Meet Our Team

Elders & Wives Team

Peter & Julia Todd

Dale & Linda Janisse

Dawson & Jenni Kroeker

Peter & Evril Hagenlocher

Michael & Rebecca Whitley

John & Joly Funk

Operations Team

Peter Todd

Pastor

  • Peter was born in the UK and grew up in a Christian home, giving his life to Jesus at an early age and making a commitment to go wherever Jesus sent him at a summer camp in his early teens.

    The Lord led him to Gateway, Winnipeg in 1992 for a one year exploratory term and he has been here ever since. Julia was also born in the UK, and became a Christian after a summer camp. She and Peter met at University where they completed a music degree and teaching qualifications. Julia then spent a few years in Hong Kong and China before joining Peter in Winnipeg where they were married on Christmas Day 1994 in the Sunday morning service at Gateway.

    Peter taught in the King's School for three years and then he and Julia led the South congregation for a further ten years. During this time, they were blessed with four wonderful daughters. In 2005 God called Peter back into The King's School where he was the Principal till 2010 before returning to pastor at what was the Panet Road campus of Gateway. During much of her time in Winnipeg Julia taught piano at home privately as well in a couple of schools including the King's School. She also more recently pioneered the English Language and Newcomer support program at the church alongside a wonderful group of volunteers. This provided free language classes, Bible based lessons, settlement support, live interpretation of our Sunday services and community to hundreds of newcomers to Canada both in-person and then online over the next seven years.

    In 2022, Peter with Julia and the leadership team, led the newly formed Gateway North Church into West St Paul, eventually settling into this beautiful new building in 2023. Now, with more elders and leaders coming alongside, Peter is able to focus on those areas of ministry and service that are most life-giving both to himself and the church. The Lord has also moved Julia into a new role, teaching English to newcomers in the Seven Oaks School Division, which is proving equally life-giving to her.

John Funk

Staff & Finance Lead

  • John Funk is a dedicated leader and servant of Christ. He is married to Jorgelina (Joly) and is a loving father to three adult daughters. Born in Canada and raised with a rich Argentinian heritage, John brings a unique cultural depth to his pastoral attributes and leadership.

    Now 58, he faithfully serves the Lord in the marketplace, in the church, and as a spiritual guide to many. With a heart for people and a passion for encouraging others in practical, meaningful ways, John is known for his compassionate pastoral care and deep commitment to building a Christ-centred community.

    His life and ministry reflect an unwavering devotion to Jesus and a desire to see lives transformed by God’s grace and restorative power.

Lydia Thomas

Operations Manager

  • Having been at Gateway since birth, Lydia has served in almost every ministry possible. Today, she serves full-time as our Operations Manager, ensuring the smooth day-to-day functioning of our church operations. Lydia is passionate about organization and efficiency, creating systems, and implementing processes that bring clarity and ease to various aspects of church life.

    Lydia and her husband, Jithin like to spend their free time drinking coffee, trying new restaurants, enjoying time with friends and family, or watching a good show together. They are also looking forward to welcoming their first child later this Fall!

Betty Alexander

Administrator & Stephen Ministry Lead

  • Betty has been an active member of Gateway North since she arrived in Winnipeg 10 years ago. She serves as our Administrator and brings to the team knowledge and expertise in HR and policy writing. Betty leads our impressive group of Sunday morning volunteers to ensure everyone coming to Gateway North is warmly welcomed and connected.

    Betty also serves as the leader of our Stephen Ministry team. Stephen Ministry is a one-to-one care ministry where well-trained members of our congregation, called Stephen Ministers, are paired with a care receiver of the same gender to provide emotional and spiritual support as he/she navigates a difficult season. We currently have 23 Stephen Ministers and they are ready and eager to serve our congregation and community.

    Betty and her husband, Art enjoy concerts, movie nights in, and seeing friends and family.

Elizabeth Frank

Bookkeeper

  • Elizabeth has been a committed member of Gateway Church since 1985. Since then, she has served in many different areas of the church. Currently, she is serving as the Bookkeeper for all three congregations of Gateway Church.

    Elizabeth also helps with many of the Special events like Christmas, Easter, and church potlucks at Gateway North. Elizabeth and her husband Andrew also serve as assistant LifeGroup leaders, encouraging and helping others mature in their walk with Jesus.

    Elizabeth and her husband Andrew both enjoy hiking in the mountains, playing games with friends and relaxing with a good book or puzzle. They have two grown sons, Matthew and Nathaniel.

