Our Intentions and Our Invitation
At the beginning of the year, Gary shared his desire to move toward retirement, and the elders began sharing updates with the Grace family.
As a result, we established the Pastoral Search Committee made up of elders and representatives from the church Body. This committee has been tasked with meeting to establish and execute the pastoral search process. This is a process that is individualized to every church that walks through it, and we want to be very intentional with how we need to walk through it to best serve our congregation.
We invite you to continue praying for wisdom in the process and that God would prepare the heart of our next pastor and his family for Grace. This is an essential role for you, as the Grace family, to play in this process.
As a result, we established the Pastoral Search Committee made up of elders and representatives from the church Body. This committee has been tasked with meeting to establish and execute the pastoral search process. This is a process that is individualized to every church that walks through it, and we want to be very intentional with how we need to walk through it to best serve our congregation.
We invite you to continue praying for wisdom in the process and that God would prepare the heart of our next pastor and his family for Grace. This is an essential role for you, as the Grace family, to play in this process.
Meet the team.
Isaac Webb
Elder
Isaac grew up in Georgia in a family that was active in a local church. I began following Christ in early childhood. As an adult, started attending Grace in February of 2009. Married for 22 years with four kids. Led and served in Worship Arts for 14 years. Over the years, led studies in Spiritual Formation in small group environments. Serving as an Elder since 2023.
Gabe Hoffman
Elder
Gabe has served as an elder at Grace for the last several years. He has an extensive background in church work and vocational ministry, but currently works in the tech space for Chick-fil-A. He and his wife Marci, along with their four children, relocated to Peachtree City several years ago.
Matt Benson
Elder
Matt & Melody Benson have been members of Grace for 11 years having moved to the area when joining Operation Mobilization. Matt is in his third term as an elder and has enjoyed being an inaugural member of the teaching team at Grace. He previously served in pastoral ministry for five years and met Melody while both worked in various leadership roles at Bryan College. Matt continues an active teaching ministry and, along with with fellow Grace member Jonathan Thiessen, has been on the launch team of Scatter, an organization that exists to connect Jesus-followers across the globe, helping them steward the good that they were made for. He most recently has begun journeying spiritually with business executives through The CEO Forum based in Dallas, TX. Melody continues her part-time work at Grace Church in the area of missions and children's ministry. Matt & Melody have three kids (Jonathan, Joshua, and Emi) whom they love but also really, really like. All three have now abandoned their parents and are in their emerging adult years.
Peyton Kitchens
Communication Team
Peyton grew up not too far away in Sandy Springs. She and her husband Ryan met through their Campus Ministry, Cru, during their freshman year of college at University of Georgia. They spent a few years in Atlanta and then moved down to Senoia in 2020. Not long after, found Grace Church in 2021 and have attended ever since (the first service they attended was outdoors and they just knew this was exactly the place for them). Peyton has served the church through the Grace Garden, Children's Ministry, Leading small groups and the interiors team. They have one son (Finn, 2) at the moment, and will be welcoming a daughter any day now! Peyton has the blessing of staying home with the kiddos as well as focusing lots of time and energy on teaching people to garden through a few different avenues as well as participating in a new coalition focused on growing and distributing whole, organic foods to those who are food insecure.
Susan Stohrer
Communication Team
Susan grew up in Ohio on a dairy farm. Her family was committed to their local church, and Susan gave her life to Jesus at church camp in 5th grade. She went to Taylor University in Indiana where she met the love of her life, Andrew. After marrying right out of college, they moved to Fayetteville for Andrew's job and found Grace Church two weeks later via a phone book ad! They have attended Grace for 21 years and have served in a variety of ministries including student ministry, worship team, participating in small groups, and leading Bible Studies. They have two fabulous daughters, Madelyn (13) and Elaina (11). Other than being a full time mom, Susan is a Title One teacher at Bennett's Mill Middle School, and thinks middle schoolers are hilarious.
Joe Pruitt
Candidate Profile Team
Joe has been married for 58 years and has been blessed with 4 children, 17 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren. He has been attending Grace since 1983 and received Christ at Grace in 1984. Over the years, he and his wife Deb have participated in most every ministry area at Grace at some point. He served on the elder team from 1998 to 2008. He also served on the pastoral search team that recommended Gary be called as lead pastor.
