Matthew + Rebecca Johnson
The Johnsons
Senior Pastor
Click Here for Bio
Pastors and Leadership.
Matthew + Rebekka Mullins
Assistant Pastor
Click Here for Bio
The Mullins
Austin + Mikayla Sizemore
The Sizemores
Youth Pastor
Click Here for Bio
Jonathan + Tori Vailes
The Vailes
Children's Pastor +
Finance Administrator
Click Here for Bio
Matthew + Tamera Gordon
The Gordons
Music Directors
Click Here for Bio
Erika Chacón
Erika Chacón
KidsCare Daycare Director
Click Here for Bio
Nathan + Larkin Venturini
The Whites
Administration
Click Here for Bio
Children's Pastor + Finance Administrator
The Jenners
The Lowthers
The Venturinis
Neil + Angela Jenner
The Jenners
Youth Pastor
Click Here for Bio
Jason + Hillary Lowther
The Lowthers
Click Here for Bio
Landon + Christa White
Administration
Click Here for Bio
The Whites
Neil + Angela Jenner
Administration
Jason + Hillary Lowther
Administration
Landon + Christa White
Director
Click Here for Bio
The Johnsons
Our Senior Pastor Matthew Johnson has been involved in ministry for more than 25 years. Prior to full time ministry the Johnsons both worked in the healthcare field. Pastor Johnson is an Ordained Minister of the UPCI, received his MBA summa cum laude from William Woods University, received his specialty MBA summa cum laude in healthcare administration, and is board bertified in ambulatory surgery management.
Pastor Johnson serves on the Board of Trustees for Compassion Services International (CSI) as well as the UPCI Stewardship Advisory Council.
The Johnsons formerly served the executive team for UPCI Youth Ministries and also served as members of the Missouri Youth Ministries leadership team.
They are the proud parents of Abriah & Jace who are the joy of their lives, along with their two Goldendoodles, Opie Taylor & Ginger Lou. The Johnsons enjoy family time together kayaking, exploring the great outdoors, and also searching for new coffee shops wherever they travel.
The Venturinis
Nathan and Larkin Venturini have been married and serving in ministry together since 2018. They are looking forward to welcoming their first child in August of 2023. Outside of his involvement with The Sanctuary, Nathan is an Operations Analyst for Toyota Material Handling, and Larkin is a Speech Language Pathologist for Bartholomew County Schools. Larkin is a member of The Sanctuary Kids Ministry Team, participates in The Sanctuary Choir, and is involved with Bible Quizzing. They are glad to have made Columbus their home, and are excited about what is happening in the community and church.
The Lowthers
Jason and Hillary were married in 2005. They are blessed with two incredible children, Emma and Jackson, and two mini golden doodles, Theo and Lyla.
Both Jason and Hillary are licensed professional engineers and serve the State of Indiana in their respective roles.
Jason has a passion for cooking, working with his hands and helping others achieve financial goals. Hillary makes sure there’s some fun along the way.
Erika Chacón
Erika Chacón's journey in education began in her childhood daycare and blossomed as she helped raise her four younger siblings. After marrying Alan Chacón in 2007 and welcoming their first pair of boys, she was inspired to turn her passion into a career. She began her professional path at Learning Tree Preschool, starting as a substitute and eventually becoming the lead teacher.
Four years later, in 2018, she once again continued pursuing her passion and joined the newly founded Legado Immersion Academy as a Teaching Assistant at Clifty Creek Elementary School. After she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, she welcomed her second pair of boys as she became a third grade Legado teacher, teaching in English and
Spanish. Although she loves teaching, her true passion is early childhood education. Now, as the Director of Sanctuary KidsCare, Erika is thrilled to pursue her dream of shaping young minds.
Outside of work, Erika and Alan enjoy family road trips, movie nights, and board games with
their four boys: Alan, Abel, Adrian, and Adriel.
The Gordons
Matt and Tamera Gordon have been married and have served in music ministry since 1997; as well as teaching music for many years. They have one daughter, Ava. The Gordon's have been a part of The Sanctuary since 2015.
The Ortizs
Jorge and Amy Otiz serve as our Spanish church pastors. Prior to their pastorship, they along with their 3 children, have helped in several missions works in various countries around the world.
The Vailes
Jonathan and Tori got married in 2014, have one daughter named Nora, and one dog named Gus. The Vailes have served as Children's Pastors at The Sanctuary since 2015 while also serving in many administrative capacities and other ministries. Prior to his transition to a full-time ministry position, Jonathan was a music teacher within the BCSC school corporation. Now, with his Master's degree in Business Administration, Jonathan is the Finance Coordinator and Children's Pastor. Tori is a 3rd grade teacher in the BCSC school corporation and serves part-time at The Sanctuary to support administrative needs.
The Sizemores
The Sizemores have served in youth ministry for over ten years, the past seven being the youth pastor's here at The Sanctuary. They lead our thriving youth and young adults group and are passionately serving in many other areas of the church. Mikayla earned her Bachelor's in Education from Indiana University and has been a special education teacher for nearly a decade. Austin earned his Bachelor's in Economics from Marian University where he won two national championships as a football player. They have been married for 7 years and recently had their first daughter Jade in 2021.
The McLaurines
Gwendolyn McLaurine MS, LMHCA, NCC completed her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and a Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling. She is a licensed mental health counselor in Indiana and a licensed professional counselor in Michigan. She is the owner of Living Water Mental Health LLC where she provides office and teletherapy services and specializes in helping individuals overcome the effects of childhood trauma. She has ten-plus years of individual, family, and crisis counseling experience. Gwendolyn is eclectic in her approach to therapy and seeks to use the most effective and appropriate method to address her clients' needs.
Gwendolyn is a wife, mother of two, and lover of shopping malls. She and her husband Reggie attend The Sanctuary in Columbus, Indiana, serving on the leadership team as assistant pastors
The Mullins
Assistant Pastors at The Sanctuary; Rebekka and Matthew Mullins have been married, and served together in ministry since 2004 and have 4 beautiful children. Matthew is Vice President at a global fortune 500 company and a partner and CEO of Equipping Leaders. With 20 years of pastoral experience, he also teaches global audiences, and offers coaching in strategy, human resources management, and leader development.