Meet Our Leaders

The New Testament uses three different words for church leaders: overseer, (or bishop), shepherd (or pastor), and elder. A study of the usage of these words shows that the three were used interchangeably. In Acts 20:17-28, Paul calls for the elders of the church. He exhorts them to shepherd the flock of God over which the Holy Spirit had made them overseers. Other passages also show these terms to be synonymous and they appear, in almost every instance, in the plural. There is little support for a solo pastor from the teaching of the Bible.

​Titus 1:5-9
For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, 6 namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion. 7 For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

Our Elders

Russell May

Jennie and Russell May
Russell has been married to his wife, Jenny, for 30 years. They have raised a daughter, Eden, and son, Daniel and now have one grandchild, Eli. Russell is a truck driver for Stericycle, Inc. He is also one of the directors for Link Up Ministries in Huntington and has attended Sanctuary of Grace for 11 years.

Damian Southard

Damien and Ashley Southard and four kidsDamian has been an elder of Sanctuary of Grace since 2010. His emphasis has been Lifestreams (small group studies), praise and worship, and teaching. He and his wife of 17 years, Ashley, have been in leadership positions in music and children’s ministry.

As a bi-vocational Elder, Damian’s passionate about proclaiming the Gospel “… as you are going!” Damian and Ashley live in Proctorville with their four children Ben, Claire, Will and Jane.

Mitch Webb

Mitch and Bonita WebbMitch and Bonita Webb have been married for more than 40 years. They have highly versatile backgrounds including serving as pastor and pastor’s wife for local churches; organizing and leading international mission trips where the tasks included teaching church leaders, children’s ministries, construction (building churches, a clinic, and repairing roofs), and food distribution. Mitch and Bonita have been part of Sanctuary of Grace since 2010. After a 35-year career with State Electric Supply Company, Mitch took the position of Executive Director of the Huntington City Mission, where he has served since 2015.

Mitch and Bonita enjoy cycling, traveling, and spending time with sons Josh and Adam (and his wife Ashley); and their two granddaughters, Brooke and Hannah.

Ezekiel Williamson

Ezekiel and Karli Williamson

Ezekiel Williamson is married to Karli and is an elder-in-training at SOG. He is studying to be a nurse and Karli is a full-time Nanny. He has a passion for God’s Word and loves to share that with others. Zeke and Karli are excited to be a part of the body of SOG in whatever capacity the Lord has for them.

Our Servant Leaders

Our Servant Leaders take the role of serving the body’s “temporal” needs, freeing up the Elders for “spiritual matters.”
Click on the images below to learn more about our Servant Leaders.

Eric Arthur

Eric Arthur and family

Eric has been married to his wife, Christina, for 12 years. Together, they have two children, Christopher (12) and Mackenzie (3). He is a brick mason at Arthur Masonry, and also enjoys teaching Sunday School and serving as a Servant Leader at Sanctuary of Grace. They have attended church here for nine years.

Jeff McLain

Jeff McLain and family

Jeff resides in Proctorville, Ohio, with his wife, Kathy, and sons JT and KJ, while his other son, Seth, is attending West Virginia University. They have lived in Proctorville for 17 years and have been married for 21 years. Jeff has a law enforcement background and has been employed by Gabe’s as District Director of Loss Prevention for the last 14 years. He enjoys serving his community and has been the Fairland Youth Football/Cheer League President for the last six years. He is the “A” team head football coach with his best friend, Kyle Patton. They also coach Little League baseball together and help with basketball. Jeff’s favorite pastime is coaching, spending time with his family, serving others and traveling.

Shane Nida

Michelle and Shane NidaShane is the husband of Michelle and father to three, Riley, Bella, and Owen. He is employed by Frontier Communications and President of Tristate Developmental Services, a local nonprofit. He has attended Sanctuary of Grace for 9 years and enjoys an opportunity to serve.

Tate Tooley

Zachary, Tate, and Krista TooleyTate Tooley is a servant leader with Sanctuary of Grace. He currently resides in Proctorville, Ohio, with his wife, Krista, and son, Zach. They have attended SOG for more than 10 years. Tate helps with the Worship Team and the tech support for the church.

Kyle Patton

Jeni, Kyle, and Colton PattonKyle Patton is a native of Proctorville, Ohio, and a graduate of Fairland High School. Kyle married his high school sweetheart, Jeni, and they have an 11-year-old son, Colton. Kyle and Jeni have been married for 13 years.

Kyle’s career is in law enforcement. He has been a Huntington police officer since 2004. Kyle enjoys serving others by leading the blessing box ministry at SOG. He also enjoys coaching youth baseball and football with his buddy, Jeff McLain. Kyle enjoys hunting, fishing, camping, and helping his father at his campground.