Our Staff
Our church phone number is 708-386-3900
Dr. Todd Wilson, Senior Pastor ext 7025
Email:
Todd was called to Calvary as the Senior Pastor in the fall of 2008. Prior to Calvary he served as an associate pastor at College Church in Wheaton, IL. He has also served on staff at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN.
Todd is responsible for preaching on Sunday mornings, and he oversees the ministry staff and the congregation. Todd is also a member of the Elder Board.
Todd has a B.A. in Philosophy and an M.A. in Biblical Exegesis from Wheaton College and Graduate School. He earned a Ph.D. in New Testament from Cambridge University. Todd has authored articles in New Testament studies and several books including The Curse of the Law and the Crisis in Galatia, Paul's Life and Letters, and he co-edited Preach the Word: Essays on Expository Preaching: In Honor of Dr. R. Kent Hughes.
Todd and his wife Katie live in Oak Park. In addition to their three children, they have adopted a pair of twin boys from Ethiopia, to make a lively household of five children.
Gerald Hiestand, Senior Associate Pastor ext 7027
Email:
Gerald joined the staff as Senior Associate Pastor in October, 2010. He leads the ministry staff and oversees the discipleship ministries of Calvary. Prior to serving at Calvary, Gerald served as an associate pastor at Harvest Bible Chapel in Rolling Meadows. He also served as an associate pastor at Fremont Evangelical Free Church in Fremont, NE.
Gerald has a B.A. in Theology from Moody Bible Institute, and an M.A. in Christian Thought from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Gerald has written a number of scholarly articles related to church history and theology, as well as two books, his most recent being (along with Jay Thomas), Sex, Dating and Relationships: A Fresh Approach (Crossway, 2012). Gerald also serves as the Executive Director of the Society for the Advancement of Ecclesial Theology (SAET).
Gerald and his wife Jill have three children, and are in the process of adopting from Ethiopia. They live in Rolling Meadows.
To read Gerald’s blog, click here.
Jonathan Cummings, Pastor of High School Ministries ext 7028
Jonathan has been serving in youth ministry for the past 6 years at Country Bible Church and College Church in Wheaton. He recently joined our staff in August of 2009. Jonathan has a passion to help high school students understand the gospel of God and also to communicate that very gospel in word and deed to their culture. Jonathan leads the 931 high school ministry at Calvary.
Jonathan grew up in the Chicagoland area and received his B.A. in Biblical Studies with a minor in Biblical Languages from Northland International University. He is also currently working on his M.A. in Biblical Exegesis from Wheaton College Graduate School. Jonathan is married to Christine and they have 3 children—2 boys and 1 girl.
Howard Duncan, Pastor of Care and Support Ministries ext 7018
Email:
Howard desires to provide compassion, comfort, counseling, and community to the church. He oversees programs such as LifeCare, hospital visitation, prayer ministry, singles ministry, women's ministries, the Golden Heirs, and bereavement support.
For 20 years he served as an associate pastor and camp director in Chicago, and then 7 years as a system analyst at a north suburban hospital. Howard is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Wheaton College, Wheaton Graduate School, and a doctoral candidate from Northern Illinois University. His wife Linda is a professor and the Director of the Undergraduate Department of Nursing at North Park University in Chicago. Howard and Linda have two children, who are both medical doctors.
Nate Friedrichsen, Director of Middle School Ministries (708.406.9806)
Email:
Nate aspires to see middle school students in Oak Park and the surrounding community develop their identity in Jesus Christ and commit to the local church. Nate joined the staff as Director of Middle School Ministries in the summer of 2011. He previously worked with high school students in the West Suburbs as a Ministry Associate at College Church in Wheaton. He also directed middle school and high school ministries in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
Nate has a B.A. from Kent State University in Teaching English as a Second Language. He also earned an M.A. in Historical and Systematic Theology and an M.A. in Biblical Exegesis at Wheaton College Graduate School. His academic interests include the ways in which the early centuries of the Church read Scripture and the role of advanced biblical interpretation within the local church today.
Nate and his wife, Aimee, were married in 2007. Nate, Aimee, and their baby son live in Oak Park. They enjoy tacos and second-hand stores.
Stann Leff, Executive Director of Organizational Leadership ext 7026
Email:
Stann joined the staff of Calvary in early 2009. He comes from a long career as a senior manager in several Fortune 500 retail companies. He served as Senior Vice President of Human Resources for ShopNBC and May Department stores. He was Vice President of Human Resources for Montgomery Ward and Jewel Companies. Stann has also served as a church chairman, elder, and multiple leadership roles in the churches he has attended over the years.
Stann uses his decades of experience to serve with a national life coaching ministry. He has coached over 30 pastors, missionary leaders, business leaders. He grew up in a pastor's home which shaped his desire to help ministry leaders. He and his wife Gloria have been married 42 years. They have two married daughters and seven grandchildren.
Keith Steiner, Pastor of Community Life ext 7022
Email:
Keith began attending Calvary in 1993 and has served as a leader in children's ministry, Allied Force, and college ministry. He joined the ministry staff in 2006. His current responsibilities include oversight of Small Groups, Adult Bible Fellowships, Church Membership and Hospitality ministries. Additionally, he provides oversight to communications and technology at Calvary. Keith has an M.A. in Educational Ministries from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, a B.A. from Moody Bible Institute, and is certified as a Fellow in Church Business Administration.
He has previously served as a children's ministry pastor, in Student Development at Moody Bible Institute, and an instructor in a residential treatment center. Keith and his wife Lynsey were married at Calvary in 2000. They have a son, Joshua, a daughter, Joelle, and live in Oak Park.
Caleb Widmer, Pastor of Worship and Music ext 7023 Email:
Caleb began his ministry at Calvary in June 2011. He provides pastoral leadership and vision to the music and arts of Calvary. Prior to serving at Calvary, Caleb served for eight years as the Pastor of Worship Arts for Waukesha Bible Church in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Caleb has a B.S. in Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute, and an M.A. from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary with a thesis exploring the earliest Christian visual art in the centuries prior to Constantine. Caleb has recorded two full-length albums and one EP of original music and strives to contribute new music in service of the church.
Caleb and his wife Sheena have two children, both boys, and live in Elmhurst.
Heidi Wolfe, Director of Children's Ministries Ext. 7015
Email:
Heidi oversees the AWANA program at Calvary, Sunday School, and other children's programs and childcare. She has a background in Visual Arts Education and years of experience in early childhood education. Heidi also served as a graphic designer for Moody Bible Institute from 1997-2000. She's received a BA in Fine Arts from Huntington University in Indiana, with coursework to complete her K-12 education certification.
