South Deacons
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Our Deacons
Deacons are the hands and feet of Jesus at Bethel. Whether it’s ensuring Sunday mornings run smoothly or reaching out to meet needs throughout the week, our deacons serve with open eyes and willing hearts. Bethel believes in the scriptural qualifications of deacons (1 Timothy 3) and involve the body in the vetting and election of this group each year.
Phillip Grisham
South Deacon
Phillip is a mechanical engineer for a product development company and he also owns/operates a land clearing business, East Texas Mulching. God has blessed him with an awesome wife, Shalene, and four beautiful children: Alayna, Silas, Carson, and Ryker. Phillip and Shalene are honored to lead Grafted, an adoption and foster ministry at Bethel, and are constantly amazed at how God cares for orphans and places the lonely in families in East Texas. For four years they have been a part of Bethel and are continually fueled by the teaching of God’s word and the community through small groups at Bethel. Phillip is excited to see God working through leaders and families at Bethel and can’t wait to experience more of what He has for us.
Kyle Proctor
South Deacon
Kyle and Alyssa have been married since 2020 and have been attending Bethel ever since. They have been blessed with two girls, Everly and Ava, and currently live in Tyler. Kyle works as an x-ray technologist while Alyssa is a pharmacist. Kyle and Alyssa love Bethel and how it is grounded in God’s word, and are excited to be a part of what God is doing at Bethel. They are involved with the children’s ministry and love the life group they are a part of at Bethel.
Steven Chavez
South Deacon
Stephen was born and raised in Whitehouse, TX! He is married to his wonderful wife Amelia, and they have two kids: Hallel and Judah. Stephen currently works as a reading teacher for Chapel ISD, and Amelia is a Principal for Chapel Hill ISD. Stephen loves to spend his free time traveling with his family.
Matt Fehrman
South Deacon
Matt and his wife Elizabeth have been married since 1999. They both hail from San Antonio and have five children: Abigail and Tal (son-in-law), Adam, Ada, and Annalise. Matt currently works for a local oil company after spending 23 years in the Air Force, and Elizabeth is a stay-at-home homeschool mom and Birth and Postpartum doula. They first visited Bethel Bible Church in 2023 and were immediately drawn by the strong community and solid teaching.
Bruce Boughton
South Deacon
Bruce and his wife, Barbara, met during high school on the south side of Chicago and have been married since 1978. They both graduated from the University of Illinois College of Engineering: Barbara with a MS in computer science and Bruce with a PhD in mechanical engineering. Work life brought them first to NM and then northern VA where they served in children’s ministry, adult ministry, and church leadership. Grandparent life brought them to Texas. Their two adult children, son-in-law, and two grandsons live in the Dallas Metroplex.
Bruce and Barbara have been Bethel members since December of 2023. Bruce is thankful for the opportunity to serve as a deacon.
James Larson
South DeacoN
James was born and raised in Northern California and moved to Tyler in 2013. This is where he was blessed to meet the light of his life, his wife of six years Amena. Together they have two children, Ellie & Elias. James and Amena attended Bethel while they were engaged, and started attending again when they moved back to Tyler in 2019. The Larson’s enjoy serving at Bethel, and James is honored at the opportunity to serve more for the wonderful church which has led him and his family closer to Christ.
Brad Wofford
South Deacon
Brad was born and raised in Bay City, Texas. His curiosity and love for creativity lead him to study visual communication at Texas A&M University-Commerce (TAMU-C), where he met his awesome wife, Jerri. They have three wonderful kids: Lorem, Guy, and Rhyder.
Brad and his family moved from Plano to Tyler around 2006, seeking the peaceful piney woods and a break from DFW traffic. He took a design job at Pine Cove and later started his own small design studio, BW Design.
Brad and his family have attended Bethel for about 12 years, and have served on the worship team by occasionally playing the banjo. Brad also serves on the board of B3 Ministries, an organization focused on faith-inspired creative arts. In his free time, Brad enjoys playing the banjo, guitar, synthesizer, and writing songs.
