Meet our team!

Behind the scenes and on the front line, our staff and volunteer team work together to help Citygate Church thrive. Get to know the people who serve our church family and discover the different roles they play.

Citygate Church staff team smiling and posing together outdoors against a brick wall, dressed casually.
The Citygate team pose for a group photo on a Sunday day in front of arches.
Citygate Church staff team members laughing and paddling together during a whitewater rafting trip, wearing safety helmets and jackets.

Site Leaders

Site leaders are responsible for the health, discipleship and mission of a specific site community. They shape culture, lead people and make our vision come alive in their context.

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    Zac Dixon

    Southbourne

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    Peter Roxburgh

    Poole

  • Priscilla Roxburgh

    Poole

  • Sean Theunissen

    Bournemouth

  • Lanre Yusuf

    Bournemouth

  • Siju Yusuf

    Bournemouth

Strategic Leadership Team

The SLT is responsible for turning direction into action. They think about how our vision takes shape, grows, and holds up under pressure—setting priorities, making key decisions, and making sure the right structures, people, and resources are in place.

  • Russ White

    Russ has served at Citygate since university, starting in the Youth team. Following a significant encounter with God in his 20s, he developed a passion for evangelism, joined the leadership team to shape outreach, and has been lead elder since 2017, focused on community impact and supporting those exploring faith.

    russ@citygate.church

  • Priscilla Roxburgh

    Priscilla has nearly 20 years’ experience leading communications for NGOs and charities and now heads up Citygate’s social action initiatives. She has led worship since her teens, spoken at conferences, and trained worship teams. She also oversees leadership development, helping remove barriers and supporting underrepresented groups into leadership pathways.

    priscilla@citygate.church

  • Sean Theunissen

    Sean joined Citygate Church as a student while studying accounting and began serving on drums. His passion for worship led him to oversee the worship ministry in 2006, and he joined staff in 2008 to use his finance and operational skills. After recognising a call to eldership in 2018, he now helps lead worship, develops young worship leaders, and oversees the songwriting group.

    sean@citygate.church

  • Tim Francis

    Tim was called in his teens to serve as an overseer in the church and has spent over 30 years in church leadership across Bedford, Lewes, Torquay, and Bournemouth. He has helped shape Citygate’s pastoral culture, drawing on a lifelong passion for discipleship and supporting people through life’s challenges. A gifted communicator, he is passionate about seeing God’s word transform lives.

    tim@citygate.church

Elders

Elders carry responsibility for doctrine, spiritual guidance and the overall health of the whole church. They guard who we are, guide where we’re going, and how we stay faithful to Jesus as we grow.

  • Russ White

    Lead Elder

  • Tim Francis

    Southbourne, Teaching and Pastoral

  • Sean Theunissen

    Bournemouth, Operations and Worship

  • Lanre Yusuf

    Bournemouth & Prayer

  • Peter Roxburgh

    Poole, Leadership Development & Life Groups

  • Zac Dixon

    Southbourne

Our staff team exists to support and strengthen the life of Citygate Church. By equipping leaders, developing ministries, overseeing operations, and providing practical resources, they help ensure that our vision is lived out consistently across every area of church life.

Our Staff Team

Operations and Venue

Community Hub

Kids, Youth and Students

Communications

Finance

Arch Coffee House

Pastoral

We also have a team of people who can help if you are struggling in any way. If you feel you need some support, please email pastoral@citygate.church

Trustees

Our church trustees help care for the church’s property, finances, and legal responsibilities. They focus on the practical side of church life—managing buildings, budgets, insurance, and gifts—so everything runs smoothly and stays in line with the church’s mission. They serve as good stewards, ensuring the church’s resources are used wisely to support its ministry.

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    Jim Salway

    Legal

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    Mark Truesdale

    Chair & Strategy

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    Sean Theunissen

    Finance & HR

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    Russ White

    Strategy

Find out more about Citygate Church

  • Two women, one wearing a denim jacket and the other wearing sunglasses and a black shirt, shake hands and laugh together during a sunny outdoor community event, surrounded by a lively crowd.

    Our vision

    Our vision is to see lives transformed, every day, across the bay. We are transformed by His grace, to bring his kingdom transformation to the lives and the culture around us.

    Find out more
  • Middle-aged man with gray hair and beard wearing a black puffer jacket smiles warmly and waves at a woman holding a coffee cup, during a casual indoor community gathering with other people in the background.

    Get connected

    Here are some of the different ways that you can get connected with our church. We hope we can encourage you to take the next steps in your faith, as well as help you to get to know people at Citygate.

    Find out more
  • Man with short dark hair and glasses, dressed in a black polo shirt, passionately speaking on stage with animated hand gestures, standing in front of a colorful backdrop featuring bold geometric patterns.

    Our talks

    Every Sunday we upload the talk from our morning meeting so you can listen back or share them with your friends and family. You can also also find us on Apple Podcasts.

    Find out more