Tammi Hively

Sister Tammi Hively grew up in the United Methodist Church where she attended church faithfully with her family through her childhood years. A deep and abiding love of music has always been in her heart, and her childhood church family still tells stories of how loud and enthusiastic she was as early as 3 years old when she would sing with the children during service. She began singing in her church choir as a pre-teen and throughout adulthood and played several different instruments in band and orchestra throughout her educational years. As a freshman in college at a small Southern Baptist school in Kentucky, Tammi heard her first salvation message from a visiting revival service pastor, and she gave her life to Christ. Since that day, Tammi married her prom date from high school senior year, raised 2 sons and a bonus daughter, and followed God's lead to a new faith family at Grace Missionary Baptist Church in Springfield, OH. Tammi currently serves as a vocalist on the Praise Team at her home church, and she faithfully serves in various other ministry opportunities including those in children's ministries. Outside of church, Tammi serves her local community as a public servant. Tammi seeks to be obedient by serving her God and Savior by using her gift of song and deep love of music to bring honor and glory to the Creator.

Bro. Mike Cottrell grew up in an old time Baptist Pastors home. The faithfulness of his family had him in church early and often and he quickly learned that most ministry starts when the service ends. At nine years old, Mike came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He has since devoted his life to serving his Savior. He fell in love with church audio and music. He started with church audio at just ten years old, flipping the tape for the sermon recordings. To foster his love of music, his mother insisted he be enrolled in band. Mike started leading singing off and on at twelve, and at age 15 he stepped into his first role as Director of Music and Worship.

Mike played brass throughout his middle school and high school years, participating in Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Orchestra, Jazz and Pep Bands. Mike also spent two seasons performing with The Springfield Youth Symphony and was a member of Capital Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps, touring and competing in the continental US as part of Drum Corps International: Marching Music’s Major League. Mike has since served as Director of Music and Worship at three other churches and has grown a reputation as a fantastic leader and a power house vocalist. In Fall of 2024, Mike received a call from Bro. Casey Leonard and an invitation to join JTC. Mike agreed and the rest has been history. He currently serves as Manager and lead male vocalist. He also leads worship at Grace Missionary Baptist Church and enjoys spending time with his family.

Jodi grew up in a Christian family that was very active in ministry. Her grandfather was the pastor of the Missionary church that she grew up in, and she has countless memories of helping with everything from cleaning the church to children’s ministry to folding bulletins in the church office! She remembers every Sunday morning, evening, and Wednesday night sitting with her family listening to her grandpa preach many salvation messages, but it was at 12 years old that she truly surrendered her heart to the Lord and made a commitment to serve him in every way that she could.

Jodi has always loved music and singing, and has fond memories of singing in her school choir, as well as with her grandma, who loved belting out a good hymn. She enjoyed

watching her dad lead the songs up front, and helping her mom teach the children and lead them as they sang for the congregation. Throughout adulthood Jodi has continued to serve in ministry on worship teams and children’s ministry alongside her husband Chris and their children. She is passionate about worship and loves to express to the Lord how much she loves him.

She is thankful for the blessing and opportunity to join JTC and use her love of music and singing to bring honor and glory to the One who is worthy of it all.

Bro. Casey Leonard grew up in a household divided by faith. His father believed churches were just out to take people’s money and had zero interest in the Lord, forbidding the family from going to church. Through it all, Casey’s mother stayed true to her faith, and shared the love of Jesus with her three children in their home. Casey got his first bass at 17 years old and started the long journey of learning to play. Although he never joined a band, he and his brother worked on recording original songs for over a decade in his basement, learning how to use professional recording equipment. Some of his original ideas were picked up by film studios, one of which was featured by Nickelodeon on an episode of Bread Winners. Casey started a computer business and let his bass playing go to the wayside until 30 years later when his brother reached out to him about playing for the church. Casey really wasn’t interested, but his brother persisted. At first, Casey agreed to fill in for practices and had no interest in Sunday services. A few months later, a special lady on the worship team, Rita Beady, made him promise to do one Sunday service. He agreed and that Sunday is when he realized what his calling was. He started listening to GOD and remembering all the lessons his mother had taught him when he was a child. His faith grew, and he realized the impact he could make for the Lord, through music. Since then, Casey has dedicated his life to GOD and worshiping Him with his talent.

Four years later GOD called on him again to start a Worship Band and bring the name of Jesus to more than just his home church. He listened and prayed, then started this journey of Just The Cross, “JTC”. Bro. Casey is the founder of JTC. Playing Bass and serving as Director of Merchandise.