Fiona Peters

Plan To Protect Certified Administrative Lead

  • Fiona has been a part of Gateway Church since it first began in the early 1970s, and is currently on the leadership team of Gateway East where her husband Ken is the senior pastor. For almost 30 years, Fiona's ministry focus has been the children and families of Gateway, and she loves teaching kids about Jesus and seeing them grow in their walk with Him.

    Fiona also leads Gateway's safeguarding ministry, Plan to Protect, and is committed to pursuing the highest standard of safety and care for the children, youth, and vulnerable adults in our Gateway churches.

    In her free time, Fiona loves spending time with her family - two daughters, one son, two sons-in-law, and three adorable grandchildren!

Kevin Sawatzky

Administrative Pastor of Gateway Inc.

  • Kevin and his family have been a part of Gateway South Osborne since 2003. He was hired as Gateway's Administrative Pastor in 2006 and has served in that role ever since. He loves utilizing the gifts and talents God has given him to serve His church. And one of his greatest joys in his role is when things balance to the penny (even though the penny was done away with in 2012)!

    Kevin and his wife, Ivy, have three children. They love camping in the summer and skiing in the winter in the Rocky Mountains. Kevin also loves sports of all kinds, especially golf. He loves cheering on the Jets and the Bombers!

Randy Braun

Network Administrator & Production Lead

  • Randy started doing technical work around the age of 12. Since then he's worked for companies like Powerland Computers, BellMTS, Sound Art, and now Gateway (since 2016) where he manages the IT and Audio/Visual needs of the church.

    Randy is continuously learning about the latest tech trends and equipment and how he can implement/improve tech so it best meets the needs of users and glorifies God.

    Randy and his wife Janine enjoy travelling, trying new foods, and spending time with friends.

Jonathan Schroeder

Property Manager

  • Jonathan has been attending Gateway Church since 2001, and began working for the church as the Property Manager in 2015. As the Property Manager, Jon looks after all aspects of the daily operation of the building and property, maintenance, and building projects, for both the church and school. Jonathan loves practical service, problem solving, and making sure the building is set up well, is inviting, and functioning smoothly for every person who uses it.

    Jonathan and his wife Natalie have three young girls who keep them busy at home. They enjoy lots of outdoor time, walks, making and eating delicious meals together, and time spent with family.

Renee Coleman

Deposit Clerk

  • Renee serves as our Deposit Clerk, bringing a heart for stewardship and a spirit of faithfulness to her role.

    She and her husband, David, have been part of our church family for over 10 years. They are proud parents of five children—three adults (one of whom is married) and two still at home—whom they have homeschooled with a deep commitment to both education and spiritual growth.

    Renee is also a caring member of our Stephen Ministry, where she walks alongside others with compassion and Christ-centered support. Her heart for people is evident in every area of her life and service.

    Outside the church, Renee enjoys camping, fishing, gardening, woodworking, and home renovations. Her love for hands-on projects reflects her dedication to building up both her home and her community. Renee and David also share their home with four beloved dogs—two spirited Irish Setters and two charming Yorkshire Terriers—who add even more joy and energy to their lives.

Ministry Team

Cate Dyck

Women’s Ministry

  • Cate Dyck loves God, people, and food, and her mission in leading the Gateway North Women’s Ministry is to bring these three things together consistently. Her favourite people in the world are her husband, David, and their four awesome kids: Lincoln, Makai, Charlie, and Vivienne. Cate is also the founder of Utoffeea, a confectionery business in West St. Paul, and she seeks to glorify God in both her personal and professional life.

    When she’s not cooking large amounts of tacos for her hungry kids, you might find her baking with her daughter, staying active, curled up with a good book and a tea latte, or planning her next get-together with friends.

Chris Blatz

LifeGroups Administrator

  • Chris Blatz, together with her husband, Ron, have been attending Gateway for approximately 28 years. For many years she served as the Infant Nursery coordinator, blessing both mothers and babies with care and encouragement, as well as hand-made supplies, photos and name certificates. Some of these children are now teens and in their 20's.

    One of Chris' hobbies is gardening. Blooms are evident in her yard from May throughout October. Her other enjoyment is movies, both old and new. Chris and her husband Ron enjoy vacationing in California for January and February each year.

    Chris is currently helping with administration of Life Groups at Gateway North, together with John Funk.

