Don has been the pastor of Grace Community Church since its first worship service in September of 1997. He has been married to Caron since 1983. They have two children, Emily and Anna. His hobbies include guitar, golf, and downhill skiing. Don is a 1981 graduate of James Madison University, has a Masters of Divinity and Doctor of Ministries from Reformed Theological Seminary. He served as an assistant pastor in Georgia from 1985-88, then was the church planter and pastor of South Dayton Presbyterian Church from 1988-1997. Don, Caron, Emily and Anna live here locally in the Forest Lakes North subdivision. Don came to faith in Christ during his teen years and sensed a call to ministry in those years as well. The ministry of InterVarsity Christian fellowship at J.M.U. was a key influence in developing ministry skills and testing that sense of calling.
Dave joined our staff in 2002 order to serve the on-going youth and small group ministries of Grace Community Church. Dave graduated from Reformed Theological Seminary in 2001 with degrees in Divinity and Counseling. Both Dave and his wife, Mary, are graduates of the University of Virginia and are delighted to be back in Charlottesville again. They were married in 1998, a few months after finishing college, and lived in Orlando for four years before returning to their senses and coming back to Virginia. When he’s not hugging his children, Dave enjoys all kinds of sports, reading, and watching movies. Dave has felt God’s call on his life since he was a teenager and has been seeking God’s direction through college and seminary. He and Mary are very excited to see how God has blessed them by bringing them to Grace Community Church.
Carol Hill joined our staff in July 2006. Carol has a true heart for teaching children about God. She has been involved with Children’s Ministry in various capacities for several years and was the Children’s Ministry Director at Trinity Presbyterian Church prior to coming to Grace. Carol and her husband Dave are long time residents of Albemarle County where they raised their two boys. Carol is an avid reader, loves knitting and their very large golden retriever - MaeJor.
Presbyterian churches are shepherded and led by elders. The elders together make up the Session. The pastor is a member of the session along with elders who have secular vocations but a high calling to lead in the local church. Feel free to contact the elders with questions about the ministry here. The active elders at Grace Community Church are:
The early church realized they had a need for spiritually-minded leaders who would take care of the material needs of the members and routine concerns of the church. These leaders whom the New Testament calls deacons, served the church and her members in order to free the elders to be more effective in prayer and in spreading the good news about Jesus. Our deacons continue their calling at GCC by setting up for worship each week, taking care of material needs of our members, and overseeing financial matters.