Nolan was born into a Christian household and was always raised in the church. He came to know the Lord at a young age and at 13 he picked up the acoustic guitar and started practicing. Over the summer of 2022 he worked and saved up for his first electric guitar, and that Christmas was his first time playing in church on stage. Since then he’s played electric guitar every Sunday, occasionally filling in for drums or acoustic guitar. When he’s not at church he’s playing at home using his gifts to glorify God.

I spent a lifetime lost. Until I found God. I have never done anything great, nor worthy of praise in my life. I have failed upward. Growing closer and closer to God in spirit and in truth. Saying yes to the Holy Ghost has been the single most transcendent decision of my life. God has ripped me apart and put me back together again and again. Every time rebuilding me deeper and more dependent upon his source of living water. Fortifying me with peace, hope and love. How great he is, that a wretch of the baser sort like me can take part in the building of the kingdom.For me, it’s simple: I simply vow to serve after him, spirit to spirit. To follow after his calling on my life. To understand his heart. To learn his wisdom, but remain a fool for God. To minister unto the Lord. With the heart of a child. That’s it. Simple. (1Co 7:17, 20-24 & Act 10:15) No seminary. No cataclysm. No permission from some official. Just relationship. Just his spirit, and no others. (Joh 15:16 & Jer 1:5, 1Cor 9:14-16). I also play guitar.

Bro. James Hensley grew up in a home filled with substance abuse. God had other plans for James and continued to work out rides and church bus routes for him to have the ability to go to church. For a long time, James just went through the motions, thinking he believed it but somehow still struggling to give himself to Jesus. Then years later, rock bottom came. James lost his girlfriend, his car broke down and on the same day, he lost his job. "I remember sitting in my car, in the parking lot of my now previous employer and my car wouldn't start. It all hit me at once, I started screaming at God about how he could let these things happen to me. Then I started trying to bargain, 'God if you'll let this car start, I promise, I'll be at church Sunday.'" To James' surprise the car started, and he kept good on his word, attending church that Sunday. "After the sermon, I went forward to pray and I said 'God if you think I’m still good enough, have someone come pray with me.'" At this time an altar worker knelt next to James and began to pray with him. James accepted the Lord that day and his life has never been the same. James found a love for the guitar and God gave him a heart to serve. "Life is so different. Now I have a family, and I'm serving the King!"

Annette was brought up to know about God, and began to be aware of God as a young child.  Music has been very influential in Annette’s life and she has been a member of many bands; mostly playing blues, rock, alternative, and Christian Contemporary. 

Annette’s love and awareness of God grew as His faithfulness in her life became starkly apparent with powerful occasions of supernatural interventions, protection and healing. She received Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior many years ago after a near-death experience, and has continued to serve Him with a passionate desire to do His will. Annette has been in worship ministry since the mid-90s, playing drums, singing background vocals, and songwriting. She has served in various types of worship services and events with worship teams and Christian bands (most recently with Flood Gate, including church services, AGLOW meetings, End-Time Handmaidens and Servants meetings, tent meetings, outdoor festivals, prophetic conferences, MI State Fair, Transformation Michigan conference, and private events. Annette currently serves as part of the worship team at her home church @Kettering Assembly of God, and also at @The Bridge Church. In October 2024 Annette joined Just the Cross as their drummer, background vocalist, and is looking forward to collaborating with the band on original songs. Annette’s favorite quote is from a song written by Reuben Morgan, My Heart Will Trust: “Oh, You mourn with me and You dance with me, For my heart of hearts is bound to You….”

 Lindsey Eastes, grew up in a wonderful Christian home where Christian music was always on or being played. Her mother was a church pianist and she enjoyed listening to her mom practice for church services and for different quartets and duets for special music. Her parents, seeing her interest and mimicking her mother’s playing, enrolled her in piano lessons. At the age of twelve she began playing piano for church services. Truely, loving the God given talent and wanting to be used for the Lord. For many years now she has continued to use this gift for congregational singing, church choir, special music, all for the glory of God. Enjoying the life, family and talent God has blessed her with. 

