Canvas Leadership - Canvas Church San Diego

Ben and Katie Brinkman

Ben and Katie Brinkman have been married since 1997 and have served in full-time ministry together since 1999. After years of ministry as youth pastors, they planted Canvas Church in 2013 with a vision to create a life-giving church where people can encounter God and grow in their faith.

They are the proud parents of two adult daughters who both serve at Canvas and have helped build the church from its earliest days.

Ben is the Lead Pastor and primary communicator, known for bringing biblical truth with humor, clarity, and practical application. He holds a degree in Ministry and Psychology from Northwest University and loves seeing lives transformed through the presence of God. Outside of ministry, Ben enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and playing basketball.

Katie holds a degree in Education and Biblical Studies from San Diego Christian College and oversees the women’s ministry, church staff, team leaders, and daily operations of Canvas. She is passionate about seeing people walk in freedom and fully embrace their identity in Christ. In her free time, Katie enjoys family vacations, a good book, coffee, and popcorn.

Miguel and Debbie Rivera

Missions Pastors
Elders

Pastors Miguel and Debbie have been happily married for over twenty years and serve as the Missions Pastors and Elders at Canvas Church. They are passionate about sharing the gospel both locally and globally, leading teams that bring hope, practical resources, and the love of Jesus to communities in need. Through teaching, discipleship, and hands-on missions, they help others discover purpose, experience healing, and walk in the freedom found in Christ.

Their lives are a testimony of God’s restoring power, and they have a heart to see others experience that same transformation. When they are not preparing for the next mission trip, they enjoy creating new memories with their two daughters and spending time together as a family. Their favorite thing about Canvas Church is that it is a place where anyone can encounter Jesus and find purpose for their life.

Cody and Michelle Turner

Associate Pastors
Elders

Pastors Cody and Michelle serve as Elders at Canvas Church and have a heart for seeing people grow in their faith and community. Their story is one of God’s redemption and restoration, and they love walking alongside others as they experience His goodness in their own lives.

Fun fact: Cody and Michelle met through Canvas Church. They love visiting new coffee shops, exploring National Parks, and spending time with their two boys, most often at a baseball field, coaching and cheering them on. Their favorite thing about Canvas Church is the people, a community of genuine hearts who love Jesus and each other.

Betsy Gandara

Worship Director

Betsy oversees the worship ministry at Canvas Church and loves being creative for the glory of God. She’s grateful for every opportunity to serve and worship Jesus alongside her team and with the Canvas community. One of our favorite team sayings is that “we get to do life together!” Betsy is so thankful that this idea is not just centric to her team, but one of the core values at Canvas - relationship! Betsy is going on 15 years of marriage to her amazing husband Aaron, and they are blessed to be parents to two amazing kiddos that she gets to homeschool. In her spare time (wait, what is that?) she likes winning games.

Noah and Cara Claxton

Next Gen Pastors

Noah and Cara direct our generational ministries. Together they lead the youth and young adult ministries, and Noah oversees the children’s ministry. They are passionate about reaching the next generation for Jesus. The couple got married in May of 2024 and are blessed to call Canvas Church home. Their favorite thing about Canvas is that it is a loving and authentic community and place of restoration. Outside the walls of the church, they coach basketball at a local high school and love to explore the beautiful city of Escondido.

Ryan Beal

Outreach Director

Ryan Beal is originally from Los Angeles, CA and has been apart of the Outreach Team at Canvas for 3 years. He enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, being active, and learning new things.

The Outreach Team looks to be a representation of the church outside the walls of the church. Through the team’s passion and God’s grace, we’re able to go out into the community to serve with Jesus at the center.

His favorite thing about Canvas is the diversity in cultures, spiritual maturity, and backgrounds of the people within the church.

Kathy Welsh

Women's Ministry Director

Kathy Welsh is the Canvas Women’s Director. She is devoted to gather and champion generations in reaching their fullest potential through the Bible, building friendships, knowing who they are in Christ and releasing their God given talents and abilities. Kathy and her husband, David have been married over 40 years and have two adult children and three grandchildren. She enjoys walking and helping others. Her favorite thing about Canvas Church is that people share love and support for one another.

Arnell Bell

Men's Ministry Director

Arnell Bell directs the Canvas Men's Ministry and is a father to 5 amazing children. His love for men drives his desires to prepare a space where men can come along side one another in the name of Jesus and live life together. Canvas Church is not just a church home for Arnell, this is his family. The way Canvas pulls you in with all that you come with and sends you out with a love you can never forget is why Arnell is blessed to call Canvas Church home.

Arturo Sampo

Prison Ministry Pastor

Pastor Arturo Sampo serves as the dedicated leader of Canvas Prison Ministry, guiding a team on biweekly visits to prisons in Mexico and preparing to expand the ministry to San Diego. With a deep passion for witnessing lives transformed through Jesus Christ, Arturo brings compassion and commitment to this vital mission. Married to his wife Miriam for 48 years, he is the proud father of three adult children and loves spending time with his grandchildren. In his free time, Arturo enjoys watching western movies and working on cars. What he values most about Canvas Church is its steadfast commitment to preaching the Bible exactly as it should be.

Jeremiah and Margo Wallace

Connections

Pastor Jeremiah and Margo have the honor of leading the Connections ministry at Canvas Church, where their heart is to make every person feel seen, valued, and at home. Together, they are passionate about helping others take their next step with Jesus, building genuine relationships, and creating spaces where people can belong and grow.

Fun fact: they actually met right here at Canvas Church. Now, over ten years of marriage and four daughters later, they still love serving side by side and pouring into the same church family where their story began. The Wallace family loves all things community, laughter, and creativity, and they are most grateful for how Canvas continually reflects God's heart of restoration and family.

Every interaction is a chance to show the love of Jesus. They hope that from the moment you arrive, you will feel the same sense of belonging and purpose that changed their lives.

David Welsh

Finance

After a 35-year Information Technology career, David became Finance Director at Canvas Church in 2022, responsible for financial reporting, budgeting, and daily accounting functions. David brings a strong process focus to the operational side of church business and recently led the implementation of Planning Center Online (Church Center) as our new Church Management Software solution. David and his wife Kathy have been married for over 41 years and have 2 daughters, a son-in-law, and 3 granddaughters. David is an avid golfer and loves to travel with Kathy and their family.

Steve and Denise Ekeroth

Bible Class / Small Groups

Pastor Steve oversees the Bible classes, and along with his wife Denise, they coordinate Small Groups at Canvas Church. He is passionate about developing the next generation of leaders and leads the E4 Ministry Network. Steve and Denise have been married for over 40 years and have four adult children. Steve enjoys reading, photography, and riding his bicycle. Denise teaches sewing to children and adults and enjoys gardening. Their favorite thing about Canvas Church is that the Word of God is preached without compromise.