About Us

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Pastor

Email: pastorgina@crossinthedesert.org

Meet Reverend Gina Pollard from Cross in the Desert UMC in sunny Phoenix, Arizona. She works to ensure that people often overlooked by the church can see and feel God’s deep love for all people.

With her passion for healing, Pastor Gina wears many hats. Besides leading her congregation, she’s a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, specializing in helping others find solace in their darkest times. Additionally, she’s a Certified Trauma Support Specialist, equipped with the tools to guide individuals through their unique healing journeys.

Pastor Gina is a self-proclaimed “hope junkie,” driven by her calling to empower others, validate their experiences, and ignite a sense of purpose. Her mission is to accompany people on their personal growth, equipping them with hope and unwavering confidence every step of the way.

Reverend Gina holds a Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary. She also holds certifications from The Grief Recovery Institute and the Trauma Institute International.

Administrative Assistant

Email: citd@crossinthedesert.org

Originally from Michigan, I relocated to Phoenix in 1980. I do remain a rabid football fan of my alma mater, the University of Michigan. Go Blue! I was a clinical microbiologist, retiring from Paradise Valley Hospital in 2011. Recently I have become the assistant in the church office.

In my spare time I enjoy handbells, singing in the One Flock Choir, and nature photography. I also enjoy reading British detective novels and keeping my brain sharp by doing crossword puzzles. I live in Phoenix with my rescue pup Sweet Pea.

Handbell Director 

I was introduced to handbells in 1985, when this accidental career began. I began as a ringer at several churches in the Phoenix area before I came to Cross in the Desert. I was also a player in a local semi-professional group under the direction of Kay Cook, and was blessed to tour with them to Great Britain and Australia. I was asked to direct the handbell program at CITD in 1990.

Here at CITD the program has grown, and then ebbed during the COVID era. Groups from CITD have been blessed to participate in worship services, perform at weddings, reach out at assisted living facilities, and perform at the Desert Botanical Garden. This program is my ministry to the community!

Financial Secretary

Email:finance@crossinthedesert.org

My name is Alice Easter, and I am the Financial Secretary at Cross in the Desert UMC. I was born in Kansas City, Missouri. My family moved here from McLouth, Kansas (a farm community) in 1982. I have two daughters, Rhonda, who has two daughters and lives here in Phoenix. My other daughter lives in Colorado Springs and has twins, a boy, and a girl.

I joined Cross in the Desert in July of 1982 and have been a member ever since. I started working for the church on a part-time basis and then it turned into being the Financial Secretary, but I genuinely enjoy what I do.

I enjoy doing things with my daughters, grandchildren, and my sister’s family as she lives here in Phoenix also and she is a member here at Cross in the Desert UMC.

Music Director

 Thomas Hartwell has been a lover of the church and its music since a very young age. Prior to Cross in the Desert, he was the music director and lead accompanist at Crosswinds Presbyterian Church, and he studied music and theatre at Scottsdale Community College. Thomas is a prolific arranger, composer, and music director, working with theatre companies and orchestras across the valley. He is excited to be working with Cross in the Desert to help further their music ministry and develop a deeper sense of love with the Lord through song.