John Cerniglia
Recruitment Team
John & Cassondra Cerniglia met at Houghton University when they were 18 years old. Houghton is a Wesleyan liberal-arts school, where God’s grace is foundational, and where critical thinking is encouraged. Cassondra was raised in Syracuse NY and came to Christ at an early age in a Baptist Church. John discovered Jesus’ love at his local Roman Catholic Church parish, where he was raised on Long Island. At age 16, John committed to a personal relationship with Jesus.
The Cerniglias have lived in Peachtree City for 19 years. They have one son, Zac, who is an Auburn grad and who lives and works in California. Cassondra works at Flat Creek Baptist in accounting. John serves as President of SAT-7 USA, a satellite media ministry bringing the gospel to 14 million people annually in 25 Muslim majority countries. John also serves as Adjunct Faculty for the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Previously, John held leadership roles at OM, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Habitat for Humanity International. For seven years he served on the Board of Africa Inland Mission.
John and Cassondra began worshipping and serving at Grace in 2021. They really enjoy co-leading a Grace small-group, especially on nights when the kids can ride on golf carts and scream as we go through the tunnels. For fun, the Cerniglias enjoy travel, skiing, and hospitality.
The Cerniglias have lived in Peachtree City for 19 years. They have one son, Zac, who is an Auburn grad and who lives and works in California. Cassondra works at Flat Creek Baptist in accounting. John serves as President of SAT-7 USA, a satellite media ministry bringing the gospel to 14 million people annually in 25 Muslim majority countries. John also serves as Adjunct Faculty for the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. Previously, John held leadership roles at OM, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Habitat for Humanity International. For seven years he served on the Board of Africa Inland Mission.
John and Cassondra began worshipping and serving at Grace in 2021. They really enjoy co-leading a Grace small-group, especially on nights when the kids can ride on golf carts and scream as we go through the tunnels. For fun, the Cerniglias enjoy travel, skiing, and hospitality.
Brent Townsend
Candidate Profile Team
Brent and his wife, Sharon, live in Tyrone, GA, and have been married for 23 years. They met while attending Mars Hill University, and today are grateful parents to four children: Gabe (19), Reese (17), Nathan (15), and Hayes (8). Their family stays busy, but when he has free time, Brent enjoys being outdoors, gardening, and caring for their bees.
Brent and his family have attended Grace Church since 2017, and are thankful for the teaching, community, and humility that Grace consistently reflects. “This church has been a meaningful place of spiritual growth for our family.”
He has spent his entire career with Chick-fil-A in Operations, where he leads a team that supports franchise Operators and helps steward the mission and values of the organization. He is also involved in selecting new franchisees to join the company.
Brent and Sharon are both graduates of Mars Hill University, where Brent currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. “It has been a blessing to serve in this role for the past ten years and to support the ongoing mission of the University.”
Brent and his family have attended Grace Church since 2017, and are thankful for the teaching, community, and humility that Grace consistently reflects. “This church has been a meaningful place of spiritual growth for our family.”
He has spent his entire career with Chick-fil-A in Operations, where he leads a team that supports franchise Operators and helps steward the mission and values of the organization. He is also involved in selecting new franchisees to join the company.
Brent and Sharon are both graduates of Mars Hill University, where Brent currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. “It has been a blessing to serve in this role for the past ten years and to support the ongoing mission of the University.”
Rhonda Wright
Recruitment Team
Rhonda was raised in New Mexico and met her husband, Mark, while he was attending Dallas Seminary and she was serving on staff at a church as the director of a Christian adoption agency. Married for 35 years, they enjoy spending time with their four adult children and five grandchildren.
As a licensed counselor, Rhonda has devoted her career to serving the adoptive and foster care community. After becoming a mother, she dedicated 23 years to homeschooling their children before returning to professional counseling. In recent years, much of her work has focused on training families to engage with children from hard places through a trauma-informed, attachment-based approach.
Rhonda and Mark joined Grace Church in November 2023, drawn by its practical teaching, strong sense of community, and commitment to both local and global ministry. Since joining, Rhonda has been actively involved as a life group co-leader and in the children’s ministry, and is prayerfully excited to serve alongside the pastoral search team.