Dawson & Jenni Kroeker

Worship Ministry

  • Dawson and Jenni Kroeker began leading Gateway North’s worship ministry in the fall of 2024. Both have been part of Gateway since they were children, and have served in the worship ministry for over 25 years in various capacities. They have been leaders in a number of areas in the church, including LifeGroups, Kids ministry, and Youth, and have a heart to see people of all ages and nations become worshippers of Jesus.

    Dawson and Jenni live in Oakbank with their four children, Emma, Isaac, Jeremiah, and Silas. Dawson works primarily from home as a software developer and team leader. He enjoys reading theology, drinking coffee, smoking meat, and is always up for a game night! When Jenni is not driving their children to various events, keeping up the home, or managing a ministry, she works on her creative business as a knitwear designer. She loves tea, podcasts, and fibre arts, and she always has a few knit or crochet projects on the go.

    The Kroekers like to eat homemade pizza on Fridays, and love to travel together when they get the opportunity.

John Micklefield

Teaching Ministry

  • John has been in ministry for over 50 years, serving the Body of Christ in the UK, Canada, India, Africa, and other parts of the world. Married to Val since 1973, they have three grown children and six grandchildren.

    John and Val moved to Canada from the UK in 1989 and served as Teaching Pastor at Gateway for 29 years.

    Recently, though, he and Val have spent extended periods of time in other cities encouraging and strengthening sister churches in the Salt and Light family.

Michael & Rebecca Whitley

Youth & Young Adults Ministries

  • Between the two of them, Michael and Rebecca have served in most ministries at Gateway over the last 14 years. Together they currently serve as the ministry leads for both youth and young adults, lead a LifeGroup, and serve on the elders and wives team. They are passionate about seeing the next generation of Jesus followers discipled and released into the fullness of God for their lives.

    Together with their son Jack, they enjoy entertaining friends and family, Saturday brunch, escape rooms, and board games.

Natalie Schroeder

Moms’ Bible Study

  • Since joining Gateway in 2015, Natalie has felt the welcoming community and spirit of the Lord here. After marrying her husband, Jonathan, in 2016 she struggled to find her place in the church and still does some days. However, finding ways to connect with other women that would push her towards the Lord is very important to her. She knows God has created her to draw people into community even though she is an introvert. Helping bring others together in this season of motherhood is where she feels the Lord is asking her to step out of her comfort zone, so others can find a sense of community she also craves.

    Natalie and Jonathan now have three little girls in their family - such a blessing and such a crazy disaster at times. Things that also bring joy to her days include: a slow morning coffee, being outdoors, gardening, doing many artsy hobbies (knitting, sewing, baking, etc.), and going to bed early.

Peculiar Okhihie

Early Years Coordinator - Noah’s Ark

  • Peculiar and family joined Gateway in March 2018 and after going through Gateway Paths, she volunteered with Easter choir, Kids Ministry and in 2019 joined the staff as Early Years Coordinator serving Noah's Ark with her passion and love for working with Children.

    Peculiar is married to Anthony and they are blessed with three sons. She loves to solve jigsaw puzzles, organizing, watching investigative series, and home reality shows.

Shehara Munasinha

KIDS - KidsQuest Coordinator

  • When Shehara moved to Canada in 2020, the Lord led her family to Gateway church. She started serving as a kids ministry volunteer a few months after joining the church and then took on the role of coordinator for KidsQuest in 2022.

    Together with a dedicated team of volunteers Shehara has been able to bring God’s word to children, while encouraging them to be worship leaders and prayer warriors. As an early childhood educator by profession, she believes that leading young minds to the Lord from an early age, lays a foundation for a strong church.

    Shehara and husband, Darshana, together with our sons Rehan and Yanik, love to travel and try new food. They enjoy going for motor shows, especially vintage vehicle shows. In her spare time she likes to bake and work on craft projects.

Val Micklefield

Prayer Ministry

  • Val Micklefield has followed Jesus for over 60 years and been a member of Gateway Church for 36. Serving alongside her husband, John, she has cared for churches in England and Canada for over five decades.

    Val taught at The King’s School for many years and pioneered an off-campus classroom for newcomer children. Though retired, she remains on the TKS Board.

    Passionate about worship, prayer, and empowering women, she has preached in churches, spoken at retreats, and helped lead mission teams. Val currently oversees Gateway’s Prayer Ministry.

    She has three grown children and six grandchildren in Manitoba and Alberta.

