GRACE Pastors

Marnie Crumpler is the Senior Pastor at GRACE Church Bethlehem. She loves talking to people about their story and God’s story. Her preaching invites people to live the Jesus adventure of “life to the full”. Marnie spends her days doing life with teams who take risks and dream God-sized dreams - all to invite people to find and follow Jesus.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Marnie graduated from Wake Forest University and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary along with a Doctor of Ministry degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. She previously served as a college chaplain as well as the Executive Pastor at Peachtree Presbyterian Church.

Marnie is married to Mark, also a pastor at GRACE. They have two young adult children – John is an anesthesiology resident at Emory School of Medicine in Atlanta,  and Anna, married to Jon-Paul, live in Dubuque, Iowa where Anna is finishing her graduate work to be a Licensed Professional Counselor and Jon-Paul will be the owner/operator at the Dubuque Chick-Fil-A.  Marnie is a tennis player who just took up golf and is always looking for a new adventure.

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Mark Crumpler is the Teaching Pastor at GRACE Church Bethlehem. Mark’s pastoral ministry is grounded in a desire to blend the life of the mind with the love of God. Growing up in the home of a pastor, Mark can’t remember a time when the church was not an anchoring presence in his life.

After receiving his B.A. in English from Mercer University, Mark completed a Master of Divinity degree and a Ph.D. in Pastoral Theology at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Mark is married to Marnie, the Senior Pastor at GRACE. They have two young adult children – John is a medical student at Emory School of Medicine and Anna, married to Jon-Paul, is in graduate school studying to be a Licensed Professional Counselor. Mark enjoys functional fitness, reading, and spending time with his family.

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Taylor Shade is the Next Generation Pastor at GRACE Church Bethlehem. Taylor loves to help kids and students learn about who Jesus is and how to follow him. He is excited to be a part of the incredible things God is doing in Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley.

Taylor received a B.A. from Colorado Christian University and an M.A. in Theology and Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. After working in student ministry for over a decade in Colorado, Taylor and his wife, Emily, became house parents on a Texan ranch for at-risk teenage boys.

Taylor is married to Emily, who has spent her career working in ABA Therapy with both families and children. Taylor enjoys anything sports-related, traveling, and exploring and discovering all kinds of food.

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Doug Stewart is the Mission and Welcome Pastor at GRACE Church Bethlehem. Doug appreciates building relationships with people, discovering what they’re passionate about and connecting that passion to mission as they serve others at GRACE, throughout the Lehigh Valley and the around the world in the name of Jesus.

Doug received a B.A. in English from High Point University, a M.S. in Leadership & Coaching from Bellevue University, and a M.A. in Christian Leadership from Sioux Falls Seminary.

Before serving at GRACE, Doug was the General Manager of the Omaha Royals Baseball Team and then the Associate Vice President of Bellevue University. Doug and his wife, Susan, have two adult children, Allison, married to Darien, and Graham who all reside in Omaha. Doug enjoys playing golf, reading, and spending time at Rehoboth Beach.

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Kyra Thomas is the Discipleship Pastor at GRACE Church Bethlehem. Kyra has a passion for fostering community and connection in the local church and walking alongside people of all ages on their discipleship journey. She loves to explore the intersection of Christianity and culture and to help people navigate following Jesus in their everyday lives.

Kyra received her B.A. in History and Political Science from The University of Richmond and her Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. After a career on Capitol Hill, Kyra returned to GRACE to pursue a call to pastoral ministry.

Kyra was raised in the GRACE Church community and her parents are active members at GRACE. Kyra resides in downtown Bethlehem and enjoys spending time with her two cats, trying new restaurants in the Lehigh Valley, and traveling.

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