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.

Pastoral Residents

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.

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.”

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.

Scott Trew

Scott & his wife Lauren are long time Athenians who have a heart to serve others. Their two adult girls also live nearby.
Scott is wise beyond his years, seems to know everything that is going on in the church, and is an avid outdoorsman.

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.