Our Leadership Team
Pastors/Elders
What is the difference between a pastor and an elder? Since these words differ in meaning among churches, we wanted to explain that they are synonymous in our understanding. In the U.S., the word “pastor” is the title we are most familiar with, but throughout the Bible, “elder” is used more prominently. Both of these words describe the function of governing, ministering, shepherding, and overseeing the spiritual needs of the Church. And every time pastors or elders are mentioned in the New Testament, it’s always in the plural. And because of this, we believe in a plurality of elders. This implies that leadership of the local church was not meant to be done by a single pastor in charge of any one church but by multiple pastors who lead the church as a team.
Mark and Kara Harper | PASTORS
Mark and Kara are the founding pastors of Impact Rock. Along with their three children, they planted the church on January 2, 2010. This lead couple has served together in ministry since 1996 before they were even married.
AndY and Kim Smith | PASTORS
Andy, Kim, and their three children first showed up at IRC when they attended Impact Rock’s launch party in July 2010. That night, the Lord told them they were home, and they’ve been here ever since. Andy and Kim joined our Eldership team in 2014.
Don and Elaine Pike | Deacons
Don and Elaine have been at IRC since its inception. They serve as Deacons and exemplify what it is to walk in wisdom, full of the Holy Spirit. Their love for Jesus and His church is infectious.
The Functions of Pastors and Deacons
God established two functions to lead the local Church: Pastors and Deacons. Impact Rock Church follows this scriptural leadership structure. Pastors are accountable to God to lead the church they serve and for her spiritual health. Deacons support this pastoral function by caring for the practical needs of the Church with spiritual and service-oriented means. This care frees pastors to dedicate themselves to prayer and preaching the Word.
In Acts 6, we see that appointing deacons strengthened the local Church, spread the Good News of Jesus, and multiplied the number of people passionately following Him. Labeling deacons merely as “workers” minimizes the anointing that comes with this valuable function.
We wholeheartedly believe in team ministry and recognize that every leader is not called to be an elder or a deacon. As such, Impact Rock has a Leadership Team that includes other spiritually mature leaders equipped and committed to ministering and serving. To describe the practical attributes of any leader at IRC, we use the acronym “D.R.A.F.T.”: Dependable, Relational, Available, Flexible, and Teachable.