Leadership

Pastors & Staff

John Sauls III (J3)

Senior Pastor 

Pastor J3 took over as Lead Pastor of Crossroads Ministries in 2015. After 23 years with IBM, Pastor J3 accepted the call in to ministry in 2014. After serving in ministry for 20 plus years on a volunteer basis in various capacities, including Men’s and Youth Pastor, his experience in the corporate world as well as the church world give him an invaluable edge to lead. He and his wife Caroline live in Sanford, NC with their son Gabriel. 

Chris Pipes

Executive Pastor

Pastor Chris is originally from California and graduated with a degree in Biblical Studies from Westmont College. July of 2016, Pastor Chris accepted the role of Executive Pastor here at Crossroads Ministries. He has been in ministry for over 30 years and his experience spans Worship, Biblical Discipleship, Connect Groups, Next Steps and Care Pastor. He and his wife Debi have been married 29 years and have two grown children, Noah and Sawyer.

Rob Costelow

Worship Pastor

July 2016, Pastor Rob Costelow accepted the role as Lead Worship Pastor here at Crossroads Ministries. He is originally from Arizona and started as a Missionary in Mexico. Pastor Rob is a talented Worship Pastor who has been in the ministry for over 30 years. He has experience as a Youth Pastor, Worship Pastor and he has succeeded as a Contemporary Christian Artist. He is a published singer and songwriter and he is passionate about enabling the body of Christ to grow through Praise and Worship. He and his wife Adela live in Sanford, NC.

Brandi Shackelford

Executive Administrator

Brandi was born and raised in Sanford, North Carolina, where she continues to make her home today. A dedicated wife and mother, she is married to her husband, Josh, and together they have three children—two daughters and one son.
Brandi’s journey with Crossroads Ministries began in 2005 when she became a partner, and since then, her connection to the church has only deepened. In 2013, she joined the staff as the Executive Administrator, playing an essential role in the daily operations of the ministry. Her heart for service extends beyond her administrative role; she is also actively involved in the high school ministry, where she serves with passion and commitment.
In her personal life, Brandi values time spent with her family and enjoys traveling, finding joy in exploring new places and creating lasting memories with her loved ones. Her work at Crossroads Ministries is fueled by her deep faith and her desire to make a meaningful impact on the lives of others, especially the next generation.

Andrew Jackson

Associate Worship Pastor

Pastor Andrew was born and raised in Sanford, NC. He attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA in the fall of 2015 and graduated in the spring of 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Music and Worship Studies and a minor in Business. After completing multiple internships at Crossroads, he officially came on staff as the Associate Worship Pastor in May, 2019. Andrew’s passion is to lead others into a renewed intimacy with God by equipping their hearts with a desire to worship God. He and his wife Kayla and their two sons currently live in Sanford, NC.

Kayla Jackson

Children's Director

Kayla was born and raised in Sanford, NC. She has a passion for teaching children about Jesus and understanding how to seek and develop a relationship with Christ. She also enjoys working with families. She taught at J. Glenn Edwards Elementary as a third grade teacher and volunteered with the Crossroads children and students before joining our staff in the spring of 2022. Kayla received a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2020 and a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in 2021.
Kayla currently serves over our nursery, preschool, elementary and homeschool programs as our director of Children’s Ministry. She is married to Pastor Andrew and has two boys. She loves being outdoors, traveling and playing volleyball.

Jake Campbell

Youth Pastor

Jake Campbell was born and raised in Sanford NC. He started attending Crossroads Ministries his freshman year of High School in 2009. Upon Graduation in 2013, Jake stepped into a leadership role at Crossroads becoming a Small Group leader, Youth leader, Connect Group leader, as well as serving on both the First Impressions team and Clean Team. While completing his Industrial Systems degree at Central Carolina Community College, Jake was called to full time ministry. He began working at the church as the Middle School Ministry Director while taking online classes in Christian and teen counseling.
 In January of 2020, Jake was ordained and is now the Student Pastor. He and his wife Brooklyn currently live in Sanford, NC with their two girls. He enjoys hunting and fishing in his spare time.

Twon Timmons

Music Director

Ronald or “Twon” was born and raised in Durham NC. Twon was immersed in music from the day he was born and  began playing drums at the age of 3. Between the ages of 6 and 11 he had learned how to play the piano, bass guitar and trumpet and now can play just about any instrument.  Twon went on to play in high school and college. He attended North Carolina Central University on a musical scholarship and led various musical groups throughout the school. He has a broad range of musical experience but was shaped primarily by Gospel and Jazz music. He is an accomplished musician, producer and music director. Twon began serving on our Crossroads worship team in 2019 and was hired in August, 2020. Twon’s life is centered around his family but he has a heart to lead the body of Christ in worship and to serve his church and community. He and his wife Brianna live in Chalybeate Springs with their daughters Shawni, Linzee, Madison, and Mya. 

Kara Usher

Creative Arts Director 

Kara was born and raised in the North Georgia mountains. She was called into ministry at a young age and served in her local church throughout all of her life. Kara has a passion to see the Kingdom of God move forward through the lens of creativity. Kara received a degree from Southeastern University in Christian Ministries and attended Highlands College in Birmingham, AL with a degree in Ministry Leadership. Kara moved to Sanford, NC and joined our staff full time as the Creative Director in December, 2022. 

Joey Walden

Sound Engineer

Joey was raised in Siler City NC. Joey is the owner of Dub Recording Studio in Sanford NC and is the co-owner of Walden Sound Systems in Siler City NC. He has traveled the country setting up sound systems, Front of House engineered for several concerts and festivals, and mix engineered albums for national artist like Rance Allen to Marcus Anderson. He has a gifted ear for many genres of music from Gospel to Country. Joey attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on a football scholarship were he majored in Music. Joey also plays the piano and has served as the minister of music for several local churches. Joey's life is centered around his family, he and his wife Tonya live in Sanford with their 4 children Ariyan, Tyler, Troy and Trace.