Staff & Elders

Kevin Cawthra and his family (wife Helen, sons Marcus, Damion, Ben) have been attending Forward Church for close to 10 years now, and are Members of the church. Kevin and Helen have recently been involved in facilitating the Merge Marriage course at Forward, and volunteering at CNT (Cambridge Neighbourhood Table). Kevin has two decades of senior leadership experience in the not-for-profit and charity sector, he is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA), and is currently the CFO of Compassion Canada. Prior to that he held senior leadership roles in finance and business operations at Ambrose University (in Calgary) and at Gideons Canada (now ShareWord Global) and served for 5 years as the Board Chair of Cambridge Christian School.

Kristen loves to have fun and eat snacks and therefore finds kids ministry the most exciting place on a Sunday morning. After spending her university summers at various camps she applied for her first kids ministry job after graduating and has never looked back. One of her favourite parts of the job is planning Camp Forward, especially when it involves colour coded spreadsheets. She can’t stand the taste or smell of coffee but will happily enjoy a big bowl of ice cream anytime of year. Outside of work she enjoys reading, being in nature and spending time with her family.

Sean Dawdy has been a member of Forward Church since 2006. Sean accepted Christ as his personal Saviour at the age of twelve. Spiritual Gifts include leadership, encouragement and wisdom. Sean and his wife, Jennifer, have three children.  

Joshua Dela Cruz has been attending and supporting various ministries at Forward Kitchener since 2018. On Sunday mornings you can find him playing violin with the worship team or praying and welcoming newcomers from the stage. He also leads a Discipleship Group with his wife, Melanie, and they both enjoy hosting guests at their home in Breslau. Josh works in the tech industry as a product designer and loves discovering new ways to use technology for God’s glory. To stay active, he likes to play volleyball and ping pong but is especially fond of rock climbing with his teenage daughter, Anjali.

Derik is passionate about introducing people to Jesus and helping them see how Jesus changes everything. Derik and his wife Amanda are both originally from the Tillsonburg area and have spent their lives living in and ministering to people in Southern Ontario. He loves his three kids, the Dallas Cowboys and Toronto Raptors. Although he doesn’t drink coffee himself, he’d be happy to buy you a coffee and hear your story, so feel free to drop him a line and set up a time to chat.

Kirk is passionate about helping people grow as disciples of Jesus as well as developing more leaders for the mission Jesus has called us to. His journey through life has given Kirk a great desire to support those who are hurting and looking for hope. Kirk has been serving the local church since he was a kid, where he even sang a solo at church (but was never asked to do that again). He is a big fan of the Blue Jays, Raptors, and Buffalo Bills – and endures the Maple Leafs.

Anthony Goodhoofd grew up in a Christian home. Based on experiencing his mom’s very real dependency on God’s provision during his teen years, he made a firm decision to follow Jesus and made a public profession of that faith commitment. In the years that followed, he and his spouse Rita attended the Christian Reformed Church during which time Anthony served in various leadership roles that included diaconal, elder, planning/ideation responsibilities.  After moving to Cambridge in 2010 and attending Forward Church for a number of years, Anthony was baptized in 2014. Anthony and Rita previously led Forward’s various Frontlines’ teams, currently participate on the Senior’s Pastoral Care Team and serve at Forward whenever and wherever time and circumstance allow.  Anthony is a retired creative after being self-employed his entire career having run a Toronto-based graphic design/communications company. He and Rita have four children, three grandchildren and live in Guelph.

Rich Huisman has been married to Rachel for 28 years and has four kids:Joshua, Noah, Isaiah & Emma. They’ve attended Forward for 14 years and served in Kidztown, the Nursery and Alpha. The family is passionate about fostering and have fostered for over 10 years. Rich has recently completed a Masters in Christian Leadership program, authored a book called the “Leader’s List” and has a consulting business that helps businesses in terms of their leadership & vision. 

Ann Marie started attending Forward Church in 1995 when she relocated to Cambridge to finish her music degree at Heritage College.  In 2003, she joined the staff and has put her love of organization, multitasking and being detail oriented to good work. Though her role has changed some over the years, her desire to serve where God has planted her has not. She considers it a privilege to be a part of the ministry work here at Forward and her greatest joy is in assisting others.  She enjoys puzzling, a good book and time spent with family and friends.

Creating a friendly atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable sharing their needs is Darlene's mission for her place as a staff member at Forward. Her prayer is that God will grant her His eyes to see, His ears to hear, and most importantly, His heart to love others as we are called to in His Word. It is her hope that in doing these things she would bring glory to Him. When at home, she can be found in her craft studio sharing her faith and teaching classes in cardmaking.

Brittany loves to create spaces for youth and young adults to challenge their faith through engaging in God’s Word, worship, small group discipleship, and prayer in a variety of different contexts. She has been at Forward church since birth and has been a part of most ministries within Forward Church her whole life. She loves a good cup of coffee with friends and exploring God’s creation through swimming, hiking, and paddleboarding. Brittany loves to lend an ear to those walking through difficult seasons and appreciates coming alongside youth and young adults in their discipleship journey.

Neil loves kids, always has, always will, and being a big kid himself helps him do that. Serving in kids ministry has been a priority in his life since he was a teenager and he has a heart to see families grow together as disciples of Christ. He enjoys finding creative ways to make the Bible come alive for kids. Neil loves connecting with anyone who is involved with or interested in kids ministry. He also enjoys good coffee, watching tennis and can always be counted on for a Dad joke.