Chynna Ferreira

Moms’ Bible Study

  • Chynna is deeply passionate about women’s ministry and walking alongside women as they discover their identity and purpose in Christ. She has a heart for cultivating a supportive community where women can connect and grow deeper in their faith and spiritual maturity.  Through prayer and studying God’s Word together, her hope is that every woman feels encouraged, strengthened, and equipped to boldly walk in her God-given calling.

    Chynna and her husband, Brian, are raising three wonderful children. In their free time, they enjoy hosting dinner parties with friends, tending to their small hobby farm, and unwinding with music and a good book.

Sally Nelson

Community Outreach

  • Sally has called Gateway her home church for 38 years, currently serving as our part time Outreach Coordinator. Drawing on her many years working in the settlement sector and in community development, Sally assists the church to connect with the community in meaningful ways, believing strongly that we have great news to share with the world.

    Sally and her husband Lance, have spent a lifetime relating cross-culturally here in Canada and abroad. She is passionate about hospitality and sharing what God has so generously given her with others. Sally and Lance spend as much time outdoors as possibly canoeing, hiking and camping in their free time.

Ron Blatz

Senior Men’s Connect

  • Ron (and wife Chris) have been attending Gateway Church for about 30 years. Ron, exercising his gift of “helps” shared his idea with Dale Janisse and this ministry was born.

    They serve the church through active involvement in the maintenance, repairs and development of the property all while fostering deep supportive relationships within the group (and having FUN).

    Ron also serves in the ushering ministry and as a backup to the Sunday morning admin team when required.

Dale Janisse

Senior Men’s Connect

  • Dale Janisse has a passion to serve in the church. Coming alongside Ron Blatz to start this men’s connect group is a way to serve the property manager in various tasks around the property. It’s also a great time to connect with other men over coffee, fellowship and pray for needs.

    Dale and Linda Janisse have been attending Gateway church for over 32 years. Dale has served in various ministries over the years and also serves as an elder.

Joyce Baardman

Senior Women’s Connect

  • Joyce has been part of Gateway for well over 40 years, and has served in both the nursery and Children’s Ministry for many years. She also helped with the EAL Ministry during it’s time.

    Joyce now serves with our Connection Crew and the Senior Women’s Ministry. It is her desire to bring senior women together for fellowship, a devotional and pray together.

    Joyce enjoys quilting, gardening and walking in nature in her spare time.

Marlene Schroeder

Senior Women’s Connect

  • Marlene has lived in various places including Vancouver,B.C., South Dakota,. Cameroon, West Africa,and other cities in B.C. but Winnipeg was always home. She moved back to Winnipeg,  with her 4 children 24 years ago in order to teach  at The King’s School. She is now retired and has 8 grandchildren.

    Marlene enjoys connecting with people and knows how important it is to have  a faith community so the Senior Women’s Connect group is a good fit for her to be involved in leading.

    She still enjoys substitute teaching and teaching in Impact for 11 and 12 year olds on Sunday mornings.

    Marlene enjoys spending time with her children and helping with my grandchildren. She also loves reading and talking to others about how good and faithful God has been. She loves walking the neighbourhood to see who she might meet and talk to along the way.

Susan Kapilik

Senior Women’s Connect

  • Susan has been serving and growing in God at Gateway since 1997. During her years she has led women’s ministry, moms group, Sunday school helper, and many large dinners for Kings Commission. She feels her ministry is to gather women, encourage and teach them for fellowship, affirmation and growing in their journey in relationships with others and God.

    Susan is a widow and loves to spend time scrapbooking, baking, and cooking for others. She also loves to spend time with her family and 8 grandkids.

John & Joly Funk

LifeGroups

  • John and Joly have been part of Gateway for almost 36 years and have celebrated many life milestones during that time, including the births of their three daughters—Rebecca, Stephanie, and Olivia.

    After spending seven years living in Santiago, Chile, they relocated back to Canada and now call East St. Paul home.

    John and Joly love people, and with God’s help, their desire is to continue building relationships and community where: Jesus is our key, People are our point, Worship is our passion, Community is our design, Faith is our response, Generosity is our norm, Serving is our privilege.

Sharon Gerrick

Senior Women’s Connect

  • Sharron has attended Gateway since 1992 and has been part of several ministries. She started as a greeter, then volunteered in Bethlehem Live in various positions over the years. Sharron also has been part of the Prayer Ministry and most recently enjoyed helping in the EAL program.

    Outside of church Sharron enjoys reading, walking, golfing, and games like Scrabble and crosswords.