Fall 2025

Elder + Pastor Candidates

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At Grace, we believe that Jesus Christ leads the universal Church and our local church. He has authority over all things and is our Head. While on earth, Jesus modeled servant leadership and exercised His authority in humility - the opposite of typical human leadership. (Matthew 20:25-28)

Jesus now leads His Church through delegated leadership. As the early Church multiplied, the apostles appointed local leaders (elders and deacons) to be responsible for keeping the church focused on its mission and for the spiritual care of the people. The qualifications for these leaders were centered around excellent moral character, devotion to God and His Word, and wise living. (1 Peter 5:1, 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9)

The leadership of Grace Bible Church follows the pattern that Jesus and the New Testament Church initiated. Through Membership Votes, we approve of servant leaders to be Elders who exercise delegated authority to pursue the mission of the church and to provide spiritual care for our people.

Elders provide strategic and spiritual oversight. Each Grace campus has a team of elders who are elected for a term of three years and govern that campus. Additionally, there is a strategic team of elders that governs Grace Bible Church as a whole.

Pastors serve according to their gifting to equip congregants to build and multiply the church. They are voted into their position by our membership.

Elder Candidates

Shane Lechler, Creekside Campus

RETURNING ELDER - Shane grew up in Abilene. In 2000 he married Jennifer and together they have three children. Shane would graduate from Texas A&M University in 2002 & get his doctorate degree from University of Houston in 2007. Having attended Grace with his family for 2 decades, Shane has served as a deacon, Home group leader, bible study leader, Young Families Sunday school leader, children's wing volunteer, and currently serves as an Elder at our Creekside Campus.

Todd Agold, Southwood Campus

Todd became a believer his sophomore year at Texas A&M where he earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1997. Shortly afterward, he and Sara married and they now have 2 sons. He began his career in Carrollton, TX and served his church in Garland in many roles: ministering as a youth leader, Deacon, Bible Study leader, and Elder. The Agolds returned to College Station in 2015 and decided Grace Southwood would be their church home. Todd currently serves on the SW Deacon Team.

Mitch Harper, Southwood Campus

When Mitch was 11 he made the decision to put his faith in Jesus as a result of the faithful witness of his loving parents and church in Franklin, TX. Mitch earned his Industrial Distribution BS ('87) and Masters ('03) from TAMU. He later earned a Masters from BH Carroll Seminary. His career has been entrepreneurial and diverse, including business ownership, pastoring, and consulting for businesses. He and his wife Pam have 2 daughters, 3 grandkids, and have been active at Grace for 7 years.

Ethan Stanfield, Southwood Campus

Ethan has lived in B/CS since he attended TAMU (c/o 2006) after growing up in Plano, TX. He made the decision to trust in Jesus as a college Freshman and has since been consistently involved in ministry at Grace. He and his wife Holly we both on staff for 6 years before pursuing careers in Web development, they have served as leaders in Creative, Adult and Kids' ministries and Ethan is currently a Deacon at Southwood. They have 3 children.

Samuel Valenzuela, Midtown Campus

Originally from Matamoros, Mexico, Samuel was taught by his mother to love the Lord from a young age. He earned his Masters in Logistics from Universidad Regiomontana in 2013 and is now a business owner. He and his wife, Nubia Solis, have been married 18 years and have 2 teenage children. They have attended Grace Midtown for 4 years, serving in hospitality and leading a small group.

Pastoral Candidates

Micah Hoevelman

Micah Hoevelman serves as Youth Impact Director at Grace Bible Church, where he has ministered since 2013. Raised in Trinity, TX, he came to faith early but grew deeply in college through God’s Word and the message of grace. A Texas A&M and Dallas Theological Seminary graduate, Micah now shepherds Youth Impact staff and volunteers, equipping them to make disciples. He and his wife, Amanda, enjoy life with their children, Silas and Millie, and love family adventures and woodworking.