Our Staff

Scott Venable is the Lead Pastor of Northwood Church. Scott was raised in a pastor’s home. He and his wife, Ashley, have continued the legacy by living a life dedicated to ministry. Before Northwood, Scott and his wife planted and led a multi-ethnic church in urban Chicago that planted 10 other churches in a span of 7 years. He has been pastoring, preaching and leading conferences for 21 years and is passionate about seeing God’s Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven. Scott’s love for ministry and all people is the fuel for his completion of a Doctorate in Ministry Leadership in a Multi-ethnic Context from Gordon-Conwell, he is set to graduate in the near future. For fun, Scott loves the beach, hiking, sports and relaxing with his beautiful wife and three kids.

Isai M. Cazares has served as our Discipleship Pastor since October of 2016. He finds joy in facilitating connection and development that empowers people in the mission of Jesus to make disciples and live as family in the context of small groups. His journey with Christ began when his mom and grandparents shared the gospel with him at a young age. He received his call to ministry at age 14. Isai is originally from Rio Grande Valley, Texas. He attended school at The University of Texas at Austin, Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, and Dallas Baptist University with a B.A. in Religious Studies and an M.A. in Discipleship. He has been married to his lovely wife Samantha since December 2012, and together they have three wonderful children. He and his family enjoy, being outdoors for hiking, biking, and cookouts.

John Murray is our Worship Pastor. He has been married to the love of his life, Annie, for 30 years. Together they love to travel and minister to countless worshippers around the globe. John's mission is to lead people into a life-style of worship that goes far beyond attending Sunday Services. He believes that the true impact of our walk with God is weighed in how we engage in the public square. John wants to inspire and empower people to truly be God's glorious church because it may be the only church many will ever see!

For fun, John loves to create music of all kinds, travel, and spend quality time with his Annie and their PooWawa "Sam".

Ray Lunsford is our Worship Leader. He was married to his incredible wife, Roxana in 2017. Together they have one son that they welcomed into this world in 2019 and everyday he is growing to be more and more adventurous! Ray began his journey following Jesus at the age of 11. By 16 Ray felt God calling him to use his gifts to serve the church. He has been passionate about leading worship ever since.

Some of Ray’s favorite things include camping and hiking, especially in the mountains! He also enjoys writing music, gaming, and sand volleyball.

  Bob Roberts is our Global Senior Pastor. He and Nikki started Northwood September 15, 1985. His role is now to oversee the over 200 churches that Northwood helped start, along with the work of Glocal.net the organization that connects all the churches.  He works helping Christians live in the public square by training churches to release their people into society by serving with their jobs.  He also does national and global multi-faith work, along with working globally for religious freedom and human rights.  He and his wife Nikki have two children and three grandchildren.  Bob has had the privilege to study at some great universities and has earned a few degrees along the way.  Bob has authored six books and co-authored several more. He has had articles published across a variety of publications and is always working on a book! Bob likes to travel, hike, listen to jazz, eat exotic food, and try new experiences with his favorite adventure partner, Nikki. For more info go to Glocal.net

D.J. Coleman is our Student Pastor. He is married to his amazing wife, Sarah and together they have two children. D.J. is passionate about ministering to students because he believes that middle school and high school years hold some of the most pivotal and formative moments in our lives. During his own teenage years D.J. began to passionately follow Jesus. During that time, God was faithful to bring men and women into his life to minister to him and help grow his faith. For that reason he enjoys partnering with adults leaders who are also passionate about loving, serving and learning from students.

Some of D.J. favorite things to do include: going on walks with his family, watching NBA games with his wife, reading books, lifting weights, and meeting new people!

Diana was married to her husband Ken Kerby for 39 years. They have three children and two grandchildren. Diana has been Children's Pastor at Northwood for 6 years.  Prior to that she led our Preteen and Revive Ministries for over 10 years. Diana enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.

Donna Thomas is our Preschool Pastor. She is married to Rob and together they have four daughters, two sons-in-loves, and two grandchildren. Donna has been serving the Kid’s Ministry at Northwood since 2006. As Preschool Pastor, you can find her recruiting, training, and supporting volunteers as well as coordinating curriculum for both Sunday morning Preschool Ministry and Wednesday evening T-Kids ministry. One of her favorite things about being the Preschool Pastor is having the opportunity to support parents of preschoolers as they learn to disciple their young children!

In her free time, Donna enjoys movies, playing with her grandkids, and finding pleasure in the simple things.

Mark Kimmel has been our Administrative Pastor here at Northwood Church for over 23 years! He is married to Valinda Kimmel and together they have had two children and five grandchildren. Prior to joining Northwood, Mark and Valinda ministered for seven years in Eastern Europe.

Some of Mark’s favorite things include traveling and spending quality time with his grandkids.