Who We Are

Our Staff Team

Lead Pastor

Ben Carver

Ben grew up in Shelby and is passionate about his hometown. He believes that the local church is the hope of the world & the local church was meant to be for its city & its world.

Ben earned a BA from the Bible & Theology Department at Malone University. He worked 7 years in full-time ministry prior to coming to Core Community Church in January 2015.

He enjoys spending time with his wife, Krista, and their Chocolate Lab, Sulli. In his spare time, he enjoys playing, or watching any sport and is a loyalist to all the hometown sports teams (even the Browns).

He strongly believes there is nothing better than a Shelby High School basketball game on a Friday night in the winter or a cup of Paul’s homemade vanilla in the summer!

Family Life Pastor

Russel Cushman

Russell grew up in Columbia, SC and has been looking for a town like Shelby for most of his adult life.  He is passionate about building community and supporting families and believes the local church should be a solution to many problems in a city. 

Russell holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Liberty University in Interdisciplinary Studies focusing on Religious Studies, Pastoral Ministry, and Business. He’s currently weighing going back for his Masters.   He’s been in some form of ministry since 2004, full-time since 2011.

He spends most of his time with his wife, Kelly and his black lab, Link. Russell, having been a foster kid, is passionate about foster care as is his wife Kelly, who knows way more about it than he does. They both will talk your ear off if you let them. 

On a Sunday you will probably find him goofing off with kids ages infant to eighteen, don’t judge him too harshly.  It’s part of his job. 

Worship and Creative Arts Pastor

Jonathan Kline

Jonathan grew up in Oklahoma, but has spent most of his life moving around all over the globe. He and his wife Tiffani are so excited to finally find a place to call home. He is passionate about the local church and the creative team. He wants to see people worship with their whole heart and use their creative talents to glorify God in everything they do.

Jonathan finished his schooling at Hillsong college, but before that he went to Oral Roberts University studying worship arts and vocal performance. He plans on pursuing a theological degree.

He and his wife Tiffani enjoy spending time with friends playing board games and building community. They are passionate about building friendships that last forever.

If you see him on a Sunday go say hi!

Our Leadership Team

Our church is lead by a team of “Elders” who we refer to as our Leadership Team

Rob Green

Rob is married to Kristi and is the father of Jordanne, Lucas, & Levi. He works for Ohio Valley Manufacturing. Rob serves and leads in a multitude of areas around Core.

Shawn Hendrickson

Shawn has been a partner at Core since 2015 and enjoys serving God and his community. He moved to Ohio in 1998 after meeting his wife Laura on the Internet.  They have been married since 1999.  They have four children, Hannah, Mason, Evan, and Grace.  Shawn owns Shelby Computer & Business Center and PureNet Ohio Internet.

Mark Hess

Mark is a son of God, the husband of Pam and the father of Ashley, Ryan, and Derek. He works at Hess Industries as a toolmaker. Mark and his wife also lead a community group in their home twice a month, and he is very passionate about serving the community and helping others draw closer to God.

Rob Musick

Rob is married to Annette and they have four daughters Liz, Rachel, Hannah, & Sarah. Rob was most recently the CIO of an insurance company. He and Annette serve in a number of areas at Core including; First Impressions team, Kids, Stage design, and a number of others.

Our Connection

CORE Community Church is a member of the Evangelical Free Church of America. United by a mutual commitment to serve our Lord Jesus Christ with the guidance of the Holy Spirit and obedience to the Word of God, the Evangelical Free Church of America is an association of nearly 1,500 churches and church plants in a growing ministry that currently extends to some 75 countries of the world.

EFCA Info

Our Mission

Leading people to move one step closer to Jesus Christ every day

Our Vision

To become a church fully committed to reaching the unchurched

Our Values

  1. Connecting with God

    God is the ultimate power source for life change. We desire to help people constantly pursue Him in multiple ways. We believe God can be a relevant part of our everyday lives.

  2. Loving Others

    We strive to show the love of Christ to the people we encounter every day. 

  3. Believing the Bible

    The Bible is the Word of God that has ultimate authority in every area of our lives.

  4. Doing Life Together

    Spiritual growth happens best in authentic community. We weren’t designed to do life alone. 

  5. Impacting Our World

    We are called to make a difference for Christ in our local communities and around the world. 

  6. Empowering to Serve

    Everyone has a vital role to play to ensure that the church becomes the hope for the world. We desire to help everyone reach their full potential in Jesus Christ by empowering others to serve. 

  7. Risking Together

    We strive to take Godly risks and step outside of our comfort zone together.