed from the process except for attending Finance Team and Stewards’ meetings. We do this because it is the right thing to do, and it gives our donors confidence that their contributions are handled responsibly.
Commitment to inclusion
Crosswalk’s Board of Stewards, Leadership, and Active Members believe in an inclusive faith community, which is a progressive faith community that celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate. We will continue to challenge discrimination against people on grounds of disability, economic power, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or sexuality. Adopted May 23, 2021 as part of CrossWalk’s Annual Meeting, demonstrating our commitment to being a truly progressive church not just in word but in practice.