The New Testament describes two offices within the church: elder and deacon.
Elders or pastors are interchangeable titles designating one office. They have been called by God to lead and teach in the church. Such men are to teach and lead primarily by dedicating themselves to the Word of God and prayer.
Staff Elders
Paul Martin
Senior Pastor
Paul Martin is the senior pastor of Grace Fellowship Church in Toronto, Ontario. After leading the plant in 2000, he was involved in helping three other churches start in the city. He hopes to be involved in launching many more. His passion for training leaders has led him to teach at local seminaries, as well as oversee a long-standing mentoring program for potential future pastors. His love for the kind of Gospel cooperation modelled by his hero, George Whitefield, inspired his work with the Grace Connexion, the Hogtown Baptist Pastors’ Fellowship, 9Marks, and The Gospel Coalition Canada. His zeal for the preaching of God’s Word has led to work with The Charles Simeon Trust. His affection for the disabled community, especially after disability entered his family through his son, has given him opportunities to speak for Guidelight and the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. It also prompted his zeal to protect the unborn and work closely with a local pregnancy care centre. He has been married to Susan for more than thirty years and loves to spend time with her and their four children. Sadly, he is a pathetically loyal fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs and remembers well the last time they won the Stanley Cup. He was 10 months old.
Paul can be reached by email here.
Non-Staff Elders
Tim Challies
Tim is a Christian, a husband to Aileen, and a father to two girls in their teens and one son who is waiting for him in heaven. He worships and serves as one of the pastors at Grace Fellowship Church, where he primarily gives attention to mentoring and discipleship. He is a blogger at challies.com, book reviewer for WORLD magazine, co-founder of Cruciform Press, and he has written a number of books, including: The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment (Crossway, 2007), Sexual Detox: A Guide For Guys Who Are Sick of Porn (Cruciform Press, 2010), Do More Better (Cruciform Press, 2015), Visual Theology: Seeing and Understanding the Truth about God (Zondervan, 2016), EPIC: An Around-the-World Journey Through Christian History (Zondervan, 2020) & Seasons of Sorrow (Zondervan, 2022).
Tim can be reached through the contact page or through the contact form on his website.
Patrick Galla
Associate Pastor
Patrick Galla is originally from Buffalo, New York. He moved to Canada in 2017 and shortly after met Stephanie, whom he married in 2019. Patrick developed a heart for shepherding people and sharing the truth of God’s word after coming to Christ in 2009. He received his Master of Divinity degree from Liberty University's School of Divinity and a Master of Theology degree through Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Patrick joined the Grace Fellowship Church staff as an Assistant Minister in 2021, with a focus on member care and discipleship, and was ordained to the office of elder in October 2022. He and his wife enjoy frequenting coffee shops, cooking Italian food, CrossFit, and are proud parents of Isabella.
You can contact Patrick by email.
Tristan Watson
Tristan was born and raised in Toronto. During his teenage years, Tristan lived within walking distance from Grace Fellowship Church, but he did not know it. When he graduated from university, he started looking for a local church, and two friends recommended Grace Fellowship Church. He attended his first church service in 2012 and never left! He was (and continues to be) attracted to the Christ-centered preaching and warm fellowship. He has served as a member in various capacities and was ordained as an elder in December 2020. As one of the pastors, Tristan desires to delight in Jesus and help others delight in Jesus. Tristan loves spending time with his wife, Nadine, and two children.
Tristan can be reached through the contact page.