Our Elders and Deacons

The elders of Crossway Church consider it a great privilege to be able to care for and to lead this church. Below you will find a brief biography for each man. Though not exhaustive, we hope that this list gives you some idea of who we are, of how we are structured and of who you might turn to with appropriate questions.
Peter Privitera

Peter serves as our senior pastor, having come on staff in April 2004. He has over 30 years of pastoral experience and holds an M.Div. from Southern Seminary. Peter and his wife, Grace, have 5 daughters, and 3 grandchildren.

Steve Heitland 
Steve came on staff in June 2008. He leads our Caregroups, Adult Education (Vital Life), Counseling training and Deacon training. He holds a PhD in Biblical Counseling from Southern Seminary and is certified with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC). Steve and his wife, Lori, have five children.
Doug Plank 
Doug came on staff in June 2003. A gifted songwriter, Doug leads our worship team, Children’s Ministry (Entrust), Men’s and Women’s Ministries and our Counseling team. He holds an MA in Biblical Counseling from Southern Seminary. Doug and his wife, Brenda, have five children.
Deacons are “esteemed servants” in the church. They lead in our care for one another, especially with regard to mercy ministry and benevolence. Jesus made this love a hallmark of his church, as we read in John 13:34-35:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

In October 2017 we ordained four men as the first Deacons in our history. This culminated a two-year process of nomination, training and evaluation, as they studied the role and responsibilities of deacons, the mission of the church and the manner in which the gospel transforms our love for one another.

Josh Coleman

Josh has been married to his wife Kate for over 20 years and they have five children. They have been members of Crossway for over 12 years and he serves on the Camping Ministry team and the Worship team. Josh works as a project engineer at a timber frame shop and Kate teaches and cares for their children at home. 

Carl Driedger

Carl has been married to his wife, Linda, for over 38 years. They have three children and eight grandchildren. They have been members of Crossway Church for over 38 years, and have served as care group leaders and in many other roles in the church. Carl is a probation officer for the County of Lancaster.

Tom Eckman

Tom has been married to his wife, Lara, for nearly 25 years. They have three children, and have been members of Crossway for over 30 years. Tom has overseen our Farm Team and the Eckmans have served in many other roles in the church. Tom teaches at Manheim Central High School.

Ken Herr

Ken has been married to his wife, Beejee, for over 50 years. They have four children and sixteen grandchildren. They have been members of Crossway for over 30 years, and have served as Caregroup leaders and in many other roles in the church. For over 35 years Ken was employed in diverse types of management roles in high-paced manufacturing settings, and is currently enjoying retirement.

Andrew Odell

Andrew has been married to his wife, Abby, for over 35 years. They have five children and two grandchildren. They have been members of Crossway for over 35 years, and have served as Caregroup leaders and in many other roles in the church. Andrew works as an engineer in nuclear power, and Abby served her children as a homeschooling mom for 24 years.