Staff

Grant Vissers

Grant Vissers

Lead Pastor

Bio coming soon!

Justin Sytsma

Justin Sytsma

Pastor of Worship & Outreach

justin@kortrightchurch.org
519-836-9400 ext. 12

Justin has served as Kortright’s Pastor of Worship and Outreach since 2019 and loves focusing on two of his greatest passions: Seeing a church full of vibrancy in our gathered worship, and seeing a church sent out to be the hands and feet of Jesus across our neighbourhood and city.

Justin has previously worked as a pastor in youth ministry, young adult ministry, and as the site pastor at Lakeside Downtown, in Guelph’s downtown core. Justin comes from more Wesleyan theological roots,  with a Master’s degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in Kentucky. However, he is a happy “newbie” Presbyterian. Justin also works part-time as a music teacher.

Justin is married to Lindsay (also a Bible teacher and theologian!) and they have a daughter, Iris. Justin enjoys debating theology on Twitter, cooking outlandish recipes he finds on YouTube, spending summers by the pool, and the occasional video game.

Sarah Henshaw

Sarah Henshaw

Office Administrator

Sarah Henshaw serves as our office administrator. Although born and (mainly) raised locally, her family moved to Switzerland, where she spent her high school years. This sparked a love for connecting with people of all backgrounds. She is excited to bring her organizational and communication skills to this role.

Sarah recently graduated from the University of Guelph with a degree in Psychology. She does work for a clinical lab at U of G where they are researching positive psychology interventions in young populations.  In her spare time you can find her hanging out with her dog, Poppy, playing racquet sports, or curling up with a good book.

 

Elené Wadsworth

Elené Wadsworth

Children's Ministry Coordinator

Elené serves as our Children’s Ministry Coordinator, and is passionate about connecting with families and children to introduce them to the wonder of the Gospel story and life of the church. Elené spent many years as a student leader with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship at the University of Guelph, and has previously enjoyed serving at Kortright with Young Adults, our Mom’s ministry and on our Worship teams.

Originally from South Africa, Elene has lived internationally for many years before moving to Canada in 2010 and attending the University of Guelph. There she met her husband, James, and they have now settled in Guelph with their sons, Dawid and Henri. Elené enjoys camping with her husband, reading a good book, trying her hand at gardening and exploring new places.

Chris Macleod

Chris Macleod

Youth Ministry Coordinator

Bio coming soon!

Paula Henry-Duru

Paula Henry-Duru

Young Adults Intern

Paula serves as our Young Adults Intern and has been attending Kortright since 2021. During her undergraduate years, Paula worked extensively with students in various volunteer, mentorship and paid positions, which sparked her passion for connecting with young adults.
As an international student from Nigeria, Paula understands the importance of having a strong church community, especially while being far from home. She is excited to help other young adults find community through her role at KPC. Paula recently graduated from the University of Guelph with a degree in Neuroscience, and enjoys watching and discussing movies, reading, doing puzzles, and playing badminton.
Dennis Gray

Dennis Gray

Technical Director

Dennis has served as Kortright’s Technical Director for over 15 years, first as a volunteer and then joining KPC staff in 2008.

For nearly five decades he has helped a number of local churches meet their technological challenges. He is passionate about the role of technology in the faith building process believing that if faith comes by hearing God’s Word (Romans 10:17) then someone has to make sure it is heard clearly.

When not making noises at KPC Dennis can be found in the technical booth at a number of community theatres in the area including Guelph Little Theatre and, for the last six years, Backyard Theatre at the John McCrae Museum on Water St.

A founding member of Team Kortright, which represents KPC each year in The Ride to Conquer Cancer, he is also an avid cyclist and he and his wife  Roberta enjoy cycling together, especially during their vacation time each summer in Kincardine, Ontario. Dennis and Roberta have been together for over 40 years. They have no children.

Gabriel Lopez

Gabriel Lopez

Custodian

Gabriel, our custodian, joined our staff team at the beginning of 2023. A native of Guelph with a background in 3D art, Gabriel is committed to maintaining a vibrant and welcoming environment at Kotright. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to soft rock, immersing himself in books, and sculpting.