As We Journey Forward
At CrossRoads, we’re journeying through a meaningful season of leadership transition. After more than 27 years of faithful service, Pastor Dan Cochrane will continue in his role as Senior Pastor until June 2026, helping to guide and support the church through this time with wisdom and care.
The CrossRoads Board has been prayerfully and intentionally seeking God’s direction for what comes next. At the 2025 Annual General Meeting, the Board recommended that the church consider Pastor Jordan Cavanaugh to step into the role of Senior Pastor when Dan transitions out.
This page is your hub for staying informed—featuring updates, a transition timeline, FAQs, and more. We invite you to stay engaged, pray with us, and journey together as we trust God to lead us into the future He has for CrossRoads.
Brad Vonkeman
Church Board Chair
April 6th Forum
A packed house of over 160 congregants attended the recent forum where Pastor Jordan Cavanaugh shared his heart and vision for CrossRoads Church and how he feels that God has called him for this position. Brad Vonkeman, the Church Board Chair, hosted the event and gave the attendees an indepth overview of the Senior Pastor search and transition process. Both Jordan and Brad answered questions from the audience.
Listen to the audio recording from the recent forum with Pastor Jordan Cavanaugh and Brad Vonkeman.
Meet the Cavanaughs
Pastor Jordan Cavanaugh grew up on the West Coast and moved to Alberta in 2003 to pursue his studies in theology at Prairie College. It was here that he met his wife, Julie; they bonded over their shared love for basketball and their enthusiasm for planning youth events together. In 2008, Jordan joined CrossRoads as one of the youth pastors. Over the years, he has taken on other various roles within the church, including serving as the Children’s Ministry Pastor and presently as the Community Life Pastor, while also being an integral member of the church Lead Team.
Jordan and Julie are proud parents to three daughters: Codi (11), Jovee (9), and Georgia (6). They share their home with a roommate named Michael and have welcomed an energetic eight-month-old Great Dane named Indigo into their family. As a couple, they are passionate about hospitality and enjoy sharing delicious meals with friends and family around their dining table.
Jordan is deeply committed to equipping and inspiring the church community to live out the call to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength." One of his greatest joys as a pastor is listening to people’s stories and praying with them in their moments of need. In his spare time, when he isn’t at the church or spending quality time with his family, Jordan loves staying active, reading, crafting lattes, or tending to his bees.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.How can the Board be sure this is God’s Will?
As Board Members and spiritual elders, we’ve prayed fervently and sought God’s leading throughout this process. We feel confident that the Holy Spirit has guided us to this decision. Like the early church in Acts 15:28, we believe this plan is ‘good to us and the Holy Spirit.’
While Jordan was not initially considered for this role, the timing, the Holy Spirit’s prompting, and the wisdom we received as a board all pointed us toward this path. It became evident that God was at work in Jordan’s life, preparing him for this responsibility.
This was not about personal opinions but about discerning where God is leading us as a Church.
2.Was this decision just about convenience?
We initially searched externally for over two years, reviewing hundreds of candidates from across Canada and the U.S. Despite our efforts, no external candidate stood out as the right fit for CrossRoads. During this time, Jordan’s name was brought forward, and he was given opportunities to meet with the board. Through these conversations, prayer, and discernment, it became clear that God was working in and through Jordan to prepare him for this role. The timing, Jordan’s growth, and the Holy Spirit’s guidance confirmed this path.
3.Why focus on someone within the church rather than looking externally?
Jordan has been a part of the CrossRoads Church family for 18 years, serving in a variety of roles that have given him an intimate understanding of our church’s DNA, culture, and vision. Over the years, he has built strong relationships with both the congregation and staff and has contributed significantly to shaping who we are today as a church.
This deep connection to CrossRoads has given Jordan a unique ability to understand the heart of the church and its people. He knows our values, our vision, and our mission inside and out. Combined with his humility, teachability, and leadership skills, we believe Jordan is uniquely equipped to step into this role and lead CrossRoads into the future with faith and confidence.
4.How will the Board measure Jordan’s readiness and what involvement will Pastor Dan have in the transition?
The transition plan includes mentorship from Pastor Dan and Pastor Dwayne, increasing Jordan’s responsibilities gradually, and providing the congregation with opportunities to engage in the process. Jordan will remain in his current role as Pastor of Community Life until September 2025 at which time he will step out of that role and focus his efforts on preparing for the Senior Pastor role. Pastor Dan has also offered to stay on in a mentoring capacity even after officially stepping back to ensure a smooth transition. This thoughtful and intentional process is designed to set both Jordan and the church up for success.
5.Couldn’t we continue searching externally while preparing Jordan?
We believe that God has clearly led us to this decision through prayer, discernment, and the process we’ve undertaken as a board. Choosing to move forward with Jordan allows us to focus all of our energy on preparing him, as well as the congregation, for this transition. Searching externally while preparing Jordan would not only undermine our confidence in God’s direction but also make it difficult to give either path the full attention it deserves.
By moving forward in faith, we’re trusting that God has already provided the right leader for this season and that He will continue to guide us as we prepare together for the future.
6.How will the congregation have a say in this decision?
We value and respect the voices of our congregation, and we want this to be a transparent process where everyone feels heard. That’s why we’re planning multiple opportunities for input, including the AGM, smaller forum-style events, and personal meetings with Board Members and Lead Team.
We understand that this is a significant decision, and we are committed to creating spaces for honest conversations, listening to feedback, and answering questions. While there will be different opinions, we believe these opportunities will help foster unity and clarity.
As well the congregation will eventually have the final say on the matter through a formal vote of affirmation at an upcoming congregational meeting. Our bylaws require a 75% vote in favour of who the Church Board presents as the Senior Pastor candidate. The date of when this vote will take place is to be determined and will be announced in the near future.
7. 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.
8.How can I support the process?
At the heart of this decision is our desire to follow God’s leading for CrossRoads. As a board, we are unified in our belief that this is the direction God is calling us. Jordan has demonstrated his love for God, our church, and our vision, and we’re excited about the future. While change is always challenging, it also brings opportunities for growth, renewal, and deeper reliance on God. We ask for your prayers, your support, and your trust as we move forward together, knowing that God’s plan is always the best plan.
9. I have questions that have not been answered by FAQs. 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 Board Chair, Brad Vonkeman or our Executive Pastor, Dwayne Holland through the following email addresses, boardchair@crossroadschurch.ca or dwayneh@crossroadschurch.ca.
