Leadership
Global Leadership Team
The Leadership Team is a small group of men, all of whom are members of Sovereign Grace churches. These men do not occupy a special church office but are recognized as having broad leadership gifting in particular areas. They serve a critical role in ensuring that we are led effectively in our shared mission. They are appointed by the Executive Director and our Executive Committee.
Bart Lipscomb, SGC Area leader - Africa
Bart is the Lead Pastor of Christ Church in Conroe, TX which was adopted into Sovereign Grace Churches in 2021. He has earned a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and also graduated from the Sovereign Grace Pastor’s College. He and his wife, Jessica, have three children and two happy dogs. Bart has a passion to see Gospel-centered, Christ-exalting churches multiply and counts it among his highest privileges to serve as Area Leader for Africa.
Tommy Hill – Cornerstone Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Jared Mellinger – Covenant Fellowship Church (Glen Mills, PA)
Jon Payne – Redemption Hill Church (Round Rock, TX)
Mark Prater – Covenant Fellowship Church (Executive Director-Glen Mills, PA)
Jeff Purswell – Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
Rich Richardson – Center Church (Gilbert, AZ)
Dave Taylor – Sovereign Grace Church (Sydney, Australia)
Eric Turbedsky – Sovereign Grace Church (Orange, CA)
Directors
Michael Granger,
SGC Representative for East Africa
Michael is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Fellowship in Addis Ababa which was planted in 2020 with the help of their Ethiopian planting team. He’s married to the wife of his dreams - Kenean, has 4 children, and is committed to knowing God and making him known through the preaching of Christ Jesus and him crucified.
Tommy Hill – Director of Finance, Cornerstone Church of Knoxville (Knoxville, TN)
Bob Kauflin – Director of Music, Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
Jon Payne – Director of Church Development, Redemption Hill Church (Round Rock, TX)
Jeff Purswell – Director of Theology, Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
Dave Taylor – Director of Global Missions, Sovereign Grace Church (Sydney, Australia)
“We believe that the unity for which Jesus prayed among His people should find concrete expression among believers and churches.”
Doug Hayes,
SGC Representative for Southern Africa
Doug Hayes serves on the pastoral team of Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania (USA), and has been Executive Director of Covenant Mercies since its founding in 2002. Covenant Mercies works in direct partnership with indigenous local churches in the developing world to care for orphans, which makes Doug a frequent visitor to the African continent. Alongside his work with Covenant Mercies, Doug shares a passion with the leaders of Christ Community Church in Ndola, Zambia, to see pastors trained and churches planted in Zambia and Southern Africa. He serves Sovereign Grace as the liaison for the Copperbelt Pastors College, a work started by Wilbroad Chanda and carried on by the elders of Christ Community Church after his passing in January 2021.