Leadership
Darien Gabriel
Darien Gabriel | Pastor/Elder
Summerville High School, '83
Clemson University, '87
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, '97
Married Anita Mirick in '88 (Summerville High, '83; Clemson University, '87), Darien & Anita have 4 daughters and two grandchildren. They have lived in West Palm Beach & Tampa, FL; Wake Forest & Wilson, NC.
Darien has been pastor of Grace since 2006 and likes to read, travel & play Ultimate Frisbee.
Instagram @neiradarien | Twitter @dariengabriel | Facebook @DarienGabriel | LinkTree
Email darien.gabriel@gracetoday.net
Brian Smith
Brian Smith | Elder
Brian Smith is another pastor-elder at GCF. He and his wife, Anna, are the proud parents of 5 great kids.
Brian and Anna serve in many ministries throughout Grace, including the Offering Team, Security Team, Children’s Groups, and currently host a home group.
He has been part of the Grace family since 2012.
Email: bsmithcoach@gmail.com
Ken Dorrity
Lance Gorrell
Chris Karpus
Ken Dorrity | Pastor/Elder
Ken is from Greenwood, SC where he graduated from Greenwood High School (’83) before going on to get degrees from Clemson University ’87 and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary ‘03. Ken was called to Gospel ministry in 1993 when he was serving as one of the youth leaders in his church. He has been working full-time as a youth pastor since 1995 when he was ordained, having served in various Youth and Education roles.
Ken and his wife, Wana, are parents of three sons and one daughter and have been part of the Grace family since 2012.
Ken enjoys spending time with his family, reading God's Word, history books, F3, Ultimate Frisbee, and soccer.
Email: ken.dorrity@gracetoday.net
Lance Gorrell | Elder
Lance and his wife, Betsy, are proud parents of five wonderful children. They have been part of Grace since 2012.
Email: lance.gorrell@gmail.com
Chris Karpus | Elder
Originally from Illinois, Chris graduated from the University of Illinois in 1991 with a degree in architecture. After marrying Amy in 1992, they moved south where he graduated from Clemson University in 1995 with his Masters. He is an architect and founder of Karpus Design, and co-founder of 141 Impact, a non-profit organization serving at-risk children and families in Uganda.
Chris and Amy are the proud parents of three children.
Chris also serves on the worship team at Grace and co-leads a mission group focused on serving the community. He enjoys hiking, music, composing, spending time with family, and caring for kids in Uganda.
He has been part of the Grace family since 2018.
Email: chris.karpus@gracetoday.net
Bryan & Susan Black
Nathan & Luciene Burgess
Wally & Maria Reddington
Nathan & Alanda Strutz
Steve & Catherine Sammons
Gary & Eileen Turner
Deacon Teams
Bryan & Susan Black - Bryan and Susan Black has been married since 1991 and have four sons and one granddaughter. Bryan plays in the worship band and Susan serves as a greeter and assists with the women’s ministry and with the youth ministry. Both are 1990 graduates of Clemson University. Bryan works in sales for a medical device company and enjoys cycling and soccer. Susan was a teacher, homeschooled their four sons, and she enjoys sewing and reading. Bryan and Susan have been a part of the family at Grace since 2015.
Nathan & Luciene Burgess - Nathan and his wife Luciene serve at Grace as a Deacon team. They are the parents of one college young lady. Nathan enjoys serving with our tech team on Sunday mornings while Luciene helps with Cleaning Team. They have been with the Grace family since 2021.
Wally & Maria Reddington - Wally and Maria serve at Grace as a deacon team and on our Baptism Team. They love the Lord and have been part of the Grace family since 2020.
Nathan & Alanda Strutz - Nathan & Alanda serve at Grace as a deacon team. They have 4 wonderful children and their whole family serves with our children’s ministry. They are directors of Precious Ones Ministry in Uganda and are very active there. They love the Lord and have been part of the Grace family since 2020.
Steve & Catherine Sammons - Stephen and Catherine love the Lord and are blessed to serve Him by serving at Grace as a Deacon Team. Steve and Catherine lead and serve together on the Communion Team and on the Baptism Team. They are also active in the Curacao Missions Ministry. Catherine also serves in the Nursery and is active in the Women's ministry. Stephen serves in the Praise Band and on the Safety Team. They are the parents of four grown children and the grandparents of three grandchildren. Steve and Catherine have been members of Grace since 2014.
Joe & Jana Debney - Joe & Jana serve at Grace as a deacon team, Safety Team, Children’s and youth ministry, and praise band. They joined the Grace family in 2015 and have three children.
Gary & Eileen Turner- Gary & Eileen serve at Grace in many different areas, including Safety, Praise Band, and Children’s ministry. They are the proud parents of four children and have been part of the Grace family since 2018.