Church Leadership
Rooted in the Word. Reformed in conviction. Ready for the work of shepherding.
At Gracepointe Church, leadership is not hierarchy, but stewardship. Christ alone is Head of the Church, and our elders serve as under-shepherds, charged with guarding the flock, proclaiming the Word, and equipping the saints for mission.
Together they embody our mission: to glorify God through the proclamation of the Gospel, forming disciples who are rooted in Scripture, shaped by the Reformed confessions, and equipped for mission in the home, the church, and the world.
Our Elder Board
Our elder board leads as a unified council with distinct callings
Preaching & Vision
Declaring the whole counsel of God through expository preaching that awakens the church and strengthens faith.
Strategy & Transformation
Aligning people, process, and purpose so that doctrine becomes discipleship and households are reformed.
Shepherding & Formation
Tending the flock with care, counsel, and historical perspective so that every member is known and growing.
These ministries function in plurality, humility, and covenant accountability, as affirmed in our Elder Covenant of Shepherding, Doctrine, and Devotion. Each elder fully subscribes to the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, teaches in accordance with Scripture, and labors to see Christ formed in His people.
Dr. Austin W. Tucker
Lead Pastor / Elder of Preaching & Vision
Primary Focus: Revival through Expository Preaching
Dr. Austin W. Tucker preaches and writes with bold, prophetic clarity. With over twenty years of ministry experience, he carries the mantle of fire in the ruins. His is a ministry marked by conviction and courage. His preaching aims to awaken the church to repentance, holiness, and mission.
Austin leads Gracepointe's pulpit and worship ministry, guarding doctrinal purity, cultivating reverent worship, and calling believers to live ablaze for God's glory. He serves as the Elder Chair and President of Gracepointe Church, ensuring that the preaching of the Word remains central to all that we do.
Education
- •B.A. in Theology
- •M.Sc. in Christian Counseling
- •Ph.D. in Pastoral Psychology
Bryan D. Furlong, MBA
Executive Pastor / Elder of Strategy & Transformation
Primary Focus: Household Reformation & Doctrinal Formation
Bryan D. Furlong leads Gracepointe's organizational and doctrinal backbone through Tactical Theology, a ministry devoted to turning conviction into construction.
As Elder of Strategy & Transformation, he aligns mission and systems so that theology produces tangible fruit in households, ministries, and cultural engagement. He develops discipleship frameworks, publishes theological resources, and mentors men for leadership.
Bryan's work forms the bridge between pulpit and practice: doctrine forged into obedience.
Education
- •B.S. in Finance, The Pennsylvania State University
- •MBA in Corporate Strategy, The University of Tennessee
Robbie Stringer
Associate Pastor / Elder of Shepherding & Formation
Primary Focus: Doctrinal Clarity & Historical Faithfulness
Robbie Stringer shepherds with a teacher's heart and historian's mind. Through lessons from history, he grounds the church in the unchanging truths of Scripture and the tested witness of the saints who came before.
As Elder of Shepherding & Formation, he oversees member care, counseling, and the ministry of fellowship, ensuring that every believer is known, loved, and anchored in truth. His ministry weaves pastoral presence with confessional depth, reminding the body that steadfast faith has a lineage worth remembering.
Education & Credentials
- •B.A. in Ministry
Gracepointe Deacons
Mercy made visible. Order in service. Faithfulness at the tables.
At Gracepointe Church, we believe Christ has given His church two ordinary offices: Elders and Deacons. While the Elders are charged with prayer, teaching, spiritual oversight, and the shepherding of souls, our Deacons serve the church's physical and temporal needs so that the ministry of the Word may remain unhindered.
The office of Deacon is a biblical office of humble, tested, and faithful ministry. Following the pattern of Acts 6, our Deacons help carry the practical burdens of the congregation, strengthen the hands of the Elders, care for those in need, steward the church's resources, and help maintain order in the gathered life of the church.
Their calling is simple but weighty: to serve Christ by serving Christ's people.
Our Deacons
Gary Lane
Terry Gibbons
Victor Oquendo
Steven Chambers
Serving the Four Tables
Gracepointe understands the practical ministry of the diaconate through four tables of service. Together, these give shape to the Deacons' care for the outward and temporal affairs of Christ's church.
The Poor's Table
Mercy for the body.
The Deacons help steward Gracepointe's ministry of mercy, caring for the physical and material needs of the church with compassion, wisdom, and discretion.
They help ensure that widows, the elderly, families in crisis, and others facing genuine need are not forgotten. Benevolence is administered with both generosity and discernment, seeking not merely temporary relief but, where possible, genuine restoration.
At the Poor's Table, the compassion of Christ becomes visible through the ordered care of His church.
The Minister's Table
Partnership in the ministry of the Word.
The Deacons support Gracepointe's Elders by carrying practical, administrative, and logistical burdens that could otherwise distract from prayer, preaching, teaching, counseling, visitation, and shepherding.
They do not govern the Elders or share in the Elders' spiritual oversight. Instead, their service helps protect the priority of the Word by ensuring that necessary temporal matters are handled faithfully and wisely.
Deacons serve the tables so the Word may run freely.
The Money Table
Stewardship with integrity.
The Deacons help steward the temporal resources entrusted to Gracepointe with transparency, accountability, wisdom, and care.
Their service may include the church's finances, benevolence resources, facilities, property, supplies, approved projects, and other material concerns necessary to the life of the congregation.
The resources of the church belong to Christ. Our Deacons therefore serve as stewards, not owners, seeking to handle what has been entrusted to the church faithfully and in good order.
The Lord's Table
Reverence and readiness in worship.
The Lord's Supper belongs to Christ and is spiritually overseen by the Elders. The Deacons serve alongside them by helping ensure that the ordinance is prepared and administered with reverence, simplicity, readiness, and good order.
Their service may include preparing the elements, arranging what is needed, assisting with distribution, helping members who need physical assistance, and removing practical distractions from the congregation's worship.
The goal is quiet faithfulness: careful enough to prevent distraction and humble enough to draw no attention away from Christ.
Christ's Order for His Church
Christ rules. His Word governs. Elders oversee. Deacons serve.
The Elders and Deacons of Gracepointe labor together according to their distinct biblical callings: Elders watching over souls through the ministry of the Word, prayer, and shepherding; Deacons strengthening the body through mercy, stewardship, practical care, and ordered service.
Together, they labor so that the saints are cared for, the church is strengthened, mercy is made visible, and the Word of God continues to increase.