Meet Our Team
Phil Anderson
Exec. Director
Phil and Denise came to Cactus from Bourbonnais, IL where they were both helping to plant a church with their daughter and son in law. Denise had been teaching full time in the Social Work Program at Olivet Nazarene University and Phil had been adjunct teaching Masters classes. Prior to Olivet, they had been on the mission field - having served in Thailand, the Dominican Republic and South Africa. They love people and love to serve.
Phil has his Masters of Divinity in Missional Leadership from Northwest Nazarene University (NNU) and Denise has her Masters and PhD in Social Work as well as Masters in Pastoral Ministry (NNU). Phil and Denise were in lay ministry until they were called to serve as missionaries in 2003. They feel blessed to serve the Lord and the church with so many different people groups in different world areas. Serving in Cactus brings all of the world areas they have loved into one place.
Email: phil@cactusministries.org
Stephanie Diehlmann
'The Well' Medical Director
Steph is a family doctor. She graduated with her medical degree from Ohio State University and a master’s of public health from Loma Linda University. She completed her training at John Peter Smith Family Medicine Residency in Fort Worth, Texas and a fellowship in obstetrics from UTMB-Austin. She served as a missionary doctor at Nazarene Hospital in Papua New Guinea from 2009 to 2013.
Dr Steph joined Cactus Nazarene Ministries in the fall of 2017 to plan for and build The Well Health Center. Steph serves as the physician and medical director for The Well, which opened in January of 2019. her husband, Andy, also continues to volunteer with the ministry to reach the people of Cactus with the love of Christ.
Email: steph@cactusministries.org
Todd & Raquel Forrest
Ministry Teams & Family Ministries Coordinators
Todd Forrest was born in Indiana and met Raquel Liz Cintrón in Guatemala while on a short-term mission trip. Raquel, or “Raqui,” who is from Puerto Rico.Todd has a Bachelor of Theology from Olivet Nazarene University, and an M.A. in Religion at Southern Nazarene University. Raquel earned her Bachelor of Religion from SNU, while adding an M.A. in Religion from ONU.
They have pastored in Oklahoma, Indiana, Colorado and Texas including directing Compassionate Ministry Centers in Denver and the Chicago Metro. Raquel has also worked for Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army in Denver and Kansas City, while Todd worked as a residential treatment therapist in Denver and at Nazarene Headquarters in Kansas City. Todd and Raqui have three daughters. Celeste, who is married to Joseph Blissett, Aliza and Estrella.
Email:
Rachael Wade
Rachael is CNMC & The Well Health Center's Fiscal Manager. She has an associates degree in accounting and a bachelor's degree in business administration. She also has experience in running non-profits and medical office management. She lives in Canyon with her husband and twin boys.
Sarah Alvord
ESL Instructor, Patient Advocate (For The Well) & Staff Support
Sarah Alvord graduated in January of 2020 from Olivet Nazarene University with a Bachelor's of Social Work and Spanish degree. She loves being able to use Spanish to interact with others, translate, and serve, and she also loves to play the piano and try new foods. Sarah Alvord is seeking to serve God in whatever next steps He has for her, and right now, that means learning and serving the people of Cactus as a patient care coorfinator in The Well.
Email: