Pastor Jacob and Stephanie Newton joined the Forward family in August 2026. They have a heart for community, and lead by serving. Jacob is an ordained bishop in the Church of God, and has been serving in ministry since 2011 as a youth pastor, worship pastor, associate pastor, and lead pastor.

Jacob and Stephanie have been married since October 2013, and have five kids: Madison, Abel, Jeremiah, Alexandria, and Judah. They are expectant to see the Kingdom of God continue to expand in Palmetto!

After being called to pastoral ministry as a teenager in Nicaragua, Joel served in student ministry for 13 years. Jonnilyn was raised in Palmetto and now works as an adoption consultant, helping families all over the country grow their families. They were married in 2014 and have two children, Harvey and Annie. Joining the Forward staff in September of 2021, Joel and Jonnilyn are excited to see people get connected to God and to each other at Forward!

Travis made his return to Forward in March of 2024. He brings a decade worth of experience to our church, serving in various roles as youth pastor, young adult pastor, worship pastor and media pastor. He and Julie have two sons, Judah & James.

Sam Thurman joined the leadership team of Forward in October of 2020. Before that, she was a member of the worship team for several years. Forward has been a family to her for a very long time. She first started attending as a child in 2008. Sam serves on several ministry teams and brings joy to all those around her.

Shane brings an immense amount of wisdom and experience to the Forward team. Each week he and his team serve our church as prayer partners in our services along with reaching out to care for our Forward family. Shane and his wife Janella are an integral part of what God is doing here at Forward Community Church.

Joining the Forward staff in 2025, Julie brings over 10 years of kids min experience to the team. She is a graduate of Lee University. She also holds a diploma in children’s ministry from KidMin Academy. As a licensed minister in the Church of God, Julie has a heart for pouring into the next generation and equipping them to dig deeper in their relationship with Christ.

Bret and Ami began serving as the Youth Pastors in 2026 after serving in several roles at Forward. As lifelong residents of Manatee County, Bret and Ami have been a part of our church for over a decade. Bret and Ami long to see young people encounter God at young age and walk faithfully with Him throughout their lives.

Ceaton was welcomed onto the Forward staff in the fall of 2024. He has completed the Church of God calling and ministerial studies program and is currently pursuing ministerial licensing. Ceaton’s family has a rich history in our movement and is a 4th generation Church of God minister.

The Crawfords officially joined the Forward staff in November of 2025. They are passionate about seeing the next generation encounter God, get involved in church, and begin to walk in their divine purpose.

Nursery

Young Adults

Prayer

First Impressions

Photography

Mountain Movers