LEADERSHIP
leadership@citychurchcle.com
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City Church on the Near West Side is led by Pastor Eloy Gonzalez along with a small Leadership Team and Finance Team comprised of members. We were planted by City Church Heights in 2017. While we continue to share resources and mutually support and encourage one another, we function as two autonomous churches.
PASTOR ELOY GONZALEZ
eloy@citychurchcle.com
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Eloy spent his formative years in New York City before moving to Cleveland during his sophomore year of high school. He decided to follow Jesus after fathering 3 children and marrying his high-school sweetheart, Diane. Eloy and Diane and their young family settled into the near west side in 1999 and, shortly after, began attending Scranton Road Bible Church, where they served for 18 years. Eloy held the Youth Pastor position for SRBC for the latter 10 of those 18.
Alongside Eloy’s job as a youth pastor, he worked in the underwriting department of Cigna Healthcare for 9 years and, later, with Building Hope in the City for 3 years. At Building Hope in the City, Eloy served the refugee and immigrant community while holding the position of Manager of Ministry Engagement, supporting the organization's volunteers.
In February 2023, Eloy became Lead Pastor of City Church on the Near West Side. He desires to foster and nurture a community of Jesus followers who daily pursue living in The Kingdom of God—finding and experiencing there, the abundant life that Jesus makes available to all.
Eloy enjoys spending time with his wife and kids, watching quality films (i.e. Kung Fu Panda!), exploring nature, “building things and fixing things”, and reading, watching and listening to anything history. Eloy has 6 children, 5 daughters and 1 son! He loves his family deeply and shows his love by chauffeuring his girls to their extracurricular activities.
DAQUAVION ROSTON
Leadership Team Member
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DaQuavion Roston has been a member of City Church since 2018. Before joining the Leadership Team, he participated in a church planting internship and pastoral training program through City Church. He holds Bachelors of Arts in English as well as Political Science from Belhaven University in Jackson, MS. In addition to his undergraduate studies he has recently obtained his Urban Leadership certificate from the Akron Leadership Foundation, and he is currently pursuing an Adv. Master of Arts in Theological Studies at Emmaus Theological Seminary.
By day, DaQuavion works at Building Hope in The City (BHITC) as a Community Development Coordinator. At BHITC, he serves as the primary lead for the organization's affordable housing initiative program where he develops strategic community partnerships with businesses, social service agencies, and faith communities to address issues that impact residents’ social determinants of health. He also provides operational and administrative support to BHITC's youth development and urban agricultural initiatives, helping to manage three community orchards, two micro farms, a community garden, and a growing after-school program and summer camp.
DaQuavion is passionate about community engagement and holistic living. He deeply desires to see communities and people connected and reconciled to live out their God-given potential, using their gifts and talents to better the world around them and themselves. He strives to live out Acts 2:44-47, seeking the justice, peace, harmony, and flourishing of all creation.
KELSEY FOSTER
Leadership Team Member
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Kelsey Foster has been a member of City Church along with her husband Cody since 2017. She has been a part of City Church in several capacities over the years, including a time on staff with City Kids and leading various groups.
Kelsey holds a Bachelor's in Health Sciences from Cleveland State University and currently works in Nonprofit HR and Finance. She is excited about watching God work in people's lives and seeing the way that organically shapes how they live and what they do. She's also passionate about the community of God knowing and caring for their neighbors, as well as being transformed by the spiritual disciplines. If you see her at church, she'll probably be chasing one of her two daughters around!