Our Mission
We are Christ’s ambassadors. God is using us to speak to you: we beg you, as though Christ himself were here pleading with you, receive the love he offers you — be reconciled to God. For God took the sinless Christ and poured into him our sins. Then, in exchange, he poured God’s goodness into us! 2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (TLB)
Him
Jesus is the 'author and perfecter of our faith'. Scriptures foretell of Him, chronicle His life and tell of the impact He had on those who followed Him. His example and teachings guide us. His love and sacrifice heals us. His convictions and resurrection emboldens us.
Us
As part of the body of Christ, we are committed to building small groups of surrendered Christ-followers in the Greater Philadelphia area. Each group will grow together, refocus each other to imitate Jesus and work together to impact their local community.
You
We want you to experience the life-giving joy that comes from casting all your worries on God. By taking on Jesus' purpose for your life, we know that the challenges of life will not disappear. But God promises that his believers will not face them alone and will be equipped to both face them (I Pet 3:12) and grow in the process.
Our Beliefs
But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen— that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles. Acts 26:22-23 (NIV)
Our Leaders
Jesus Christ is the head of the church. We have commissioned these men and women, because of their strong faith and experience, to guide our church in God's mission. Coming from all walks of life, they share a unified commitment to helping others see God's plan for their lives. Together, they provide spiritual inspiration, support small group administration and oversee the spiritual condition of those they serve.
Chip & Ruby Mitchell
Chip and Ruby serve the Greater Philadelphia Church of Christ (GPCC) as Evangelist and Women’s ministry leader. Chip was converted at the University of Massachusetts in 1986, participating in the (former) Springfield Church of Christ Campus ministry. After graduating, he worked for a Fortune 500 company in Hartford, Connecticut, but soon left to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time minister. In 1996, Chip married Ruby Mitchell, who was baptized ten years prior in the New York City Church of Christ. A graduate from Ithaca College, Ruby joined the mission team to plant the GPCC in 1989. Together, Chip and Ruby have served in various positions throughout New England for over twenty years. They have two children, Alonzo and Camri.
Walter & Kim Evans
Walter and Kim Evans have served in various leadership roles in the Greater Philadelphia Church of Christ (GPCC) for over twenty years, and have also planted churches in the midwest and the United Kingdom. In 2005, Walter was appointed to the Eldership of the GPCC, and works with the International Churches of Christ (ICOC) Eldership Services Committee. He is also leading as Evangelist in the North region of the GPCC, and oversees the sister churches in Pennsylvania. Kim currently serves as the GPCC Women’s Ministry Leader, and also oversees Camp Hope for Kids. Walter and Kim have been married for 33 years, and have three children and three grandchildren.
Josh & Michelle Byrd
Josh and Michelle Byrd lead the New Jersey region of the Greater Philadelphia Church of Christ (GPCC), which includes Montgomery and Bucks Counties. Originally from New York and Alaska, they were married in 2001 and have worked with several ministries in California and Utah. Josh and Michelle moved to Pennsylvania in 2007, and have served the GPCC since 2010. They have three children: Isabelle, Brennan, and Christian.
Richard and Shannon Buckner
Audie & Bethany Monday
Audie and Bethany have served the Greater Philadelphia Church of Christ (GPCC) since August of 2010, primarily leading the the Youth and Family ministry. In the summer, they work with teenagers from all throughout the Mid-Atlantic states at Camp Hope for Kids. Audie and Bethany were married in 2011, and had their first child Austin in October 2015.
John Gaines
John Gaines is a longtime resident of Philadelphia. in 2005, John was appointed to the eldership of the Greater Philadelphia Church of Christ (GPCC). He is one of the founders of the GPCC senior ministry, the Cedars of Lebanon. John is passionate about serving God through their work in the Eldership and building up the Cedars ministry in Philadelphia and in sister churches throughout the International Churches of Christ (ICOC). He has two children and two grandchildren.
Ethel Jenkins
Ethel Jenkins currently serves as the church secretary and a volunteer Usher for the Greater Philadelphia Church of Christ (GPCC). She has been a disciple for 26 years. She and Willie, her husband of nearly thirty years, are valued members of the Cedars of Lebanon Ministry. Ethel enjoys baking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Teddy Bernardini
Teddy works with our disabled and shut-ins, helping support them through difficult times and stay connected with God while away from the fellowship
Kelli Depradines
Kelli Depradines serves as Administrator for the Children’s Ministry. She has been a faithful disciple in the Greater Philadelphia Church of Christ (GPCC) for twenty-three years. Kelli, along with the Deacon of Children’s Ministry and other Children’s Ministry staff, is committed to creating a safe, exciting, and loving atmosphere for our children that is centered on Christ. In her professional life, she has worked in the banking industry for over twenty-five years in downtown Philadelphia. Kelli spends her spare time playing pool for the American Pool Association (APA), and is also a spin instructor at a local gym.