Senior Pastor

I had the privilege of joining the pastoral staff at Grace in 2011, serving as the Discipleship Pastor for a little over two years before becoming the Lead Pastor in the fall of 2013. The church family welcomed us with open arms and has been a tremendous blessing to us since joining the staff. I received a Master of Divinity from Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary in Lansdale, PA. Before joining Grace’s staff, I served at Calvary Baptist Church in Orlando, Florida, and Trinity Baptist Church in Williston, Vermont.

My passion in ministry is discipleship. To that end, I love to preach and teach the Scriptures in public settings as well as engage in individual discipleship through biblical counseling. My wife and I love being a part of Grace Baptist Church and we pray that God will give us many years to serve here in Wilmington.

Assistant Pastor/Children’s Ministry

I joined the staff at Grace in 2016 as the Assistant Pastor. My wife, Amber, and I served the Lord at Farmington Avenue Baptist Church in West Hartford, CT for over 20 years. I desire to dedicate myself to this ministry in order to see it run smoothly and bring honor to the Lord. I earned my Youth Ministries degree at Bob Jones University with a concentration in Speech Performance.

God has blessed me to be able to serve as a youth pastor, coach, and teacher throughout my ministry years. My passion in ministry is challenging people to “take the next step” in their Christian life. My wife, Amber, and daughter, Talia, are my two loves, and my interests include sports—especially volleyball, rock climbing, and scuba diving.

Worship Pastor

I have been our music pastor since July 2004. The opportunity to plan and lead worship at Grace Baptist Church is a privilege for which I am continually grateful. God has blessed our people with abundant giftedness, and it is my passion to provide ways for them to use their gifts to glorify God through worship. I believe worship is for God’s glory and pleasure, and I believe what pleases Him best is to see His children ministering to one another and to the lost. I want our worship at Grace to minister by communicating scriptural truth in a way that reaches the heart as well as the mind.

Some of my interests include camping, hiking, bike riding, and working out. I love the beach; particularly walking there at sunset and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation. I enjoy watching sports – particularly college football, NBA basketball, and World Cup soccer. My favorite pastime is spending time with my wife Julie, and my daughters Camryn and Kyra.

Ben moved to Wilmington in 2005 to teach and coach at Wilmington Christian. He has enjoyed serving in many areas at Grace Baptist Church while attending. From men’s ministry to youth group, Ben loves building relationships and creating programs to strengthen the church. His wife serves as the registrar at WCA and their 3 children attend Grace and WCA as well. He loves being a dad!

Youth Ministry Director

After serving as a volunteer in our Student Ministry for several years, it became apparent that God was calling me into full-time ministry. God opened the doors for me to join the staff at Grace in August 2019.

My favorite part about leading the student ministry is being able to build relationships with the students. My focus as the Student Director is to help students build a relationship with Christ that lasts beyond their middle school and high school years.

Visitation Pastor

I retired from full-time ministry after fifty years of being a senior pastor, the last thirty-five years at Farmington Avenue Baptist Church in West Hartford, CT. I graduated from Bob Jones University with a degree in Bible. I later received an honorary doctorate from Bob Jones and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Calvary Baptist Theological Seminary. My love is to study God’s Word and to walk in His will.

I have been happily married to Hannah Jones for nearly fifty-two years and the Lord has blessed us with four children. I am grateful to Pastor Knolls for allowing me to help in the ministry of visitation and other areas of the ministry. Our Lord continues to richly bless us as we continue to serve Him.

Wilmington Christian Academy Administrator

As a graduate of Wilmington Christian Academy, I have been associated with WCA since 1975. Before becoming Administrator in 1989, I taught in the secondary division of the school. I hold an undergraduate degree in Bible and advanced degrees in Communication and Educational Leadership. I also serve on the Executive Board of the North Carolina Christian School Association

For over two decades, my wife, Corinne, and I have enjoyed serving special needs adults as the leader of the Pathfinders ministry at Grace. Teaching and Dramatic Performance have been two of my life-long pursuits. I especially enjoy spending time with my wife, also a WCA graduate, and my two daughters, Candice and husband, James, and Brittany. My other interests include history, politics, photography, drama and travel.