Leadership

Robie received a B.A. degree in Pastoral Studies from Northland International University (’93) and completed a M.A. in Religion from Reformed Theological Seminary, Atlanta.  He has been the pastor at Grace Church for over 20 years and is a teaching elder in the Northwest Georgia Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America.

Robie is a member of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (formerly NANC) and has been active in personal, marriage, and family counseling for over 20 years.  His pastoral and practical insight demonstrates the sufficiency of God’s Word for life and godliness through knowing Christ and helping God’s people live in the freedom and power of the gospel of grace.

Jackson was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from Georgia College and State University ('16) and graduated with a Master of Divinity from Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando ('24).
Prior to serving at Grace Church, Jackson and his wife Hannah along with their two children Reagan and Bentley were involved in church planting in the bush of Africa among the Samburu tribe.
Jackson has a passion for growing in his knowledge of Christ, making Christ known, and Alabama football.

Mike was raised in a military family. He came to faith in Christ as a boy through the ministry of a Southern Baptist missionary in Toul, France.  

Mike attended Southeastern Bible College and Dallas Bible College, completing two and a half years of studying Theology. He was licensed to preach in 1976 in a Southern Baptist church.

Mike married Faith in 1978, and they have two daughters and two grandsons. He is a graduate of Texas A&M, with a degree in Industrial Engineering. Mike is now retired from a career in management, quality control, and consulting.  

Mike has served the church faithfully as a bi-vocational pastor, and by preaching, teaching Sunday School, and leading small groups. He currently serves Grace Church by teaching Sunday School and leading the Sunday services at Wickshire Assisted Living.

Stephen was born again through the ministry of Campus Outreach at Georgia Southern University in 1993.  In 1998, he left his career working in the Atlanta home building industry to attend Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, where he earned a Master of Divinity.  

After serving in an internship with the OPC in Roseburg, Oregon, Stephen and his wife, Jennifer, returned to the Atlanta area and back to working in the building industry.   He was ordained as a Ruling Elder in 2006 in Douglasville, Georgia, and moved to Canton in 2018.  He has served as a ruling elder since 2020.

Brady was born in Northern California and was brought up in the Lutheran Church (Missouri Synod). He moved to Southern California in 1994 where he attended school for video and film production. In 2003, Brady met his future wife and shortly after their wedding, he was converted to Christ.
In 2008, through much prayer, Brady moved his family to Georgia and joined Grace Presbyterian Church, Douglasville. He and his family served in Grace's ministry for 12 years. In 2020, the Paynes moved to Woodstock, GA and joined Grace Church, Canton.
For the past 16 years, Brady has worked as a video editor and motion graphics designer for a local Christian television ministry which spreads the gospel to over 200 countries worldwide.
Brady enjoys studying theology, history, philosophy, the visual arts, and teaching others.

I have been a Christian since 18 years of age; my good friend from the neighborhood invited me to church over and over, and one Sunday night, I went, and God saved me. Walking with God is a journey, and I continue daily by His Grace. After salvation, I sensed the call to the helping ministry and ultimately became a Christian counselor and a serving saint in the church.

I obtained my BS in psychology from Liberty, my MS in Counseling from Georgia State University, and a Diploma in Christian Counseling from the Psychological Studies Institute. I have served in the church as a Sunday school teacher for youth and adults and helped with children's ministries, youth leadership, pulpit committees, youth retreats, and as a Ruling Elder. I have also dabbled in assisting the church in advancing the use of technology.

I have been a Christian counselor for 27 years and have seen people grow in their faith and heal from many ailments. I currently serve at Restoration Counseling of Atlanta as a counselor and Assistant Clinical director. On the side, I also teach at several Christian universities in their undergraduate programs as adjunct faculty in the psychology and counseling departments.
Better than all my work is my family. I have a wonderful bride, Beth, of 25+ years and 3 faithful children, Calvin (25), Zachary (23), and Emily (16). I attempt to love, lead, and serve them daily, by God's grace, because if left to me, I would fail.

My hobbies include home improvement, spending time with friends, watching my Mets, and anything with my family.

Favorites:
Verse: Luke 1:37
Color: Green
Sports Team: New York Mets, Let's Go Mets!
Book of the Bible: James

I became a follower of Jesus the Christ in the fall of 1972 and am now being transformed by the Holy Spirit. I have been serving His Church at Grace since 2013.

Jonathan Barnes was born and raised in Canton, GA as the oldest of 3 children. He attended Sixes Elementary, Freedom Middle School, and Creekview High for one year until being homeschooled the remainder of high school. He had a passion for sports growing up and spent most of his days playing football and baseball.
He spent several years during his late teens and early twenties working at Chick-Fil-A where he met his wife, Abby. Jonathan became a believer in February 2013 and joined First Baptist Canton where he served as the middle school student intern for a couple of years. Jonathan and Abby married in 2015 and lived in Jasper, GA where they attended a local church plant. In 2018 they welcomed their daughter, Murphy. They currently live in Ball Ground, GA and began attending Grace Church in May 2023 and officially joined as members in November of that year.
Jonathan serves on the Grace Church ensemble on Sundays during worship and for the monthly hymn sings, and is on the teaching rotation for the children’s ministry during Sunday school. He is employed at Lake Arrowhead Utility Company where he has been since 2020.

Born in Montgomery, AL, and raised in Southern California, J.T. (John Thomas) came to faith as a teenager while attending a non-denominational evangelical church in the South Bay. He enlisted in the USMC at 17 and served in the USMC and USMCR until 1998.
J.T. and Jessica met in the 4th grade and married in 2005.  They were blessed with their daughter Grace in 2010. JT served as a deacon at Christ Reformed Church in Anaheim, CA from 2009 – 2011, prior to transferring membership to Branch of Hope OPC in Torrance, CA. J.T. and his family moved from Southern CA to Cumming, GA in 2019 and joined Grace Church as communicate members in November 2019.
J.T. has a Bachelor of Science in Human Resources Management from CSULA and a Master of Arts in Management in Organization Design from Azusa Pacific University. J.T. currently works as a Human Resources Director for a multinational packaging company in the Atlanta area.

Favorites:
Verse: Psalm 119: 10-11
Book of the Bible: Proverbs
Hobby: Motorcycle Riding

Lutfi came to faith when he was a teenager in a Presbyterian Church in his native Puerto Rico.  He has served in the church in different capacities since that time.  Lutfi married Liliana in 1998, and they have been blessed with six children (Sarah, Sofia, Joel, David, Lily, and Anna).  Lutfi has a degree in Industrial Engineering and currently works as a Project Manager for General Electric’s Stream Power Generation Division.  Lutfi has served the church in various capacities since his conversion. Prior to joining Grace Church, Lutfi and his family were members at a Hispanic Church in Snellville, Georgia, and most recently they attended a House Church in the Lawrenceville-Lilburn area.

Ryan Waddell was born and raised in Cherokee County. Wendy and I have been married 28 years. We have four adult children. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Nahum 1:7 “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.”