Presley Hawley was raised in Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, and relocated to Ohio in 2020 after graduating from Cedarville University. Her early years were marked by a tumultuous upbringing and a church culture that emphasized works-based salvation. The combination left her struggling with self-worth and searching for stability. In the midst of it all, music became her safe place—a refuge where she found comfort, expression, and a sense of belonging. Though she was surrounded by religion growing up, Presley didn’t encounter the true gospel until the age of sixteen. That’s when she heard, for the first time, that salvation was not something to be earned—it was a free gift through the grace of Jesus Christ. In that moment, the burden of striving lifted. She realized Christ had died for her exactly as she was, fully knowing every flaw and loving her unconditionally. Accepting that truth changed everything and Presley came to know Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior. Since then, Presley has walked in the freedom of God’s grace, growing daily in her relationship with Him. Music has always played a central role in her life. She began playing piano at age four, picked up clarinet in fourth grade, and bass clarinet in sixth. She has played her instruments and sang both competitively and personally, discovering along the way that worship was one of the clearest ways she connected with God. Today, she serves as the band’s keyboardist, using her gifts to glorify the One who gave them and to lead others into worship. Presley is married to her husband Joel and together they have two beautiful children. She’s an elementary school teacher, and an active member of Trinity Missionary Church. She has a deep burden for at-risk youth and the homeless, and she hopes to one day launch a nonprofit that supports underserved children both academically and spiritually. Whether she’s teaching in the classroom, raising her family, or worshiping from behind the keys, Presley lives with the desire to reflect the grace that transformed her life.

Trish knew the Lord at a young age, attending a Church of Christ. This started off great, but after several church splits, the congregation dwindled. Slowly descending into extreme legalism an extreme focus on hellfire and brimstone. Traumatizing a child is not the way to bring them to God! Trish started to feel like it was a game that was fixed… like God was just out to get us, and why would you follow a God who created man for the sole purpose of burning them in hell? So for sanity's sake, and because a part of her just knew this couldn't be right-this couldn't be God, she ran...ran from the church, ran from God, straight into her crazy teenage years and young adult life.

“Many years passed, and we were invited to Trinity Missionary Church. With a new appreciation for life, I actually felt happy to go, like I was being drawn in. I really enjoyed it. The people there were welcoming and it just felt safe.” It was there she met her Savior, not as the wrathful God she remembered as a child, but as a loving and compassionate friend, willing to give His life for hers.

“I still have scars, and things I’m working through… but I’m blessed to have a relationship with Jesus, who takes every burden, and bears every shame.”

Trish had spent several years running a successful tech company and when one of the older saints asked her to step into the media ministry, she didn’t hesitate.

“It was perfect! It combined my work experience with computers, my love of music and worship, and my desire to serve.”

She’s spent the last two years learning and leading the media ministry at TMC. When an opportunity opened to provide technical oversight for JTC, Trish jumped at the opportunity. “Songs are so impactful… they can reach people who aren’t ready to sit and listen to a sermon yet. They stick in your head and keep your mind with God. Many times I have said ‘Lord send me a song!’ and I’ll hear one that just hits what I need. To be able to help give that to someone who may need it… to present something that just hits someone, somewhere they need it, I see as a way to give back and share what I’ve been given.”

Trish currently serves JTC as Director of Technical Operations.

Chris grew up in a loving home, and although his parents did not consistently attend church, he did soak in what he was taught about a loving God and as a young child, he accepted Christ as his Savior. Most of his church memories are his time spent with the youth group he attended.

During his high school years, his parents divorced and Chris experienced a season of confusion and drifted away from his faith. Over time, God brought restoration and Chris rediscovered the truth and hope he had known as a child and rededicated his life to Christ. During this time of a renewed encounter with God’s grace, he met and married his wife, Jodi, and together they have

been serving the Lord and walking with Him ever since. Chris has always had a passion for and interest in technology, sound, and making things work behind the scenes. He loves to ensure that every lyric and beat is heard clearly and powerfully, creating an environment where people can encounter Jesus.

Chris is excited to use his gifts to glorify God and support the ministry of JTC.

Bro. Jeremy asked the Lord to be his Savior after attending a Tuesday night teen devotion the first time back in middle school. Since then his life has changed so much. Jeremy started being mentored by Bro. Zach Arneson and his wife Mallory Arneson, the youth leaders of Grace Missionary Baptist Church.

Though young, Jeremy faced some very difficult life situations. At times, he almost decided to give up, but Jesus reminded him that he was not alone! Jeremy’s family disagreed with his faith and often openly mocked him for believing in Jesus. Despite their best efforts, Jeremy remained faithful and now serves on the Worship Team as the Drummer for Grace Missionary Baptist Church. Jeremy met Bro. Mike Cottrell in 2023 when he took over the Worship Leader role at Grace Missionary Baptist Church and they became fast friends. Jeremy serves JTC as a member of the tech team, learning and helping with Audio and Site Support.

He’ll tell you he has always had confidence in the Lord, and now he’s learning to have confidence in who he is, in Jesus.