Tom Drion, Pastor
Born and raised in Kent, Tom practised and taught osteopathy for twelve years before pursuing a call to the ministry. He and Donna have been married for 23 years, and have a 7 year old daughter, Carys.
Tom studied theology in California at the Master's Seminary and was ordained at Grace Community Church where he served on staff as an intern during his training before returning to London in 2011 with his family to begin the work of GraceLife London.
Tom is currently pursuing a doctor of ministry degree at The Master's Seminary, while continuint to pastor GraceLife London full time.
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Ross Orgill, Pastor
Ross Orgill was born in Staffordshire and worked there as an electrical engineer until his job with the National Grid took him around the country. Ross & Lisa Orgill have been married for 18 years, and their two children Samuel and Alicia are 15 and 11.
After 19 years in the power industry, Ross' burden for the weakness in the church in Britain took him to California to seek the best training he could find for a life in the ministry. Serving together with Tom in student leadership while at the Master's Seminary, Ross also worked as an intern on staff at Grace Community Church before moving his family to London in January 2011 to help plant the church.
Ross works part time for the church as pastor, alongside his full time work for the National Grid.
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Adam Waller, Associate Pastor
Adam was born in Virginia, and worked as a Maths teacher before moving to California to study at the Master's Seminary. After completing the MDiv program Adam went on to study for a further Masters in Theology at TMS, which is almost complete... but in response to the urgent need for help at GraceLife London due to the growth and exhaustion of the pastors... Adam joined the staff here in November 2015, and will be writing his dissertation from over here while working alongside Tom and Ross.
Adam is married to Dana who hails from California, and worked at The Master's Seminary as their (much-loved) faculty secretary.
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Kevin Edwards, Elder
Kevin Edwards also provides elder oversight for GraceLife London during its planting phase, while he serves full time in California as the pastor of outreach ministries at Grace Community Church. Kevin grew up as a missionary kid in Guatemala. Sensing God's call to minister the Word, Kevin completed training at The Master's Seminary in 1992. As the walls of communism were coming down, Kevin and Jill were sent out by Grace Community Church to minister in Russia in 1993. After one year of intensive language training, the Edwardses moved to Bryansk, Russia, to assist the Russian Baptist Church in establishing a pastoral training center, which is now under the leadership of trained Russian nationals. In 2000, the Edwardses moved to Samara, Russia, to assist the Russian Baptist Church in establishing a regional expository preaching training center. Kevin and Jill, along with their three sons, returned to Grace Community Church in October of 2003 for Kevin to join the pastoral staff.
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Jack Hughes - Elder
Like Kevin, Jack serves from overseas to help GraceLife London's local elders during these initial years. Jack pastors at Crossing Church in Louisville, Kentucky. He grew up in Idaho and met his wife, Lisa, at Boise State University. He attended The Master’s Seminary and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Westminster Theological Seminary as well. He has served as pastor of 3 churches, as well as a church planter and elder. Jack has taught preaching at the seminary level and has published Expository Preaching With Word Pictures. He has 3 grown children, Leah, Nate, and Mark, and enjoys hunting as well as equipping preachers and teachers at his personal website, drivennails.com.
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Keith Essex - Elder
Keith too serves from oversees, although he's GraceLife London's most frequent overseas visitor!
Born in England, Keith moved to the USA aged 10 and went on to study History, and then theology, receiving a ThM degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, and then a DMin from The Master's Seminary, where he has taught since 1992. Keith is currently associate professor of Bible Exposition at TMS.
During his residency for his Master of Theology degree, Dr. Essex ministered with Campus Crusade and later as a student pastor in Dallas, Texas. Following graduation, he served as Academic Dean at Grace Bible Institute in Long Beach, California. During this time he was also involved as a church planter, interim pastor, and later as an associate pastor.
For nine years he pastored in Redondo Beach. Keith is married to Louise, and they have six children and 11 grandchildren.
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Ray Mehringer - Elder
Ray is the fourth of four of our overseas elders. Ray works as Dean of Students at The Master's Seminary, and became a mentor and friend to Tom, Ross, and Adam during their time as students there. This friendship was reinforced as each of them served under Ray's oversight as student-body officers.
Ray joined the Master's Seminary Faculty in 2002, having completed more than fifteen years as an officer in the United States Air Force. In addition to his operations experience with the Air Force, Ray served as a local Bible study leader and Area Coordinator in the Washington D.C. area with the Officer's Christian Fellowship. Traveling throughout the United States with the Air Force, he gained significant experience in pastoral ministry as a lay leader in several local churches.
While completing graduate studies at The Master's Seminary, Ray served as a Ministerial Resident in Children's Ministries at Grace Community Church and was an Associated Student Body officer in the seminary. He continues an active ministry preaching in several area churches and serves at Grace Community Church. Ray and his wife Missy have been married for 32 years. They have four children, Matt, Tad, Courtney and Mollie. In the last few years three granddaughters have been added to the family.