Elders

Meet Vertical Church's Elders and Elders-in-Training, and view the organizational chart for the church.

Phillip Kight (Elder & Senior Pastor)

Phillip Kight (Elder & Senior Pastor)

Phillip is the Senior Pastor at Vertical Church. Phillip and Kalyn joined Vertical Church in 2019. They believe that Jesus can change the life of anyone, and a relationship with Jesus is worth going all in for. Kalyn and Phillip enjoy serving the Lord above all else.

“I’m excited for elders because it elevates more healthy spiritual leaders in the church. Which in turn will help us be a healthier church. The Pastor is supposed to be the spiritual leader of the church. He isn’t supposed to be the only spiritual leader in the church.” – Phillip

Richard Jones (Elder - Blairsville Campus)

Richard Jones (Elder - Blairsville Campus)

“I have had the privilege of serving our Vertical family as an Elder. This year has been both challenging and deeply rewarding as we launched the first year of Elders at Vertical. While it has brought its share of obstacles, it has also been a time of significant spiritual growth for me personally. I have been encouraged by the way the Lord has moved in the hearts of many within our church community. I’m excited for what God is doing and what lies ahead as we continue to build a healthy church family at Vertical.” – Richard

Ryan Richardson (Elder - Hiawassee Campus)

Ryan Richardson (Elder - Hiawassee Campus)

“Being an elder at Vertical Church has been a fulfilling but very humbling experience. Not only has it allowed me to serve in ways that I did not know was possible, but it has also strengthened my walk with Christ.  My heart for Vertical Church is rooted in a deep desire for our community to experience the transformative power of Jesus.  I am excited to see God continue to work in hearts and lives at Vertical!” – Ryan

Josh Stroud (Elder in Training - Hiawassee Campus)

Josh Stroud (Elder in Training - Hiawassee Campus)

“Approaching eldership was a daunting task. I don’t think anyone in our cohort had taken it lightly or without some serious thought. My walk with the Lord has been tested but refined through this experience. Being an Elder has been a tangible, meaningful way to serve Jesus and our church this last year.” – Josh

Christian Cook (Elder in Training - Blairsville Campus)

Christian Cook (Elder in Training - Blairsville Campus)

“Eldership to me has been an honor and a blessing. I believe it has carved a deeper desire to serve and shepherd within the church. It has also established an accountability in my life to uphold the biblical standard of what we are called to as elders. I truly want to serve and love people well, to be obedient to Jesus and the opportunities he offers!” – Christian

Chad Vance (Elder in Training - Blairsville Campus)

Chad Vance (Elder in Training - Blairsville Campus)

“The calling to Vertical Church has been monumental for my family and I in our relationship with Jesus. The Vertical community has become family we thought we would never have. God has shown me so much through our time here at Vertical. My giftings have been revealed to me while here. My heart has been softened here. My faith has grown exponentially since our time at Vertical. I know with everything in me that God’s timing is perfect, and there was an exact purpose for Him leading us here. I can’t imagine not having this community in our lives. The call to eldership made me nervous at first. Quite frankly, I never dreamed it would be a reality in my life but I’ve learned to stop questioning God so much and to try and lean not on my own understanding. I just want to serve Him well. I see how important it is to have this roll inside the Church, and I’m excited to see how God uses us in it and proud to serve alongside such faithful servants of this church. What a blessing this place has been to us!” – Chad

Vertical Church Organizational Chart

Vertical Church Organizational Leadership Chart Descriptions

The Lord is at the very top of our church leadership structure. We seek his direction and leading for our church. We submit to the authority of His Word and desire to honor him in all things.
The Leadership Team consists of three parts: The Senior Pastor, Lead Administrators, and Lead Elders. The team functions similar to a board of directors for our church. The Lead Administrators and Lead Elders have a four-year term for their service, can serve two consecutive terms, and have been appointed to serve in accordance with our church bylaws.

  • The Senior Pastor is hired by the Leadership Team. The Senior Pastor oversees the teaching ministry, pastoral ministry, and spiritual vision of the church. The Senior Pastor oversees The Church Staff.
  • Lead Administrators are spiritually gifted in administration and leadership. They oversee the business, financial, and legal matters of the church.
  • Lead Elders are appointed to the leadership team by the Elders. They represent the Elders on the Leadership team for a four-year term and can serve two consecutive terms. Elders help oversee the spiritual matters of the church and support the pastoral ministry.

The Leadership Team creates Committees called “Teams” to help share and accomplish specific responsibilities of church leadership and to advise the Leadership Team for decision making. These members consist of Leadership Team Members and appointed members of the church congregation who possess the needed professional skills and wisdom for each responsibility. They are created and appointed by the Leadership Team as needed.

The Elders are appointed into spiritual church leadership by nomination. Then, all nominations for an Elder are reviewed and vetted. Once approved, they are confirmed by prayer, fasting, and vote by the existing Elders. They serve as an extension of the pastoral ministry for the church and as spiritual accountability for the Senior Pastor which is denoted by the dotted line on the Organizational Chart. The Elders oversee and disciple the Elders in Training.

The Elders in Training are those who meet all the qualifications to be an elder and are being trained in their spiritual maturity, leadership, and wisdom to shepherd the church as an Elder.
The Church Staff are hired to do the daily ministry work of the church and their hiring is approved by the Leadership Team. They oversee day-to-day operations under the supervision of the Senior Pastor. They oversee ministries, ministry budgets, interns, volunteers, and teams under their ministry area.