We believe that the Church is Jesus' church, His bride; and those in leadership are entrusted with a responsibility to care for and protect Jesus' church. While the Bible does not mandate a certain structure of leadership, we believe that it provides guiding principles that help create a healthy, sustainable, and God-glorifying church.
1. Elder/Pastor. We believe that some men are called to take on the role of elder/pastor/overseer. As we see in Acts 14:23, "And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed." These elders have a responsibility to ensure that the church remains faithful to God's word and they are called to live up to the requirements of 1 Timothy 3:1-7. We believe that as Paul assigned Elders in every church that he established, the expectations of the Elders are to Pastor the church and excercise oversight (1 Peter 5:2).
2. Ministry Leaders. At TCC we have Ministry Leaders, people that use their gifts of leadership to lead specific functional teams in the church. These are the workhorses of ministry at TCC, the ones that make everything happen day in and day out. They are equipped and led by the Elder/Pastors who oversee their service and help equip them in their respective ministries.
3. Staff. There are some areas of service at TCC that require dedicated weekly attention. To these roles, as God deems us financially able, we obligate finances of the church. All Staff positions are part time and are seen as Team Captains in their respective areas of service.
4. Small Group Leaders. We currently have 5 small groups at TCC that meet throughout the week. The Small Group Leaders serve in a critical role in the church. It is in these groups where we believe the vast majority of disciple-making happens. These Small Group Leaders help create environments of learning, prayer, and service. Many of them rotate responsibility of fascilitating the weekly study. The Small Groups stay in step with the sermon series and bridge the Sunday messages each week. We see Small Groups as mini house churches inside the larger church that gathers each Sunday.
PASTORS/ELDERS
Jonathan Kassebaum: Lead Pastor/Elder
Jonathan and Melissa Kassebaum are high school sweethearts and have been in the military for 23 years. They have three daughters Kylie, Ava, and Juliet and have lived in Jacksonville for 11 years. He is in the Air National Guard and serves as the Lead Pastor at TCC. jonathan@tccjax.org
Brian Smith: Pastor/Elder
Brian and Kim Smith met while attending the University of Florida and got married shortly after Kim graduated her Masters program, in 2003. They have two loving boys, Michael, and Ben. Brian is a senior IT leader and Kim is an elementary teacher. They have been faithfully serving at TCC for many years.
Tim Crandall: Pastor/Elder
Tim is married to our Administrative Assistant, Jennifer, and has three grown children, Ben, Casey, and Sam. Tim was installed as a Pastor/Elder in August 2023.
Zach Borgela: Pastor/Elder
Kayla and her husband Zach arrived at TCC in 2022 and jumped right in. God provided them at the just the right time with a passion for our youth. They lead up our YO Night discussions - opportunities for the kids to have fun, ask tough questions, and have healthy Biblically-based debates.
STAFF
Jennifer Crandall: Administrative Assistant
Our Administrative Assistant Jennifer Crandall is married to her first love, Tim. They have three grown children Ben, Casey and Sam.
Larry Yancey: Worship Director
Larry has a long history of serving in the church and now directs worship at TCC. He has a passion for music and you will usually see Larry and his wife Jan on stage leading TCC in worship.
MINISTRY LEADERS
Kayla and Zach Borgela: Yo Night Leaders
YO Night discussions are opportunities for the kids to have fun, ask tough questions, and have healthy Biblically-based debates.
Liz Perez: K-5th Curriculum Coordinator
Carlos and Liz met at work in 2013 and tied the knot in 2016. Two years later, their family grew with the birth of their daughter, Camila. They both work for Bank of America, Carlos as a Vendor Manager and Liz as an Operations Manager. Throughout their journey, they have been dedicated to serving in various ministries at the church and are thrilled to be a part of the TCC Leadership Team.
Lawrence Davis: Discipleship Team Leader
Lawrence and Priscilla have three grown daughters and have been a part of TCC since 2020. Lawrence helps lead Bible studies, discipleship training, and helps provide oversight of our Men's Ministry at TCC. He and his wife Priscilla also lead on of our small groups.
Liz Zurn: Ladies Ministry Leader
Liz leads up the Ladies Ministry at TCC. She is married to Jason and has three kids, Jack, Chance, and Scarlett. She been involved with various Women’s Ministries including MOPS, MomsNext, and Beauty from Ashes. She was a private chef but now homeschools her two younger children. She has a passion for connecting women to uplift and equip one another and bringing together communities.
Bonnie Klingbeil: Ladies Group Leader
Bonnie leads up our Thursday morning ladies group and helps out Liz on Ladies Ministry functions.
Kevin and Erin O'Brien: Facilities Team Leader
Kevin and Erin moved to Jacksonville in 2021 and have four children. Savannah, Jack, Amanda, and Emma. They lead up the facilities team and help ensure supplies stay stocked for day-to-day operations.
SMALL GROUP LEADERS
Lawrence and Priscilla Davis
Tuesday Nights (Twice a Month)
Carlos and Liz Perez
Tuesday Nights (Every Week)
Gene and Rebecca Klingbeil
Friday Nights (Every Week)
Gene and Rebecca Klingbeil have been faithfully attending TCC for many years. Gene is a firefighter and Rebecca is a nurse anesthetist. They have 4 kids and somehow find time to serve at TCC.
Dave and Stephanie Ashwell
Wednesday Nights (Every Week)
Dave and Stephanie Ashwell began dating at the University of North Florida in 2003, were married in 2007 and have a daughter, Autumn, who was born in 2010. Stephanie was an elementary school teacher in Jacksonville before transitioning home to raise their daughter. Since then, she has started her own photography business which she still runs today. Dave works in leadership for Fidelity Investments. The Ashwells have been attending TCC since 2018.
Bill and Dana Merritt
Tuesday Nights (Every Week)
Bill and Dana Merritt have been married for almost 20 years and have 2 adult children. Bill also assists with running the sound board at the church and enjoys hunting and fishing. They have been attending TCC since 2015 and lead one of our small groups.
Zach and Kayla Borgela
Friday Nights (Twice a Month)