Rachel desires to help women grow in their love of God and engage in meaningful ways with others around them. Her heart is to spur others along their discipleship journey no matter what life stage they are at. She knows how important prayer is and counts it a joy to serve others in this way. When not in the office, you can find her spending time with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys cooking, and the conversations that happen in the kitchen over food. Whether walking, running or exploring, Rachel loves spending time and being with God in nature.

Between fishing and kayaking you will always find Rob during his down time enjoying the water along with his wife Susan.  He oversees cleaning, maintenance and set ups at our Cambridge site. Rob treasures meeting with his men’s prayer group and growing in his personal walk with God.   Rob is known for his high cleaning standards, and he shows love in all the different jobs he does at the church, and to all who come through the doors.  In need of a good cup of coffee?  Rob is your guy, always providing the perfect brew or iced option to anyone in need.

Joelene is a detail-oriented person who loves numbers and creating colourful spreadsheets. When she is not working, she loves spending time with her son and always has a crochet project on the go. Joelene continually seeks to grow her relationship with God, allowing it to guide her values, decisions, and the way she shows up for her family and others.

Andrew desires to see the Church step out and serve in Jesus' name. In his role, Andrew seeks to show people just how uniquely God has created and positioned them to bring the hope of Jesus to the world around them. Connecting with people who are far from Jesus or searching Spiritually gives Andrew energy. Outside of work, Andrew is the husband to Laura and the father to four incredible and energetic kids. Andrew loves sports of all kinds, with a particular affinity for Spikeball.

Greg has been in ministry in the KW region for over 30 years and counts it a privilege to serve the people of our community. He loves to hear people’s stories and walk with them in the difficult and often confusing seasons of life, helping them to see how God and His Word applies to their situations to bring hope, healing and transformation. Greg also serves on the board of an international mission agency and enjoys time and activities with his kids and grandkids.

Jenn is passionate about helping people engage with others, with opportunities to use their gifts and abilities, and with their best next steps to grow in faith. When she’s not in the office, you’ll usually find her immersed in the garden or a good book, exploring some of her favourite Ontario small towns, or flexing her creative culinary muscle in the kitchen with her husband (and head chef), Kevin.

Kevin is honoured to be included in what God is doing in the lives of adults through the various ministries he oversees. Being part of people coming to faith and growing into Christlikeness fills him with gratitude and wonder. Speaking of wonder, when not working, Kevin loves to be outside, experiencing the wonder of God’s creation throughout the distinctly four seasons of Ontario. A deep read, an engaging conversation, or a competitive tennis game also round out for him the joy-filled experience of this miracle we call life. (By the way, he also loves his wife, two adult kids, even his chocolate lab!)

Craig Pilkington has been a member of Forward Church since 2003. At the age of five, Craig asked Jesus to come into his heart. He was baptized in his early teens in order to be obedient to the Bible and to publicly declare his relationship with Jesus. Craig serves in Forward’s Student Ministry. Spiritual Gifts include giving, administration and mercy. Craig has a degree in mechanical engineering and has industry experience in robotics automation and custom software development. He is a partner in Calculated Design, a custom software development company. Craig and his wife, Jaclyn, have three children. Craig has served previously as an Elder and has held the position of vice-chair and chair of the board.

André Shadrach accepted Jesus as his Lord and Saviour during his university days and has been a faithful follower since, making his daily devotions a priority.  In 2010, André and his family began attending Forward Church and now call it home. In addition to having served as an elder for six years at Forward, André has served in many leadership roles including men’s ministry and discipleship groups as well as helping to start up and manage Forward Hockey. For many years, he and his wife Lori have welcomed discipleship groups and engaged & married couples into their home to journey along with them.  Their two married daughters, sons-in-law and three grandchildren also attend Forward. In partnership with his wife, André operates a professional recruiting firm for the manufacturing and technology sectors.  André’s spiritual gifts include encouragement and mentorship.

Keith desires to engage people in meaningful worship experiences by drawing their full attention to Christ. Growing up in a ministry family, he has been involved in some form of ministry, especially music, since he could sit upright. He loves participating in almost any sport but has a particular affinity for golf. Keith is also always up for a coffee and an opportunity to chat, catch up and loves to hear how God has been working in and through people's lives.

Nate desires to shepherd youth toward a life centered on Christ. Having come to faith through a youth group, he has personally experienced the impact that youth ministry can have on a young person's life. Nate recently completed his Bachelor of Religious Education at Heritage and is passionate about helping students grow in their faith and understanding of God. He enjoys meaningful conversations and is always open to meeting for coffee at a local café to talk life, books, outdoors, or how the football game went on the weekend. And, of course, he loves spending time with his wife, Laura, their soon-to-be-born baby boy, and his cat, Marley!

Dave Van Wijngaarden is the blessed husband of Sue and proud father of two grown children, John and Grace, whom he and Sue gratefully recognize as gifts on loan from their heavenly Father. The VanWijngaardens have called Forward Church home for over 12 years and feel deeply thankful to be part of such an amazing church family. Dave has been a member since 2015. Although he accepted Christ at an early age, it was in his early twenties that Dave truly began striving to live as a committed disciple of Jesus. He grew up in the Reformed Church, where he served in various leadership roles, including Elder, youth ministry leader, and member of a pastor search committee. At Forward Church, Dave and Sue lead a discipleship group from their home and have been actively involved in several ministries. Dave has served in our Alpha program, youth ministry, and as a member of the Elder Board.