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The spiritual leadership of Blackhawk Church, under the headship of Christ, is provided by the Board of Elders, which consists of four to eight lay Elders elected by church members, and the Senior Pastor. The Elders are responsible for shepherding and overseeing the people of the church. Shepherding is accomplished as the Elders model Christian living and servant leadership (I Peter 5:1-4), and teach, exhort, and correct according to Scripture (Titus 1:9). Their aims are the spiritual welfare of each individual (Hebrews 13:17) and the growth towards Christlikeness of the Body of believers (Ephesians 4:12-16). Church oversight is detailed in the Board Governance Policies.

Candidates for Elder: We are pleased to announce that Rob Haworth has been nominated as a new elder for a three-year term on the Elder Board, and Tom Crenshaw has been nominated to continue as an elder, serving a second three-year term. Tom, who became an elder in 2005, has also been nominated to serve a third one-year term as Elder Chairman. The membership vote will be held at the congregational meeting, May 20. Read bios of these candidates below:

Rob Haworth, Candidate for Elder
Married to: Alison   Children: Rachel, David, Robin

Rob grew up in Robin Hood country in England, and became a Christ-follower in college at Manchester University, where he also met Alison, in the Physics Department Christian Group. In 1973 they came to Madison and began attending Blackhawk church. Rob has worked on campus as a researcher in heart cell physiology for the past 35 years. Alison works as Publications Secretary at Blackhawk. Rob previously served as an elder at Blackhawk in the 70s and 80s, and is currently active in Stephen Ministry. Rob and Alison enjoy four granddaughters, and Rob loves to play soccer and golf, and word games like Catchphrase and Scrabble.

Blackhawk's current Elder Board:

Tom Crenshaw, Elder Board Chairman
Married to: Connie   

Tom and Connie Crenshaw, who are both natives of Tennessee, came to Madison in 1980. Tom is a Professor in the Department of Animal Sciences at UW and Connie works in the Early Childhood program in the DeForest School District.
The Crenshaws have two children and six grandchildren. At Blackhawk, Tom and Connie serve as Life Group leaders. Tom likes to spend his free time playing with his grandkids.

Mike Anderson
Married to: Gail   Children: Mark, Steven

Mike was born in Minneapolis. He earned a degree in History from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and a Law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. He is the Managing Partner at Axley Brynelson, LLP, law firm where he has worked since coming to Madison in 1980. His wife, Gail, is a school psychologist. They have been married since 1977 and have two sons, Mark (Wheaton College ’04, Loyola Medical School ’09) and Steven (University of Wisconsin - Madison ’08). Mike and Gail like to spend as much time as possible at their cottage on Green Lake.

Barry Hess
Married to: Barb   Children: Erika, Dan

Barry grew up on a farm outside of Fontana, Wisconsin. Once he figured out that he and farm animals were incompatible it was off to college. Two degrees and ten years later he ended up as a pharmacist in Long Term Care in Madison. Barry and his wife Barb are retired from their professions. Daughter Erika lives in San Diego California and son Dan in Madison. Barry first began attending Blackhawk in the 70’s at the original Blackhawk Avenue site. In recent years he has been involved in Life Groups, prayer, short term missions, and local outreach. His hobbies include reading, traveling and being outdoors.

Stuart Knechtle
Married to: Mary Banks   Children: William, David, Peter

Stuart grew up in Connecticut and obtained a biochemistry degree from Princeton and an MD from Cornell. He met Mary Banks while training in surgery at Duke in North Carolina. They came to Madison in 1989 and Stuart works as Professor of Surgery at UW Hospital and with a biotechnology company, Renovar. He is interested in medical missions and has taught in Planet Kid at Blackhawk. Mary Banks is a parish nurse for Blackhawk. Stuart likes to spend as much time as possible on their small farm and enjoys biking, skiing, and horses.

Jeff Lerdahl
Married to: Sara   Children: Jim, David, John

Jeff was born in Madison and graduated from East High School. He attended St. Olaf College, where he graduated with a Political Science degree, studied abroad in Norway and did an internship on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. He met Sara at St. Olaf and they married in 1981. Since moving to Middleton in 1984, Jeff has been President of Lerdahl Business Interiors. The Lerdahls began attending Blackhawk in 1998 and Jeff has served as Human Resources Team leader, Elder Selection Committee member, a marriage mentor with Sara, and many years in Life Groups. In his free time, Jeff likes to travel, bike, camp, read, and spend time at the family cottage on Lake Wisconsin.

Rick Lindroth
Married to: Nancy   Children: Krissy, Nikki

Rick grew up in Illinois and Missouri, and met Nancy as an undergraduate at Iowa State University. Rick received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, and is now a professor of Ecology at the University of Wisconsin. Rick and Nancy have been attending Blackhawk Church since 1985. In recent years Rick's major area of ministry has been leading the elder training program, while Nancy is on staff as the Director of Team Development. Rick enjoys outdoor activities, including biking, fly-fishing, canoeing, and bird-hunting with their dog, Dakota.

Curt Staats
Married to: Pat   Children: Ben, Jon, Paul

Curt and Pat Staats and their three sons started attending Blackhawk in 1988. Curt is a woodworker, with a background in counseling, who played the role of Mr. Mom for many years. Pat is a pediatrician. Curt has served as Building and Grounds chairman, elder and small group leader. Over the years, he has helped out with many youth group activities and has been involved in leading short-term mission trips to Honduras and Germany. Curt enjoys being in the wilderness, golfing, biking and fly-fishing. (Curt’s term on the elder board will end in May 2008.)

Mike Wilkes
Married to: Maureen   Children: Megan, Christopher

The Wilkes family has attended Blackhawk since 1999. Michael is currently serving as President of MasterGraphics, Inc. Prior to this position, he was a management consultant with Smith & Gesteland, LLP, and held management positions with Stokely USA and Northrop Corporation. Michael earned an MBA from California State University, San Bernardino, and has done doctoral coursework in Church/Organizational Leadership through Trinity Theological Seminary. He has also served as an adjunct professor with Concordia University, where he taught Strategic Management and Business Ethics. Michael enjoys outdoor activities like biking, canoeing, and skiing.