Meet Our Team

John grew up in West Virginia, attended Bible Center School, Cross Lanes Christian School, and was a whitewater rafting guide on the New River through college. After graduating from Appalachian Bible College, he served on church staffs in Florida and Ohio, and most recently on the Executive Team as the Family Ministries/Worship Arts Pastor at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village, California. John and his wife, Emily, have three daughters: Allison, Alana, and Abigail. John returned to Bible Center in the summer of 2017 as the Executive Pastor and became the Lead Pastor in the summer of 2023.
- Leads the Preaching Team and is the primary voice in the pulpit
- Shepherds the body in partnership with the Elders
- Sets the pace for the future vision of Bible Center

Troy and his family have been a part of Bible Center for over 12 years. His wife, Stephanie, has been involved in many ways serving and being a part of the BCC community. Their children, Caleb and Kyleigh (now grown and residing in Southern California), were very involved in student ministry at Bible Center and both came to know Jesus through the children’s ministry. For most of those 12 years Troy was a volunteer, serving on the board and in many other areas of ministry at Bible Center. He also served on the Pastoral Staff for 3 years.
In 2016 the Thornton family moved to Southern California. Troy served on the staff at Calvary Community Church as the Pastor of Development and Operations. Troy and Stephanie returned to WV and to Bible Center in late 2023 and are excited to again be a part of this wonderful community and church.
Troy’s background includes military service, business management, and pastoral ministry. His education includes a BA in Bible and Theology and a Masters in Process Management.
Troy’s responsibilities include:
--Working with the Lead Pastor to execute the Elder’s vision for Bible Center
--Shepherding and leading the staff
--Overseeing the organizational functions of the church

Stephanie Schafer joined the BCS staff in 2018 as the Head of School. She spent her entire life in sunny Southwest Florida. After much prayer, her family knew that God was calling them to Charleston, West Virginia to be part of Bible Center School and Church. Stephanie received her B.A. in Communication from Palm Beach Atlantic University and her M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision from Liberty University. She has been part of Christian education for 18 years as both teacher and administrator. She has been married to her husband, Joey, for 17 years and they have a son, Dylan, and daughter, Halle.

Stephanie serves as the visionary instructional leader and implementer at BCS. It is her joy and passion to lead the staff and students at Bible Center School as they seek God’s will for their lives.

Pastor Matt Garrison holds a B.S. in Youth Ministry from Liberty University and a Master of Arts and Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He previously served for nine years as the Youth Pastor at New Life Baptist Church in Pennsylvania. He served for 9 years in student ministry here at Bible Center before transitioning to his current role. He and his wife, Andrea, are the parents of Sydney, Tyler, Sierra, and Troy.

--Hosts online services each Sunday
--Shepherds online attendees to connect, grow, and multiply
--Collaborates with the Communication team on maintaining and utilizing social media platforms to their fullest

Thomas was born and raised in the Charleston area and considers West Virginia "home." After graduating from West Virginia Tech and working in the engineering field for several years, he attended and graduated from Christ For The Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas. Thomas has served as executive pastor, worship pastor, and youth pastor at several churches in West Virginia, Florida, and Texas. After thirty years away, Thomas is thrilled to have returned to his roots in West Virginia. He joined the staff of Bible Center Church in November 2025. Thomas and his wife, Mary Beth, have one son, Harrison.

Pastor Mike Graham has a Master of Divinity from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and has served as an international missionary, church planter and pastor over the past 20 years. Mike brings years of discipleship, outreach and small group ministry experience. He and his wife, Jennifer, are the parents of Luke and Lexi.

--Oversees groups and community life
--Recruits and trains leaders
--Leads the charge in discipleship and spiritual development

Steve Neill has been married to Elisabeth for over 30 years. Together, they have three adult children and are proud grandparents to one grandchild. Steve loves spending time with his family, especially outdoors or around the dinner table, where laughter and stories are always welcome. He serves as the Pastor of Connections and Outreach at Bible Center Church, where he oversees both global and local outreach ministries. Over the years, Steve has also served in a variety of pastoral roles, including Children’s Ministry, Student Ministry, Outreach, and Executive Leadership.

Michelle has served on the staff at Bible Center since 2002. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Theology and Christian Education from Andersonville Theological Seminary and a Master of Arts degree in Christian Counseling & Psychology from Southwest Bible College and Seminary. Michelle is passionate about Jesus and the difference a relationship with Him makes in people’s lives. She also enjoys all-things-leadership and the study of personalities. She and her husband, Richard, have seven children and three grandchildren.

Michelle oversees both local and global outreach.
--The Maker’s Center
--Adoption and Foster Care Ministries
--Homeless Outreaches
--Thomas Baby Steps Hospitality Room
--May We Serve Partnerships with local ministries and organizations

Steven grew up in Charleston and holds a Bachelor’s degree from Marshall University. With a wide and diverse background of live production and touring, Steven brings an interesting set of skills and experience to the team. He’s passionate about seeing creatives empowered and creating environments where people feel loved, welcomed, and can experience God in a new way. Outside of Bible Center, Steven enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors.

Jessica grew up in Charleston and at Bible Center, first joining the staff team in 2001. After studying aviation, she completed a Bachelor’s degree at Piedmont Bible College and a Master’s degree at Liberty University. With a love for art, language, and technology, Jessica is passionate about helping people connect to Jesus, the Church, and one another through clear, thoughtful, and creative communication. By using a strategic, integrative approach to shape messaging, she strives to strengthen alignment and ensure clarity across Bible Center’s ministries, campuses, and initiatives. Jessica and her husband, Carl, have one daughter and enjoy traveling and having fun together.

- Develops strategic internal, external, and executive communication frameworks
- Partners with senior leadership to shape messaging and guide church-wide initiatives
- Leads communication projects, including publications, website, and app development
- Oversees brand integrity and database management across all Bible Center entities
- Equips and trains staff in communication tools, software, and ministry systems
- Streamlines workflows and integrates systems to help ministries communicate clearly and creatively