PASTOR-ELDERS
At Church Without Borders we believe that the church functions best when it's led by a team of pastor-elders. We make no distinction between elders and pastors, but recognize their roles to be one in the same. In an elder-led church, the same men who are called to pastor the church are entrusted with the responsibility to govern the church as well. This insures that shepherding and oversight go hand in hand. [1 Peter 5:1-4] And because the church is led by a team, no one man has the authority to call all the shots. This protects the church from it's leaders, and the leaders from themselves. [Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 3:23] In addition, all potential elders must go through a process of being recognized by the church as having been called by God, and meet the biblical qualifications for elders as outlined in 1 Timothy 3, and Titus 1. If you're interested in learning more about our views on eldership and church government, we recommend the book, Biblical Eldership, by Alexander Strauch.
John Megaw, Lead Pastor - john@cwbnj.com
John was born right here in New Jersey, just 15 miles from where our church meets. And although he grew up in a loving Christian home and was even the son of a pastor, John never had any aspirations to go into the ministry. During his freshman year at college however, John felt a stirring in his heart for missions. After graduating from Rider University, and after going through a missions training program at Elim Bible Institute, John thought that serving the Lord overseas would be the next step for him. But God had other plans. For the next 3 years John served as a youth pastor where he was able to get some practical experience in local church ministry. And then finally, in January 1994, God opened up the doors for John to go to Amsterdam, where he participated in a 6-month Discipleship Training School with Youth With A Mission(YWAM). It was there that he fell in love with his wife Jen, who grew up in both Washington and Wisconsin. When they returned to the States they continued to serve with YWAM for the next ten years. John and Jen directed the Discipleship Training School program in Los Angeles, and then later planted a new YWAM base in the city of Seattle. Between the two of them, they have had the privilege of serving in over 20 countries doing a wide range of ministries, including working with the homeless and with people suffering from HIV/AIDS, in addition to hosting teams for urban outreaches, and sending teams overseas to minister in other countries. After serving with YWAM John and Jen transitioned into local church ministry where they worked with churches in Iowa, Washington, and eventually back here in New Jersey. In February 2011, John and Jen planted Church Without Borders with an amazing team of people who were willing to dive into the unknown and follow Jesus together. John and Jen feel privileged to be a part of what God is doing here at CWB, and are excited to see what the Lord has planned for us next. They also have 4 incredible kids that have been a part of this amazing journey with them - Micah, Toby, Elle, and Remi.
Matt Taylor, Bi-Vocational Pastor - matt@cwbnj.com
Matt grew up in the Midwest where he met his wife, Angie. He graduated from Indiana State University as a professional pilot. In the winter of 1998, he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and stationed in Minot, North Dakota. Six states and five beautiful children later, he moved to New Jersey where he was led by the Lord to leave active duty and permanently plant his family. He has pioneered with Church Without Borders from the beginning, where he serves as an elder. Matt currently flies for the NJ Air National Guard at Joint Base MDL. He and Angie homeschool their children Madeline, Gabriel, Susannah, Megan, and Seth. Matt enjoys playing several instruments, flying and filming with a drone, and sharing his love of the outdoors with his family.
Mark Warfel, Bi-Vocational Pastor - mark.warfel@baml.com
Mark was born and raised in a loving, Christ-centered home in central PA, with 4 brothers and 2 sisters. Nationwide, he traveled for 5 years as a musician, after which he experienced a time of spiritual wandering. Following a time of repentance and rededicating himself to the Lord, Mark relocated to South Jersey in 1987, where he met Kathy, whom he married in 1990 and with whom he’s had three wonderful children, Toby, Rebekah and Lucas. After many years with Ford Motor Credit, he works at Bank of America in the auto lending division, where he just celebrated 10 years of employment. His ministry background includes serving as Worship Leader in a local church for 18 years as well as elder for part of those years, playing and singing in various bands, emceeing for the Creation Festival for 19 years, and being blessed to help with the launch of Church Without Borders where he was part of the Formation Council and now serves as Elder/Pastor. It’s been a joy to often work side by side his wife in ministry, as well as seeing his children grow to love and serve Jesus. In his spare time, he loves music, traveling, and volunteering with the high school sound production team.