Duane Hunt

Lead Pastor

Duane Hunt started serving as a pastor during college at the age of 20 and has been a pastor with the Missionary Church Inc. (Fort Wayne, Indiana) since July 1981.  A native of greater Detroit, Michigan, Duane received his ministry training at Fort Wayne Bible College, which eventually became a branch campus of Taylor University.  Duane and his wife, Peggy, were wed during college and have been married over 45 years.  They are the proud parents of 5 grown children, 17 amazing grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.  Peggy is a third grade teacher at Winter Haven’s Chain of Lakes Elementary School.

After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree, Duane pastored his first church in Bedford, Iowa.  The family moved to Polk County, Florida in July 1986, where Duane & Peggy have resided first in Auburndale and now in Winter Haven for the past 31 plus years.  In 1994 he was blessed to serve as the church planter for Crossroads Community Church in Auburndale.  Moving to southeast Winter Haven late in 1999, he has been serving as the church planter and lead pastor for CenterPoint Church ever since.

Duane has a calling and a passion to serve Jesus Christ by making and developing Christ followers and by teaching God’s Holy Word, the Bible.  He loves people and the community and has served in various capacities, including Missionary Church Florida District Leadership Team, Missionary Church General Oversight Council, Greater Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Foundation Board, and Ambassadors, Chain of Lakes Elementary School Advisory Council, and Ruby Lake Homeowners Association Board of Directors, among other service involvements.  He is an alumnus of Leadership Winter Haven Class XXIII.

Duane loves spending time with his family, along with other interests and hobbies.  He is an avid fan of the Michigan Wolverines, a lover of music (especially contemporary Christian music, the Beatles, 60s music, classic rock, and modern country), and is always ready to travel.  He and Peggy have been to all 50 states, and raised their family hiking and camping in the U.S. National Parks.  On the road, it’s tough to find him without a camera.  The couple has been blessed to visit the Holy Land in February 2016 and Italy and Greece in 2017.  Both experiences were inspiring and life-changing, making the history of the Bible 3D.

Josh Ellerd

Associate Pastor

Josh Ellerd was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and raise in mid-coast Maine. He attended a local Christian school, graduating in 1997. He married his wife, Carissa in 2001 and they have two grown children, Bryce and Avery.

Josh has always been bi-vocational, getting his start in youth ministry in 2005. He worked with the youth at a church in Maine for close to ten years before moving his family to Lake Wales, Florida in 2015.

While in Florida, Josh had the privilege to help oversee a program for middle school aged students before being asked to join the staff at a nearby church, serving as a youth pastor for three years.

Josh has been a pastor with the Missionary Church since December 2023 and began serving as the associate pastor at CenterPoint Church since January 2024. He continues to pursue his bachelor’s degree in Bible from Liberty University.

Josh always has a game on, rooting for his New England teams – the Patriots, Bruins, Red Sox, and Celtics. He is also a huge fan of Christian music, especially Skillet. He and his wife enjoy traveling, cruising, and going to local theme parks.