About Our Church Staff
Get to know our church leaders and staff.
Pastor Tim Hight
Senior Pastor
Dr. Timothy Hight began his ministry at GraceLife, formerly Main Street Baptist Church, in the spring of 1996. His passion is to faithfully proclaim the truth of the Scripture in a way that is relevant and applicable to everyday life and to see God’s people reach new places of spiritual growth in their walk with Christ.
Pastor Tim and his wife Dawn have served the Lord together for more than 35 years and have been blessed with five children: Whitney, Lindsey, Timothy, Valory and Courtney. Prior to GraceLife, he served as pastor of two churches in Arkansas: First Baptist Church, Newport, and First Baptist Church, Lepanto. His first ministry role was as a Youth Pastor at the Labelle Place Baptist Church of Memphis, TN. He received a B.A. in History from the University of Memphis and the M.Div. and Ph.D. From the Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, TN.
In his role as Senior Pastor, Dr. Hight has extensive experience in counselling, preaching, teaching and missions. He has led international mission teams to Russia, Guatemala, Thailand, New Zealand, Macau, Taiwan, and Zimbabwe. He has held positions of leadership on state and national levels within the Southern Baptist Convention. He currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention and has served two terms as President of the SBC of Virginia. He has served as a guest revivalist and family seminar leader with Life Action Ministries and as an Adjunct Professor and course developer in the department of Homiletics at Liberty University School of Divinity.
Click here to connect with Pastor Tim.
Pastor Sean Simonton
Associate Pastor
Pastor Sean came to GraceLife in October of 2016, after 17 years of ministry in New England. He served as a church planter, and in a variety of church planting and equipping roles with the denomination, most recently as a Church Planting Catalyst with the North American Mission Board, SBC.
Sean holds Master of Divinity and Doctor of Education degrees from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. He is passionate about discipleship, evangelism, and missions. Sean wants to see every believer living out an active faith that impacts their family and community for the cause of Christ.
Sean and his wife, Michelle, have served the Lord together for over 30 years. They have four children, Jenna, Jacob, Joy, and John Michael.
Click here to connect with Pastor Sean.
Pastor Jonathan Couch
Minister to Students
As Minister to Students, Jonathan Couch oversees the Youth and College ministries including Sunday Morning Life Groups, AXIS youth worship on Sunday nights, our Youth Worship Band, and many other activities throughout the year. Jonathan is a native of Christiansburg, graduating from Christiansburg High School in 1996. He received a degree in business management from Radford University in 1999.
Jonathan and his wife Erin have been married since 1999 and have three children, Cara, Chloe, and Trey.
Click here to connect with Pastor Jonathan.
Pastor Dave Widgeon
Children’s Minister
Pastor Dave came to us from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary where he graduated Spring, 2001. After growing up in Lynchburg, Virginia, Dave attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Virginia Tech) where he received a degree in computer engineering. While a student at VT, God called him into the ministry to be used in reaching/teaching children. As our Children’s Pastor, Dave coordinates and supervises the children’s ministries of Life Groups, AWANA, Upward Basketball, and numerous activities throughout the year.
Dave was married in the summer of 2008 to his wife, Angela, and they have two children, Benjamin and Evelyn.
Click here to connect with Pastor Dave.
Pastor Justin Smith
Pastor of Worship and Communications
Pastor Justin has been a worship leader since 2009. While he was in middle school, he knew he was called by God to be in full time ministry. Justin loves seeing all generations worshipping Jesus and encountering Him during corporate worship.
Justin is married to Aimee, and together they have three fun and rowdy boys, Graham, Kyle, and Hudson.
Click here to connect with Pastor Justin.
Support Staff
Heather Shaffer
Administrative Assistant to the Senior Pastor
Heather serves with joy and enthusiasm as the Administrative Assistant to the Senior Pastor at GraceLife, where she also oversees the church office. She loves engaging with the GraceLife family and finds great fulfillment in supporting the ministry and serving the Lord faithfully. Heather’s relationship with Jesus began at an early age in her hometown of Pulaski, and she continues to live out her faith with passion and dedication. She now resides in Pilot with her husband, Andy, and their son, Brennan, and is excited to be a part of God’s work at GraceLife, helping to build His kingdom and encourage others in their walk with Christ.
