Our Team

Meet the team from Alive Now Church.

Pastor Joann Macksyn

Founder / CEO

Joann Macksyn is an Ambassador for Alive Now Church. We currently partner with Alive Now Kids Ohio, which provides missions and mobile Sunday school to kids in the communities of Akron and Canton. Joann has devoted her life to sharing the love of Christ and helping children all over the world and has served in ministry for more than 30 years.

 

Pastor Sean Chirwa

Executive Pastor / Director of Operations

Sean Chirwa, a Master Chaplain and Apostle, is a dedicated community outreach leader with extensive experience in chaplaincy, counseling, and pastoral ministry. As the founder and presiding pastor of Ancient Word Embassy Ministries Int’l, he has overseen multiple ministry branches and ordained clergy across Zambia, Nepal, and the U.S. He directs the Lusean Child’s Trust Foundation, a humanitarian organization that has impacted thousands of vulnerable children and families. With degrees in Theology, Chaplaincy, and Biblical Studies, he has trained pastors and missionaries in Africa and Asia. Passionate about service, he coordinates Zambia’s Community Service Chaplains and continues to foster faith-based leadership globally.

 

Pastor Walter S. Moss

Lead Pastor

Pastor Walter S. Moss, born in Canton, Ohio, has dedicated over 45 years to ministry, serving as a senior pastor for 26 years, including 18 years at Canton Foursquare Church. A graduate of Ohio University, he furthered his theological studies at Ashland and Jacksonville Theological Seminaries. Passionate about missions, he has traveled extensively, including 36 trips to Cuba, ministering across the Caribbean, Africa, and Israel. He has been deeply involved in prison ministry, violence reduction initiatives, and pro-life advocacy, serving on multiple advisory boards and state-appointed committees. Honored with numerous awards for his humanitarian efforts, Pastor Moss continues to impact communities locally and internationally. He is married to Minister Darleen Moss, and together they cherish their three daughters and 11 grandchildren.

Minister Rushon

Executive Minister

Rushon Patterson II grew up in the drug and gang culture of Canton, OH, spending 24 years in darkness before experiencing a radical transformation through the fire baptism of the Holy Spirit. His life changed when he sought wisdom by reading the Bible, inspired by his grandfather—the wisest person he knew. As he studied, the Word of God came alive, and he discovered that the Holy Spirit speaks through all things: Scripture, people, circumstances, and even the smallest details of life.

One of Rushon’s most profound revelations was that in the Kingdom of God, there are no coincidences—only divine appointments orchestrated by the Father. With a call to minister daily, he learned the importance of immediate obedience to God’s voice, realizing that sometimes there are only seconds to act before a moment is lost forever. This conviction led him to complete sobriety and total surrender, breaking free from the strongholds of addiction and street life.

Today, Rushon is dedicated to spreading the Gospel with boldness. He hands out Bibles, shares testimonies, preaches, and ministers every day, driven by a passion for soul-winning, Kingdom advancement, and evangelism by fire. His mission aligns with the words of Jesus in John 20:21:

“As the Father has sent Me, so I send you.”

Pastor John Loewen

Executive Pastor / Assistant Pastor

John David Loewen, born to missionary parents in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, carries a deep passion for evangelism and intercession. After a life-changing encounter with Scripture during his university years, he dedicated himself to spreading the Gospel, ministering in over forty nations across Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. A firm believer in the power of prayer, he developed forty prayer keys, later published in Break Through and Break Out! He has served as an assistant pastor, evangelist, and teacher, leading many to Christ. John and his wife, Wendy, currently reside in the Washington, DC area.

Pastor Ravi Kumar

Presentation and Graphic Designer

Pastor Elda Guauxochitl

Spanish Lead Pastor / Spanish Translator

Elda Guauxochitl is a dedicated Christian minister with a passion for spreading the Gospel and empowering others through faith, prayer, and biblical teaching. With a Bachelor’s degree in Christian Education, Theology, Counseling, and Music from the Mexican Baptist Theological Seminary, she has served in various ministry roles for decades. Currently a pastor at Alive Now Church Español in Canton, OH, she has also been a teacher, counselor, and prayer leader in children’s ministries, prison outreach, and missionary work across the U.S. and Mexico. Her life’s mission is to bring salvation, healing, and freedom through Christ’s message.

 
Our Team - Alive Now Church