Leadership

Pastors, Staff, and More

Pete Shaw

Senior Pastor

Rev. Dr. Peter R. Shaw has been Senior Pastor since November 1, 1999.  He earned his Doctor of Ministry from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2006, focusing on Soteriology and Models of Transformative Education for Adults. He earned his Master of Divinity from Northern in 1995, and his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Ottawa University in 1992. He has been happily married to Lynne since 1992, with whom he has welcomed a son and daughter who are now "grown and flown."
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Dar Valencia

Executive Pastor

Darlene Valencia has been involved with CrossWalk since she was in the youth group in the 1970's!  She married her high school sweetheart, Ted, in 1975, who has attended since the 1960's.  Together they raised two kids in the church who have now grown and flown and provided them with nine grandkids!  Dar developed her way into her current position beginning as a volunteer staff member in 2000.  
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Lynne Shaw

Children's Ministry Director

Lynne has been in her current role since September 2022.  CrossWalk brought her on initially to design the KidsCrossing space (elementary-age kids), but after she designed a space she would love to work in, she threw her hat into the ring.  Having successfully run the program a decade earlier, the Board of Stewards were confident in bringing her back on staff to recreate the program after COVID.  The program has thrived since, continuing to teach kids a theology based on love and plays well with science so they won't be as likely to reject their faith in high school...  She has been happily married to Pete since 1992 and loves hanging out with their adult kids and spouses.
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Renee Palagi

Host of the 412 Lounge (Middle School Ministry)

Renee joined CrossWalk's staff in 2024 after retiring from her NVUSD teaching role a few years earlier.  She has loved hosting a super cool space for Middle School kids, complete with their own coffee and pastry bar which she keeps stocked.  She facilitates great conversation with the students, connecting faith with real life. The kids love going the to The 412 Lounge! She has been happily married to David for over three decades! Together they have raised three adult children, and now enjoy a handful of grandkids as much as possible.
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Board of Stewards and Officers

Stewards serve for a three-year term (unless filling a vacancy), with three new Stewards voted in each year as three roll off.  Our current Stewards and the final year of their term are: Moderator Pam Gumns (‘26), Vice Moderator Angela Barker-Jackson (‘27),  Casey Cuirel (‘28), Bob Nations (‘26), Rebecca Praul (‘27), Sharon Rogers (‘26), Katie Garibaldi (‘27), Darrell Simmons (‘28), and Kathy Wade (‘28).  Our Church Treasurer is to be determined soon. Our Church Clerk is Carol Toland. Our Financial Secretary is Margaret Hager. The Treasurer and Clerk are elected annually. Our Financial Secretary is appointed by the Stewards annually.

Leadership Model

We operate with a system whereby the pastor has the authority and responsibility to lead the church as necessary, held accountable by a group of elected trustees (the Board of Stewards). This system protects the church from being led by a dictator while freeing the church to be led by a strong leader. Ultimate accountability resides with the church’s membership, which votes annually on an annual budget, church officer elections, and, when necessary, to call a new pastor (or release the current one!).

How We Handle Money

We have a very carefully constructed system for handling donations as well as releasing funds for ministry. Multiple eyes count donations each week, and separate people sign our checks. In addition, a Finance Team provides regular fiduciary oversight and provides information for the Board of Stewards to assess the church’s fiscal health. The pastor does not touch the money and is entirely removed from the process except for attending Finance Team and Stewards’ meetings. We do this because it is the right thing to do, and it gives our donors confidence that their contributions are handled responsibly.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Crosswalk’s Board of Stewards, Leadership, and Active Members believe in an inclusive faith community, which is a progressive faith community that celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate. We will continue to challenge discrimination against people on grounds of disability, economic power, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or sexuality. Adopted May 23, 2021 as part of CrossWalk’s Annual Meeting, demonstrating our commitment to being a truly progressive church not just in word but in practice.

The following statement was crafted by members of Napa’s Interfaith Council, of which CrossWalk is a member. While this is not a statement from Interfaith, several of the faith leaders and their communities affirm the statement, which is endorsed by CrossWalk:

We publicly commit hereby that our faith community is “Welcoming and Affirming.”  We declare that in each of our communities, people of all races, cultures, sexual orientations, genders, gender identities, and gender expressions are seen, accepted, and honored as Divine expressions. We welcome ALL visitors, friends, and neighbors, and offer a community where ALL can belong as integral parts of our communities, including in services, events, membership, leadership, employment, teaching, and/or ordination as clergy.  We acknowledge that in the past and present, faith communities, including our own, have oppressed and condemned many people unjustly, including LGBTQIA+ individuals, women, indigenous peoples, and other minority groups. We believe these judgments and actions were the acts of humans, not of any higher power. We seek to offer a place in which ALL of our visitors, friends, and neighbors can explore faith without judgment, as we explore faith, as equals, side by side with them.  We are grateful to be part of a coalition of inclusive communities, because we have found that diversity increases our empathy and profoundly deepens our faith.