Ministry Team
Chris Westby – Lead Pastor
Pastor Chris and Sherri Westby are originally from Regina, SK and together they lead Sonrise Church in Surrey, BC. in the Metro Vancouver area on Canada’s West Coast.
They were married in 2009 and have three children. Their wonderful son, Ezekiel, from Chris’ first wife who tragically passed away in 2007 after a three-year-long battle with cancer, and their two beautiful daughters, Eden and Esther.
Pastor Chris is a gifted and passionate preacher and teacher of the Word of God and does so in a way that is accessible for everyone. He also enjoys working with teams of volunteers and staff who are dedicated to carrying the hope and purpose of Jesus through their skills and gifts. He is apostolically gifted and yearns to see the Church on mission.
Sherri is a specialized labour and delivery nurse who has a passion for seeing women raised up in the calling of God over their life and lead themselves in whichever sphere they are in. She is the leader of the local women’s ministry, SHE at Sonrise Church and SHE international, a burgeoning network of women leaders across Canada. She is fiercely protective over the body of Christ and she has a big heart for the local church.
Pastor Chris holds a Master of Arts in Leadership and Management and they have both completed the Arrow leadership program and function as high level leaders.
Shem Moses - Assistant Pastor
Pastor Shem’s life is a testimony to the goodness, faithfulness, and power of God. He was drawn in, saved, and called into this church and is now walking out his calling as Assistant Pastor. He is passionate about seeing people encounter God and come into a life-changing relationship with Him.
Pastor Shem emanates the love of Christ and will make you feel welcomed at Sonrise. His father has been involved in ministry for a number of years Pastoring and Ministering in their home country of Sri Lanka before moving to Canada. He is married to Quinn and they have two wonderful children: Jacob and Zoe.
Rochelle Ogilvy – Youth Ministry Director & Administrator
Rochelle moved to BC from AB in August of 2018. She quickly got involved and settled her roots here at Sonrise. She has stepped into the role of Youth ministry director as she is passionate about seeing people encounter Jesus, the next generation, and family. She recently married Nicholas Ogilvy.
Ashley Kizito - Children's Ministry Director
Ashley Kizito joined the Sonrise team as the Children’s Ministry Director in August 2020. She was the Children’s Ministry Director at Relate Church in Surrey with Pastors John and Helen Burns and has worked at Surrey Christian School as an Education Assistant. Ashley has also worked extensively as a volunteer with Watoto Childcare both in Canada and Uganda. Ashley has been married to her husband Gideon, from Uganda, for 6 years and together they have a sweet girl Suubi. She is passionate, energetic, and oozes love for people and kids!
Braden and Lisa Deagle - Pastoral Interns
Braden and Lisa moved to BC to commence an internship in August 2020 from Eston College, located in Eston, SK. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Biblical Studies from Eston College and is gifted in worship, leadership and administration. Braden is completing his degree with his internship and is gifted in worship, preaching, discipleship. Their internship at Sonrise is for 1 year as we seek to raise them up for the calling on their lives. Together they love serving the Lord and enjoy their daughter Adley, who was born in spring of 2020.
Shalan Wiebe - Volunteer Prayer Director & Elder
Shalan is a mighty prayer warrior who loves the Lord and has a heart for the lost. She is married to Gary and they have three children Jacob, Derek, and Vanessa.
Thandi Watkins - Volunteer Pastoral Assistant / Communications & Media
Thandi is currently on maternity leave with the addition of baby Elena!
Thandi is a prophetic force who cares deeply about all who attend Sonrise and continually holds them up in prayer. She is faithful and hardworking and challenges the status quo. Originally from South Africa, she is married to Sean and they just welcomed Elana into the world in summer 2020.
Michelle Saldeba - Volunteer Church Online Director
Michelle has been serving at Sonrise since March 2020. She directs the development of our online campus and the team of hosts that interact with our online congregation. Michelle has a depth of experience in all facets of ministry and has served in various staff roles at a previous Church. She hails from Jamaica and works as a family therapist with her MA in Counselling and currently working on her Doctorate. Her family consists of her oldest daughter Kiah, who is married to Mikee and have little Mia, and her teenage son Zion.
Key Lay Leaders
Rachel Madu - Chair of the Society Directors
Rachel is a dynamic woman of God whose heart is for people. This is evident in the work she does in the church and outside of the church. She is married to Brad, who served as a director for many years, together they serve as Elders at Sonrise. They have three children together: Caleb, Elijah, and Flora. Brad and Rachel have led Alpha at Sonrise for the last few years and their heart is to see people have a life-changing relationship with Jesus.
Al Miller - Orphan Care Leader
Al has provided leadership to our Sonrise Africa Orphan Care ministry projects. Through his leadership, local African pastors are caring for orphans, leading churches and developing sustainable projects to provide funds for current and future ministry.
Kevin Lechleiter - Audio Team Leader
Kevin leads the team of audio technicians at Sonrise. He is a genius in most areas of technology, him and his team work tirelessly to make we have great for every service.
Shirley Lippmann - Benevolence Team Leader
Shirley is committed to helping people who find themselves in difficult situations, she works with her team to ensure that needs are met and the gospel is delivered in practical ways.
Caleb Madu - Preteen Leader (Jumpstart)
Caleb has served with Jumpstart for several years as a leader and now is taking leadership. He is a passionate young man of God who is attending UBC in his first year. He loves fitness, camping, time with friends and great food!
Quinn Moses - Mom's Support Ministry Leader
Quinn leads our monthly evening for single mom’s and their children. She has a great heart for supporting and encouraging moms to grow and resources them to become the women God has called them to be!
And Many More...
There are many more fantastic key lay leaders at Sonrise: Worship Leaders, Children’s Ministry Leaders, Elders, the list go on and on.
