Jesus said, "I will build my church & the gates of hell will not prevail against it."

Jesus is head & leader of his Church.

Pastors are servants who are called, qualified, & gifted to lead the church as he directs. They are servant leaders & they are accountable to God & to us. These pastors are sometimes called elders (Acts 20:17; Titus 1:5), overseers (Acts 20:28; Titus 1:7), or shepherds/pastors (1 Peter 5:1; Eph. 4:11), but each word—pastor, elder, & overseer—refer to the same office called to lead the church.

Pastors

Walt Alexander

Walt & his wife Kim have lived in East Tennessee for over 20 years. They—along with their 3 children (Rev, Wren, & Knox)—moved to Athens in 2018 to help start Trinity Grace Church.
Walt enjoys reading, hiking, backpacking, & all things coffee.

Taylor Hollingsworth

Taylor & his wife Elisabeth first came to East Tennessee to attend Bryan College over a decade ago. They moved to the Athens area several years ago. They—& their growing family—add much joy & life to our church.
Taylor likes long books, *all* food, & the outdoors.

Buddy Luster

Buddy & his wife Judy moved to Athens in the fall of 2019 to be a part of Trinity Grace. Serving the Lord since a young age, they bring much wisdom, experience, & joy to our young church.
Buddy is a bird hunter, deep thinker, & joyful servant of others.

Deacons

Deacon literally means “servant” in the New Testament. Deacons are meant to be lead servants, cultivating & modeling servanthood for the church. For more about what we believe the bible teaches about deacons, listen to this Sunday morning message entitled “Deacons Defined.”

Gil Balch

Gil is a native of Athens. After he & his new wife Melanie were saved, they returned to Athens to raise their family. And they’re still raising their 4 kids!
Gil likes hot tea, loud music, & *not* watching sporting events.

Daniel McGraw

Daniel & Anna are originally from Blount County, but moved to the area for a job a handful of years ago. After moving, their young family has continued to grow to 3 beautiful kids.
Daniel is a *formerly* good basketball player (though he doesn’t admit it!), avid outdoorsman, & champion of all things gluten-free.

Tim Smith

Tim & his wife Melanie moved to Athens in the summer of 2018 for a job opening & the opportunity to be a part of our church plant. Tim & Mel have 3 kids & their whole family serves our church in countless ways.
Tim is a jack of all trades & the deacon most likely to surprise you on the basketball court.

Charlie Stewart

Charlie & his wife Mandy have been fixtures in the area for some time. They—along with their 4 children—love to worship God.
Charlie likes to serve people & solve problems—preferably at the same time! His one flaw: failing to realize the Beatles are the greatest band ever!

Dustin Tinsman

Dustin moved to Athens in 1999. He moved away a few years later to marry his wife Mandy & quickly moved back to Athens to raise his family. They now have 5 kids & are vital members of our church.
Dustin is an early riser, hard worker, & an athletically-formidable foe.

Financial Advisory Team

The Finance Advisory Team provides the elders, deacons, & church ministries with counsel & oversight necessary to steward well the financial resources of the church. They help establish policy, administrate accounting, & offer counsel to the pastors & deacons on all financial matters of the church.

Ben Finch

Ben is a native of Athens. He & his wife Joy have spent much of their married life in Athens and have brought home 4 kids here. Ben & Joy have a contagious love for people and this community.
Ben likes photos, talking about when he used to be a college athlete, & skinny jeans.