Mt. Cross Ministries Welcomes New Executive Director

This past Wednesday, Mt. Cross Ministries welcomed a new Executive Director to staff, Andrew Templeman. Additionally, Mt. Cross announced three additional year-round staff members. Read more below!

"Andrew Templeman is excited to be joining Mt. Cross Ministries as Executive Director in mid-April. He has a passion for outdoor ministry and getting more people outside! A native of Ohio, Andrew has a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Miami University.

He has 10 years’ experience in outdoor ministry including several years at Camp Otterbein, a United Methodist Camp in Ohio, and most recently as Site Director of Waypost, a camp of Crossways Camping Ministry, a Lutheran Outdoor Ministry (LOM) affiliated outdoor ministry in central Wisconsin. Andrew is also in the final stages of the Compass Points program, an educational program specifically for developing executive skills in outdoor ministry that is cooperatively run by the outdoor ministries of several mainline protestant denominations including LOM. He will graduate at the LOM conference later this year.

He is active in the American Camp Association and volunteers as an Accreditation Visitor. Andrew loves spending time outdoors and going on adventures. He is looking forward to exploring God’s great creation in Northern California! Welcome, Andrew!

We are thrilled to announce that Sam Garcia has been called to the role of Program Director for Mt. Cross Ministries! Sam is a lifelong Lutheran from Fort Worth, TX. He is a recent graduate of Pacific Lutheran University ('20) and a current student at Luther Seminary ('23). Sam earned his Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communication and is pursuing his Master of Arts in Children, Youth, and Family Ministry. Sam spent 3 summers working at Rainbow Trail Lutheran Camp in Hillside, CO and 2 summers at Camp Briarwood in Argyle, TX. Sam began working at Mt. Cross part-time in March 2022 and is now living on-site and working full-time. He is also a musician who wrote the official theme song of the 2022 ELCA Youth Gathering!

Joshua Armstrong