Staff
Dr. Gary Purdy - Senior Pastor
Gary took on the role of Senior Pastor at NorthCross Church in January 2024. Gary comes to us from RUF at Birmingham Southern College. In addition to his many years in campus ministry, Gary has been a church planter, assistant pastor, and senior pastor. He holds a Masters of Theology in Apologetics and a Doctor of Ministry in Preaching from Reformed Theological Seminary.
Ben Chapman - Worship Director
Ben has been the Worship Director at NorthCross Church since 2020. He and his lovely wife Emma live in Cornelius and recently welcomed their first child Chloe.
Angela Howard - Church Administrator
Angela has a love for God’s Word and teaching women the truths found in Scripture. She has led a community Bible study and worked in a local Christian school for many years. She also serves on the board of a non-profit ministry in Peru and has taken several mission trips there. Angela started attending NorthCross in 2020 and began working here in October of 2022. Her duties focus on administration and finance. Angela and her husband Greg have three grown children and one precious granddaughter.
Emma Chapman - Children’s Director
Emma has been the Children’s Director at NorthCross since November of 2022. She brings experience and great enthusiasm to the role of pointing the children of NorthCross to Jesus.
Leaders
Elders
Damon Anderson (RE) - Damon and his wife Brandi have been members at NorthCross since 2007, and he has been serving as an Elder since January, 2015. They have a daughter and two sons and live in Davidson.
Mark Andrews (RE) - Mark and his lovely wife Pat have attended NorthCross Church for almost 14 years. Pat and Mark have six children and thirteen grandchildren. Mark is retired and lives in Charlotte.
Hudson Belk (TE) - Hudson is a missionary serving with CedeSports as a sports chaplain at Joe Gibbs Racing. He is also an ordained teaching elder in our presbytery and serves as part of the elder team at NorthCross.
Hudson and his wife Catherine and their three daughters have worshiped and served at NorthCross since 2012. Hudson loves being a part of the community of NorthCross and seeing people grow in their knowledge of Jesus Christ and the Gospel’s implications in their lives. He also loves sports and the ways that they open up opportunities to be sent by Christ into our community.
Matt Estler (RE) - Matt has been an active member of NorthCross since 2019 and has been serving as an Elder since 2022. He has been married to his beautiful wife, Tara for 12 years and they have 3 amazing children. Matt works in sales for Cisco Systems and in his free time enjoys hanging with his family and playing sports that won’t cause another knee surgery.
Matt Seiter (RE) - Matt and his family have attended NorthCross since 2014. He has been a PCA member since high school and was a member of RUF at the University of Missouri. A native of St. Louis, Matt loves rooting for the Cardinals and Mizzou Tiger football. He lives in Davidson, NC and is married to the love of his life, Courtney. They have four kids, Hannah, Ethan, Charlie and Rhett.
Scott Tew (RE) - Scott has been a member of NorthCross since 2011. He has served several different churches as a Ruling Elder in the PCA for more than 20 years. In addition, Scott was a founder of a classical Christian school and remains passionate about Christian Education and Leadership Development. Professionally, Scott leads sustainability and public policy for Trane Technologies in Davidson. He and Cindy have been married for 35 years, and their children and grandchildren also attend NorthCross.
Dean Whitehill (RE) - Dean has been a Ruling Elder at NorthCross Church since its inception. He has attended PCA churches in Florida and North Carolina since 1986. He is a retired banker with experience in retail, commercial, real estate, and corporate banking services. Dean and his wife Lynn have four children and eight grandchildren. He enjoys golf, hiking, travel and spending time with his family.
Deacons
Mark Bankert - Mark and his wife Heather moved to the Lake Norman area August of 2016 and have been members of NorthCross since 2017. He is a Maryland native but has lived and worked in North Carolina since 2010. They have two wonderful elementary school age children and he sincerely enjoys serving others, playing guitar on the worship team and helping in whatever way I can.
Justin James - Justin has attended NorthCross Church for almost 11 years and has served as a deacon for 2.5. He is blessed to be married to Jessica, and have three kids: Walker (4) and twins, Annie and Camryn (19 months). His prayer for the church is to grow relationships, not only within the congregation, but more importantly outside of worship to touch the lives of others in the Lake Norman Community.
Reuben Vandezande - Reuben Vandezande has been a member of NorthCross Church since 2016. Reuben and his wife Rose have two children and live in the Cornelius area. He works as an Aerospace Engineer at Corvid Technologies and previously was an intern with RUF at Davidson College. He enjoys playing drums on the worship team.
Joel Campanella, Treasurer - Joel has served as our church treasurer since 2005. He and his wife Ann and their daughter Sydney have attended NorthCross since November 2004. Joel is the retired managing director of the PROFIN division of Royal & SunAlliance and is an avid golfer. Joel and Ann are both 1982 graduates of Davidson College and live in Cornelius.
Women’s Shepherds
Pat Andrews
Jean Edwards
Lynn Whitehill
What are Elders and Deacons?
Elder
Ruling elders, one class of office, possess the same authority and eligibility in the courts of the Church as teaching elders. Moreover, they should cultivate zealously their own aptness to teach the Bible and should improve every opportunity of doing so.
It belongs to the office of elder, both severally and jointly, to fulfill the following:
Oversee / Rule
To watch diligently over the flock committed to their charge, that no corruption of doctrine or morals enter in
To exercise government and discipline
To take oversight of the spiritual interests of the particular church, and the Church generally when called
Shepherd
To visit the people at their homes, especially the sick
To pray with and for the people, being careful and diligent in seeking the fruit of the preached Word among the flock
To bear glad tiding of salvation to the ignorant and perishing
To dispense the manifold grace of God and the ordinances instituted by Christ
To administer the Sacraments
Instruct
To instruct the ignorant, comfort the mourner, nourish and guard the children of the church
To set a worthy example to the flock entrusted to their care by zeal in evangelizing the unconverted and in making disciples
To feed the flock by reading, expounding and preaching the Word of God
To declare the will of God to sinners and beseech them to be reconciled to God through Christ
To proclaim the Gospel
Deacon
The office of Deacon is one of sympathy and service after the example of the Lord Jesus, especially in helping others in time of need.
Mercy
To minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress
To develop the grace of liberality in the members of the church
Finance
To devise effective methods of collecting the gifts of the people
To distribute these gifts among the objects to which they are contributed
To care for the property of the congregation, both real and personal
Building
To keep the church edifice and other buildings in proper repair