Our Staff
Don Ackerman
Lead Pastor
Don is the Pastor of Crossroads and Director of Canton For All People. He is a member of the East Ohio Conference Anti-Voter Suppression Team. He began a career in ministry after serving 10 years on active duty in the US Army with multiple tours overseas including two deployments to Afghanistan. Previously, Don served as the pastor of Canal Fulton United Methodist Church and was the campus pastor for Church of the Lakes United Methodist Church.
Beth Polen
Director of Music Ministries
Beth leads our Crossroads choir for worship on Sunday mornings and other special services. Joining the Crossroads staff in fall of 2014, Beth is also director of choirs at the University of Mount Union. Beth earned her Master of Music degree from the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University and was a lifelong member of one our parent churches, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.
Christopher Dazey
Musician, Video Producer and Director of Publications
Chistopher joined the Crossroads staff in January of 2020. Christopher has a degree in sacred music from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, where he studied organ, choral conducting and music theory and composition. In addition to providing music for weekly in-person and online services on the church’s historic Aeolian-Skinner organ, Steinway piano and Schulmeric carillon, as well as music for the church’s weddings and funerals, he also edits and produces the church’s weekly Crossroads Online videos (available on Facebook or YouTube) and other special videos throughout the year. And he is the church’s Director of Publications, producing a weekly in-person service bulletin and printed newsletters.