Brad’s faith in Christ is central to his life, and Bethel Bible Church has been a respite for him and his family. He especially values the godly influence the youth group at Bethel has had on his kids and the camaraderie of the Tuesday morning men’s Bible study.
Austin Fleet
South Deacon
Austin was born and raised in Tyler, Texas, where he still lives today with his wife, Emily, and their daughter, Amelia. He works as an accountant at Southside Bank. Austin and Emily began attending Bethel in 2022 and quickly found a church home through the strong biblical teaching and genuine community.
Austin and Emily enjoy serving together in Bethel Kids and are thankful for the opportunity to invest in the next generation. One of the things Austin appreciates most about Bethel is the people. The friendships, encouragement, and Christ-centered community have had a meaningful impact on his family, and he is grateful for the opportunity to serve the church body in a greater capacity.
In his free time, Austin enjoys spending time with his family, being outdoors with their dog, watching sports—especially basketball and the Dallas Mavericks—going to the movies, and playing games with family and friends. Austin is excited to continue serving the people of Bethel and to be part of what God is doing through the church.
Travis Longino
South Deacon
Travis grew up in Sulphur Springs then met his wonderful wife Chantel while attending Baylor University. They have called Tyler home since they got married in 2011. He has deeply loved sharing his passion for being outside in God’s creation with their preteen boys, Jackson & Micah. Travis currently works at The University of Texas at Tyler in enrollment management. Their family spent many years loving on foster teens, both in their home and on leadership with Teen Reach Adventure Camp. The Longinos joined Bethel South in 2025 and have been serving with the Young Adult and College Student ministry (YACS) ever since!
Darren McCary
South Deacon
Darren is a native East Texan. He met his wife Shawna in 2008 at LeTourneau University and were married in 2012. They are blessed with two daughters, Elise and Charlotte. Darren and Shawna began attending Bethel in 2019 and have been serving in the tech booth and kids ministry since 2021, respectively. The McCarys enjoy being a part of Bethel and serving alongside fellow Christ-followers here.
Clay Price
South Deacon
Jason Hyde
South Deacon
Jason was born and raised in Marshall, Texas, where he attended Believer’s Bible Fellowship (now Cypress Valley Bible Church) with his parents and brothers. Jason believed in Jesus for everlasting life as a young child and has been excited ever since that day to share his faith with others.
After serving in the Army from 2002-2005, Jason moved to Tyler, where God brought his wife, Jessica, into his life. They became members of Bethel Bible Church in 2016 and have been privileged to serve here in many capacities over the past decade. Jason and Jessica have been blessed with two children, Lincoln and Mabry.
You may see Jason greeting folks at the door, showing visitors around, keeping a watchful eye as a member of the safety team, or conversing with friends in the lobby. Jason loves people, loves Bethel Bible Church, and desires to continue serving the body of believers in Jesus as long as he is given the opportunity.
Rontez Manning
South Deacon
Tez and his wife Amber have been married for 6 years and have 3 beautiful children—Kingsley, Loxley, and Nellie. Tez is originally from Kentucky, but has been living in Texas since 2011, first in San Antonio for college where he and Amber met & then in 2020 they moved to Tyler. Amber & Tez became members of Bethel in 2022, and both enjoy serving in different ministries: Tez on the safety team and Amber in Bethel Kids. They also both attend Bible studies at Bethel, which has allowed them to connect with other men and women on a more intimate level.
Tez works as a project manager in roadway construction in Bullard, is a real estate investor, and owns The Back Nine Golf in Tyler; Amber is a full-time stay-at-home, homeschooling mama. The Mannings enjoy meeting new people, riding bikes, and playing pickleball. They are so grateful to be part of such an incredible church community at Bethel and are excited to see how the Lord uses them for His glory!
Ivan Sturgeon
South Deacon
Ivan accepted Christ at the age of six and has continued to grow in his faith through the years. He has been married to his wife, Robyn, for 36 years, and together they have been blessed with two daughters. Bekah is married to Colin Knudson, and they have one daughter, Jocelyn, and live in Justin, Texas. Their other daughter, Sarah, lives in Tyler.
