Elder Board
Paul Bernard – Lead Pastor
Born in the Mojave Desert of Southern California, Pastor Paul Bernard was raised in Joshua Tree, CA. He grew up in the Catholic church and committed his life to Christ in his late teen years through Inter Varsity. He studied English at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he earned his B.A. and a teaching credential. He went on to teach middle school English for 6 years and then stepped into youth ministry for another 8 years. He earned his Master’s degree from A.W. Tozer Theological Seminary with an M.A. in Intellectual Leadership.
Pastor Paul served as Lead Pastor for 6 years at Lake Almanor Community Church in Northern California. He was called to Crossroads Christian Fellowship in spring of 2021 where he currently serves as Lead Pastor.
Paul and his wife Carol have been married since 1996 and they have a beautiful daughter named Samantha. She is the highlight of their days. Paul’s passion in the church is for preaching and teaching, and he loves being out in God’s wild places hiking, backpacking, snowboarding and rock climbing.
Greg Walker – Elder Chairman
Greg 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 his teen years, Greg lived and worked at a Christian camp where his parents were directors. He became a volunteer Firefighter at nineteen, and in a very short time felt that this was the career path God wanted for him. Greg met Lynn at community college in 1987, and they were married in 1990. Greg and Lynn have four amazing children. They moved to Bigfork in 2018, one year after Greg retired from the fire department. Greg’s faith and relationship with Jesus were solidified while they were expecting their first child and complications came up. He served in children’s ministry in various capacities in their previous church where they attended for 22 years. Greg is excited to see where God is leading Crossroads and is honored to serve in this capacity.
Jason Peterson –Elder Vice Chairman
Jason was born & raised on a ranch in eastern New Mexico on the high plains in a community where ‘neighbor’ was a verb. His family was very involved in church & it was a major component in their lives. He accepted Jesus as his Savior when he was 13 because he realized one night he did not want to miss out on Heaven! Later in his teen years God truly became his LORD.
Spending the year of 1994 working at a remote guest ranch near Pikes Peak, Lost Valley Ranch, was challenging & very rewarding – in particular because that is where God brought him to his bride Vangie! In their first married year, 1996, they joined Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Lakeside, MT, & were promptly asked to help pioneer a new ministry: Cowboys With A Mission. Beginning in Lodgegrass, MT, on the Crow Reservation the Petersons began discipling horse-oriented cultures & individuals all over the world: from Montana & Wyoming to Morocco, Argentina, Mongolia, and Brazil. They worked hard for four years to establish that organization & then were led into a drilling -technology startup in Wyoming. Jason and Vangie soon established their own business & started longing for a family. Eventually two bouncing baby boys arrived & have kept them well entertained ever since. With Levi & Lance, a great dog, & a few horses they have plenty of ‘energy’ around to keep life quite interesting!
Jason and Vangie returned to the Flathead Valley for good in 2006 & have called Crossroads home for most of the years since then. They are very grateful for the privilege of living in this community of Bigfork & the chance to do life with such a variety of outstanding people. What a very special & unique place!
Russ Sande–Elder Board Secretary
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.
Chad Wermer
Chad Wermer grew up in a 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 21, Aaron 18, and Ayla 14. 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.
Ted Robinson
Ted was born in Pennsylvania, lived in New Jersey and New York, and in 1969 moved to Italy where his family lived for 6 years. In 1976, they moved to Greece. In 1978, his senior year of high school, he took a ski trip with some friends and the first evening there (goofing around of course) Ted tore most of the ligaments in his left ankle. Bed ridden in the hotel for three days, Ted was a captive audience for the trip chaperones who where missionaries and witnessed Jesus Christ to him. Growing up in the Catholic church, Ted thought he knew God. When the Spirit opened his eyes, a whole new journey began.
Fast forward to college. Ted foolishly “bad slid” in his faith, but the Lord kept him on a short leash. At that time God brought Kimberly into his life. They married a year after graduation and recommitted their lives to serve Christ and never looked back. Ted and Kimberly have two faithful daughters and five grandkids. Ted and Kimberly have both actively served in the various churches they have attended. Ted has served on numerous non-profit boards and most recently served as a deacon in his last church in Bellevue, WA.
Anthony Nelson
Anthony was raised in south and central Minnesota in a Christian family. He grew up in the church, with his best friend as the pastor’s kid and his mother as the worship leader. Even with this, he struggled to find his own personal relationship with Jesus. After marrying his wife, Allison, they were very intentional about finding close Christian friends and building a support team. Moving to Colorado Springs to pursue Anthony’s dream as a zookeeper, they got plugged into a church, small group, and found some great resources as they started having kids.
The Nelson family moved to Bigfork in January, 2018, and lived with family while searching for a house. The boat has been rocked, and the storms have come, but they have been blessed beyond description with a beautiful project house, excellent job, amazing small group, and greater connection to the Lord through it all. Anthony and Allison are huge proponents of visioneering as a family and being intentional about direction and goals in all aspects of life. God is good, and the Nelson family is blessed to be part of the Crossroads family and growing closer to the Lord daily. They want to provide a legacy for their three kids, Finley, Leeland, and Owen, that is set on God’s perfect plan.
