Dr. Don Huitink, Founding Pastor
Pastor Don Huitink is the founding pastor of Crossroads Church. He loves to see people grow in their spirituality and become energized in through their relationship with Jesus Christ. His priority is to connect with people and help them to connect with others. He is a team-oriented leader who appreciates the contributions and enthusiasm generated when working toward a common vision. Pastor Don loves life and seeks to live in a hope-filled way. Members appreciate his sense of humor and praise his practical sermons and their relevance to daily Christian living.
Pastor Don’s undergraduate degree is from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. He has a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degree from Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. He has researched and published writings about the history of the RCA in Kansas. He is also a member of Souljourners, Inc., an organization focused on the training of spiritual directors.
Pastor Don and his late wife, Karla, have two adult daughters and three grandchildren. A country boy at heart, Pastor Don loves the outdoors and enjoys gardening, woodworking, fishing, canoeing, and hunting.
Rev. Robert J. Cromwell, Guest Pastor
Rob Cromwell is a 1974 graduate of North Kansas City High School, a 1978 graduate (BA degree) of Dordt College (Sioux Center Iowa), and a 1983 graduate (Master of Divinity) of Princeton Theological Seminary (New Jersey). He was ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA) in 1983, and served as pastor of Presbyterian churches in Fayette City Pennsylvania, Haysville Kansas, and in Missouri – Kansas City, Raytown and Belton. He retired from the Belton church in 2024.
In mid-career, Rob took Clinical Pastoral Education and began working also as a hospice chaplain, retiring in November of 2025 from his part-time position with Good Shepherd Hospice, working out of their Independence Missouri office. He has also supplied the pulpit in many churches, mostly Presbyterian, but also Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (he was brought up in that denomination) – and once – in 1991 – a Reformed Church of America congregation in South Dakota which was considering him for Pastor.
Rob met Susan Zylstra at Dordt. They got married in her home church, First Christian Reformed Church, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 1979. All 4 of Susan’s grandparents were born in the Netherlands, and her mother grew up under Nazi-occupation. At their wedding, Susan’s grandmother exclaimed: “Oh my! Susan’s marrying an American!” Rob and Susan have one child, their son Joseph (now 37) who has special needs and continues to live with them. Susan retired in 2024 from Nutrition Services with Hickman Mills School District, Kansas City MO. Susan and Joseph transferred their church membership to Village Presbyterian Church after Rob retired from Belton Presbyterian Church.