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Our Leaders

OUR PASTORS

Lukus Counterman

Lead for Preaching & Vision

God has uniquely gifted Lukus to articulate and proclaim God's word in our ministry context. Most recently, he pastored Wichita Falls Baptist Church in Wichita Falls, Texas. Having completed his DMin in expository preaching from Dallas Theological Seminary and a PhD in Systematic Theology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, he brings over twenty years of preaching, teaching, and pastoral ministry experience with him to Salt Lake City. While providing leadership through preaching, teaching, and ministerial team development, he also serves as an industrial chaplain at Hill Air Force Base in Layton, Utah. Lukus has been a reserve chaplain in the U.S. Air Force for almost six years.

Will Galkin

Outreach & Strategic Multiplication

Will coordinates the outreach and church planting efforts of the church. Having traveled as an evangelist across the United States for 19 years, Will brings unique gifts, abilities, and opportunities to mobilize co-laborers from across the country for the purpose of strategic church planting. Will and his wife, Christy, have five children, and the two oldest are in college.

Jon Kopp

Community Groups & Worship

Jon coordinates our community groups as well as the details of media, communications and administration at Gospel Grace. Prior to moving to SLC in 2012, Jon served for 8 years as a pastor for student, worship, and media ministry at Oak Ridge Baptist Church in Oak Ridge, TN. Jon is a passionate disciple-maker who loves to proclaim God’s Word and see it transform lives. Our church body and ministry team are strengthened by his love for people and gift of administration. God has also given him a blend of gifts that allow him to fuse his love for the gospel with powerful and effective communication through media. Jon currently serves not only as pastor for community groups and worship, but also serves as a graphic designer.

Josh Macavoy

Family & Administration
As family pastor, Josh not only oversees the Gospel Grace ministries for infants through high school, he is also burdened for the spiritual growth of the volunteers and parents connected to these ministries. This burden has been shaped from his time preaching in churches, teaching in children’s ministries and leading in youth groups. And has only intensified from being married to an elementary school teacher and having three sons of his own. Josh desires for people (young and old) to rightly understand God through His Word, and to live out bold faith in their changing stages of life. Josh was ordained at Gospel Grace Church in May 2019, and works bi-vocationally in Salt Lake City in the MEP Engineering industry.

Jotham Manoranjan

Guest & New Member Care
Jotham leads our new guest and new member care. Prior to joining the pastoral team, he served as an intern and went through the elder-candidacy process at Gospel Grace. He feels called to ensure that Gospel Grace Church is a welcoming place to people from all backgrounds, and to that end, is over the Sunday morning host team and guest connect team. Jotham attended our second service as an electrical engineering graduate student at the U of U. Over the last 6 years, he has completed masters degrees in engineering and theology, as well as a PHD in electrical engineering. He joined the pastoral team in May of 2019. Jotham works as an engineer for a chip design firm in the Utah valley.

OUR MINISTRY LEADERS

Aaron Boyce

Plant Camp Program Director

Greg & Mary Buhr

Deacon: Safety Management

Luke Bylsma

Fellow

Eli & Connie Clark

Deacon: Interior Maintenance

Lukus & Liesl Counterman

Lead Pastor, Women's Ministry Director

Will & Christy Galkin

Pastor, Plant 4 the Gospel Director

Kyle & Kenzie Grinstead

Deacon: Technology Management

Andrew & Kim Groenewold

Deacon: Interior Maintenance

Ben Henderson

Resident

Nic Higgins

Ambassador: Good News Jail Chaplain

Paul & Courtney Howell

Deacon: Deacon Duty Manager & Work Day Coordinator

Briley Hughes

Administrative Assistant

Ben & Christa Hulin

Deacon: Minister & Member Encouragement & Benevolence

Zach Hunt

Deacon: Special Projects & Ministry Home

Jared Jenkins

Resident

Jon & Beth Kopp

Pastor, Kids Church Director

Sean & Ruth Ann Lawley

Deacon: Cleaning and Vehicle Management, Nursery Director

Josh & Christie MacAvoy

Pastor, Kids & Youth Group

Jotham & Erika Manoranjan

Pastor, Guest Connect Director

Stephen & Allison Mobley

A/V Tech Director

Wilson & Olivia Mulder

Deacon: Exterior Maintenance & Neighborhood Connect

Brian & Megan O'Neal

Deacon: Ordinance Observation

David Pimentel

Resident

Joe & Kellie Skinner

Host Team Director

Audrey Smiley

Rescue Mission Director

Nate & Ruth Swartzendruber

Deacon: Exterior Maintenance & Neighborhood Connect

Frank & Cory VanAlthius

Church Treasurer, Nursery

Jonathan & Erica Vasgar

Deacon: Widows & Elderly Care