Amy Yelton
Finance Coordinator
Amy is our Finance Coordinator, overseeing all church billing and monetary donations with care and accuracy. She plays a crucial role in keeping everything running smoothly and ensuring financial stewardship is handled with integrity. Amy and her husband, Lance, have two wonderful children, Mattie, who is married to Daxton, and Caleb. As a family, they are deeply committed to their faith and are grateful for the opportunity to love the local church.
Jacklyn Phillips
Graphic Design and Media Specialist
Jacklyn leads and helps facilitate graphics needed for the ministries of GraceLife along with branding specific packages for the pastors to utilize. Jacklyn went to Shepherd University where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Graphic Design. She married her husband, Austin, in 2009 and moved back to the area shortly after to start a family in the New River Valley. Austin was a former member of Main Street Baptist with his family throughout childhood and Jacklyn became an official member of GraceLife in 2013. They are raising three beautiful children; Miles, Molly, and Mia. And have the most darling puppy, Ruby.
Rhonda Hudson
Administrative Assistant to Discipleship and GraceLife Kids Ministries
Rhonda serves as the Assistant to Discipleship and GraceLife Kids Ministries, where her passion for both children’s ministry and spiritual growth come together in a powerful way. A hard-working and kind individual, Rhonda plays a key role in ensuring that both discipleship programs and kids’ ministries run smoothly, allowing children and families to grow in their relationship with Jesus. She loves working behind the scenes to support these vital areas of ministry, helping to create an environment where faith is nurtured and discipleship is encouraged. Rhonda is married to Harry, known as Butch to many in the church, and they enjoy a quiet life on their farm in Pulaski. She is also a proud mother and grandmother, deeply cherishing her family, whom she loves dearly
Cara Couch
Administrative Assistant to Worship and Student Ministries
Cara Couch is currently serving as an Intern to Worship and Student Ministries, bringing a heart for service and a passion for helping others grow in their faith. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is pursuing a Master’s in Counseling at Radford University, where she is furthering her commitment to supporting individuals in their emotional and spiritual well-being. Over the past few years, Cara has been actively involved in Fuge Camps through LifeWay, where she has had the opportunity to serve, lead, and inspire young people. With a deep love for Jesus and a desire to honor Him through her work, Cara is dedicated to impacting lives both within the church and beyond.
GraceLife Interns
Chloe Couch
Ministry Intern
Chloe Couch is a high school student with a big heart for missions, having participated in several international and local mission trips to share the love of Christ. In addition to her passion for serving others, Chloe is an avid athlete with a love for soccer and track, where she demonstrates both determination and teamwork. She is committed to living a healthy lifestyle, focusing on nutrition and fitness, and strives to honor God in all aspects of her life. With a strong faith and a heart for others, Chloe is eager to continue growing in her relationship with Jesus and making a positive impact in the world around her.
Building Maintenance
Austin Phillips
Head Custodian
Austin grew up locally in Blacksburg and resides in Fairlawn with his family. He is married to Jacklyn and they are raising three children; Miles, Molly, and Mia. He has a passion to help others and serve the church body. Austin serves in Awana weekly, leads the Care Portal Ministry, and helps keep the building maintained.
Jesse Hudnall
Custodian
Jesse grew up attending GraceLife his whole life and continues to attend here while working on his degree from Virginia Tech. Jesse is hardworking and never hesitates to lend a hand when someone needs it. We are extremely grateful for his upbeat attitude and help to keep the church clean throughout the week.
Shantel Mason
Custodian
Shantel has been a key member of GraceLife for most of her life. Not only does she serve on staff to help keep the building in order she also serves in numerous volunteer roles throughout our GraceLife ministries. Shantel is married to Matt and has two beautiful children, Aliza and Wade.
Bob Taylor
Building Gatekeeper
Bob is a faithful church member of GraceLife and volunteers to keep up with our building maintenance. He is married to his wife, Kathy, and has several children and grandchildren that keep him busy when we don’t. He is a fix-it all kind of guy and we are extremely grateful for his time and talents to help keep the building maintained behind the scenes.