ELDERS
Brent Bullard
Brent came to GBC in 2018 after having served for 14 years on the pastoral staff of his church in Missouri. He holds a Bachelor's in Speech Communication from the University of Central Missouri, a Master of Divinity, a Master of Theology, and a Doctorate of Ministry in Leadership from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to his wife, Sarah, since 2007, and together, they have three sons, Uriah, Matthias, and Boaz. He enjoys coffee, just about any sport, and being with and pursuing people.
Jerry Alexander
Jerry Alexander and Jan both grew up in Nacogdoches and are SFA graduates. His career took them from Nacogdoches, to College Station, to Idaho, to New Jersey, back to Idaho, and then in 1998 back to Nacogdoches. Along the way, they raised their three grown children, Randy, Amy, and Amanda. In 2003, after a 37-year career in the printing industry, Jerry took early retirement and started another 10-year career in real estate. Since coming to GBC in 2010, and being welcomed by this loving church family, Jerry has served in various ministries including Little Kids, Kids, Small Groups, Campus Development, and one term as an Elder. In retirement, Jerry and Jan enjoy visiting their children and 8 grandchildren. He is also known to enjoy the occasional round of golf.
Ryan Nelson
Ryan and his wife, Amy, have been attending GBC since 2008. They have 3 children: Ella, Ainsley, and Landen Earl. With the help of loving parents, Ryan came to a faith in Jesus at a young age at his hometown church. At GBC, Ryan served as a small group leader for several years, and now he and Amy serve as Refuge leaders. Ryan enjoys spending time in the outdoors, especially deer or duck hunting and crappie fishing. Since graduating from the University of Arkansas in 2001, Ryan spent 7 years on active duty and 5 years as a reserve Civil Engineer officer in the Air Force. Since 2008, he has worked as a Civil Engineer for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Jonathan Mitchell
Jonathan Mitchell came to Grace Bible Church as a freshman at SFA in 2000. He and his wife, Katy, met at Crosspoint and were married at GBC. They have three children - Luke, Parker, and Reese. The Mitchells moved back to Nacogdoches in 2015 and have loved being a part of the GBC family ever since. Jonathan has served as a small group leader, SLT teacher, and elder. He works as an Associate Professor of Mathematics at SFA, and Katy is the Little Kids Director at GBC. Jonathan enjoys playing basketball, family movie nights, and hanging with friends.
Scott LaGraff
Scott and his wife Kimberly moved to Nacogdoches in 2004 when Scott accepted a position on the music faculty at SFA. Shortly thereafter, they joined Grace Bible Church. Since joining, Scott has led multiple Sunday school classes, a small group, and has served on the elder board twice. He trusted Christ in 1981 after a neighborhood friend invited him to youth group, where he clearly heard the gospel for the first time. Scott & Kimberly have two sons — Cameron, a recent graduate of SFA’s accounting program and now working in Ohio, and Aidan, who is studying Music Education (violin) at SFA. Scott & Kimberly like taking walks and watching the UFC together.
Ryan Finnerud
Ryan was raised in Nacogdoches and grew up attending church. He came to understand the Gospel and accepted Christ while attending an FCA summer camp in high school. Ryan met his wife, Kelly, in a college ministry while they attended SFA. The Finneruds came to GBC when Ryan joined the staff as Worship Pastor from 2006 to 2013 and returned as members in 2017. Ryan currently serves in the worship ministry, and Kelly teaches elementary Sunday school. They have also been small group leaders in the past. Ryan works as the Accounting Manager for Motorhomes of Texas. He is a CPA and has worked in public and private accounting for 12 years. Ryan and Kelly have four children - Aidan, Trace, Emmy, and Saraiya.
Bud Wright
Bud and his wife Kathy began attending Grace Bible Church 44 years ago. They raised their three grown children, Steele, Emily ,and Ben at Grace. Ben and his wife Jordan are members of GBC and have three children, Jackson, Blakely, and Beau. Bud is currently a member of FAT, our Finance & Administrative Team, which provides advice and recommendations to the Elders. He also teaches 4-year-old Sunday School occasionally with Kathy. Over the years he has served in various ministries at Grace. He is Chairman of TFP Nutrition, a 93-year-old family business that manufactures pet food and livestock feed. This church family has been a blessing to the Wright’s, and they thank God for the sweet season we are currently experiencing at Grace.
Zach Martin
Zach
started attending Grace Bible Church while in high school in the late 90’s. He and his wife Ashley were married at GBC and officially became members in 2004. Zach has served as an elder, small group leader, men’s ministry leader, Little Kids Sunday morning volunteer, and in other capacities. Zach and Ashley are the proud parents of their daughter, Taylor. The Martins own and operate a few local businesses. Zach enjoys hanging out with his family and in his spare time playing with tractors, bird hunting, and fishing in Louisiana for red fish.