Ivan and Robyn moved to Tyler in 2017 and became members of Bethel Bible Church in 2018, where they quickly found a church home. They co-lead a life group and have been grateful for opportunities to build community and grow alongside others. Ivan has also served in the children’s ministry. He is on his third career and currently works in Human Resources for a local manufacturing company.
Ivan and Robyn are thankful for the ways God has worked in their lives and are grateful to be part of the Bethel family.
Justin Musgrove
South Deacon
Justin and his wife Kelsey both came to know Christ at an early age and are graduates of Carthage High School and Louisiana Tech University. They were married in 2016 and moved to Tyler in 2021, where they quickly found a home at Bethel. Together, they have three boys—John Morgan, Brooks, and Landry—who bring lots of joy and energy to their lives. Justin and Kelsey love being involved in Bethel Kids, especially in the walkers room, and co-lead a life group. Justin owns and operates ABL Land Services, an oil and gas right-of-way business, alongside his brother and dad, while Kelsey runs her own practice as the owner of Full Circle Physical Therapy.
Luke Kendrick
South Deacon
I was born and raised in Nacogdoches Texas and attended Texas A&M. Post graduation I moved to Fort Worth, where I met my wife, Katie. She and I have been attending Bethel South since 2023 and quickly fell in love with what the Lord is doing here. We have two great boys, Caleb and Jonah. In my free time, I enjoy spending as much time as possible at home with Katie and the boys.
Nathanael Mattay
South Deacon
Nathanael grew up in the DFW area and has always had a heart for ministry. He met his wife, Erica, who works on staff at Bethel as the Communications Associate, on a mission trip to Nigeria, and together they have three wonderful kids—Ezra, Eden, and Rohan. Since coming to Bethel in 2016, Nathanael has been actively involved at Bethel by serving with Bethel Kids, the worship band, the mission team, and helping lead a life group. When he’s not serving at church or working as a software engineer, you’ll likely find him running, spending time with his family, traveling, or hitting the slopes. Nathanael is passionate about knowing God and loving his people.
Randy Tredwell
South Deacon
Randy and his wife Christianne have been at Bethel since 2009. They have been married for almost 12 years. They have two sons, Asher, who’s 8 and Cooper, who’s 5. They own Town and Country Pest Control. They enjoy being outdoors with their kids as much as possible. They go to the parks, or their farm. If not there, they’re hanging out in the front yard. Randy also serves on the security team at South Campus.
Eric Weir
South Deacon
Eric and wife Susie have been in the Bethel family for many years. They’re blessed with 3 fine children (& 3 fine spouses) along with 3 wonderful grandchildren. Part of their “recreation time” is traveling, since they live in different parts of the U.S. The Weirs are thankful to be involved in some ministries for the Lord at Bethel and elsewhere. Eric retired a few years ago as the Facilities Manager at Bethel. He’s very grateful for the Lord’s love and help in his life.
Ben Reel
South Deacon
Ben grew up in Whitehouse, and he and his wife Jessi moved to Bullard in 2016 and began attending Bethel around the same time. He’s served in the Nursery and Middle School ministries, and they enjoy the fellowship of their life group. Together they have two girls, Scarlett and Ruthie. Ben has a background as a fourth-generation home builder, and currently works for The Genecov Group as a Residential Project Manager. In his spare time, Ben enjoys bird hunting with Scarlett, his dad and his two English setters, Willie and Waylon.
Chad Bradley
Associate Pastor
Bethel Bible Church became our home in 2021. We moved to Tyler from northern Ethiopia after serving as missionaries with SIM. In Ethiopia, we equipped the growing protestant church through theological education by teaching at a local Bible college and in the surrounding countryside. My wife, Nancy, and I met while studying at Dallas Theological Seminary. She graduated with a Master of Arts in Cross-cultural ministry and I with a ThM. We married in 2013. She is my partner in life and ministry. We have so many things in common, including our deep roots in Texas, but especially our love for Jesus. We have two beautiful daughters and one handsome son. Our family loves anything outdoors. We especially enjoy hiking as a family in beautiful East Texas.
Ross Strader
Senior Pastor