Our Team

Meet some of the incredible people that lead the way at VLC.

Brad Parkhurst

// Lead Pastor

Brad and Angie Parkhurst grew up in Oklahoma and have three great kids : Cameron, Carson and Avery. They have over 28 years of ministry experience, with many of those years in student ministry. Brad loves to coach volleyball, watch and play sports with his kids, and spend lots of time with Angie. His passion is for people to come to Christ, no matter their background, and to follow Him completely through “taking their next step” in corporate worship and personal discipleship.

Nick Adair

// Elder + Technical Director

Nick is the husband of our Administrative Assistant, Rachel, and serves as our Technical Director. He and his team handle the technical aspects in our building, including sound, lighting, projection, video, and networking.  Their goal is to create quality, distraction-free environments for worship gatherings and events. Nick has more than 25 years of experience with church A/V systems, and also works full time as a Senior Cost Estimator at RIB U.S. Cost in Atlanta.

Gerad Simpson

// Elder

Gerad and his wife Vicky have five amazing children. He has over 20 years of leadership and ministry experience. Gerad enjoys being in the outdoors: hiking, camping, hunting, and fishing. With a passion for men's ministry and a desire to use his talents and gifts to further God's Kingdom, he sees it as an honor and a privilege to serve Vertical Life Church and the Dallas community.

Brent Wheeling

// Elder

Brent is a lifelong resident of Paulding County and is dedicated to leading others to walk hand-in-hand with Jesus. Married to his wife Hannah, he serves our church with passion and really enjoys working with the high school boys as a small group leader. As a local business owner and active member of the community, Brent's commitment extends to serving on the boards of the local Rotary Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In his spare time, he enjoys playing softball, golfing, reading, and traveling with Hannah.

Shelley Howerton

// Elder

Michael Brown

// Elder

Brooke Crumley

// WeeWorship Coordinator

Brooke grew up in Paulding County. She married her husband, Corey, in 2014. They have two boys, Bennett and Davis, and a little girl named Violet. Brooke and her husband became partners at VLC in 2018. After working as a dental assistant for nine years, Brooke joined the VLC team at the end of Summer 2022. She is passionate about working with children and sharing the love of God with them every week while giving their parents an opportunity to attend church, knowing that their little ones are being cared for. Brooke loves spending time with her family and friends, going to sporting events, and hiking.

Bill & Kerri Edger

// Elementary Kids Ministers

Bill and Kerri met and married in Florida, and have now lived in Paulding County for years. They have nine kids ranging in age from 8 - 30. They had always desired to be in a church that felt like family, where their kids could grow closer to Jesus through a strong community of believers. They found this at VLC, and because families are so important to them, they started serving in VLC Kids almost immediately. They are excited to partner with other parents to help their kids know + follow Jesus, and to have lots of fun along the way!

Courtney Schmidt

//  Special Needs Minister

Courtney began working with students with special needs when she was in high school. When she and her husband, Chris, began attending VLC just a couple years after they were married, she naturally gravitated towards students who needed extra support as she served in VLC Kids. As the need for a special needs ministry became apparent, she was glad for the opportunity to be a part of it. It is her privilege to love and serve the special needs families at VLC through Refuge.

Seab & Bonnie Baker

// Connections Pastor + Middle Grades Ministers

Seab and Bonnie have five awesome kids: Zeke, Silas, Cali, Ruby, and Judah. They love that they get to do ministry together and feel that God has called them to serve alongside each other. They enjoy hanging out with friends and meeting new families. For fun as a family, they love going camping, playing together, going on vacations, making memories, and eating good food. They are so excited that God has allowed them to partner with families, to help equip parents to teach their children and students what it means to follow Jesus!

Seab also serves as our Facilities Manager and Connections Pastor, and leads our First Impressions Team.

Jonah Salyers

// High School + College/Young Adults Pastor

Jonah Salyers is a fiery leader with a heart to see students trade what they have for what God has for them. Jonah is always willing to go off-script and get his hands dirty to watch the good news of Jesus “click” in a student’s mind. He is currently an undergraduate student at Toccoa Falls College and spends his free time with his lovely wife, Jess, and fluffy dog, Ahsoka Tano. Jonah is loyal, passionate about Jesus, and always amped up. 

Ashley Fitzgerald

// VLC Students Administrative Assistant

Ashley grew up in Soddy Daisy, TN and moved to Georgia in 2002 before marrying her husband, Chris. She’s a mom of three teenagers and cherishes spending every day with her family. Ashley’s desire is for students to encounter the living God and experience His transforming power. She lives to love others because she has grasped the depth of Jesus' love for her!

Cameron Parkhurst

// Worship + Creative Pastor

Cameron is passionate about leading people to love Jesus with their whole hearts and to know their identity as loved children of God. He leads our worship team, handles the design and creative elements at VLC, and is also greatly involved with VLC Students. He loves reading books, exploring new places, and spending lots of time with people.

Collin Beasley

// Worship Associate

Collin grew up traveling the world with his military family before relocating to the Paulding County area in 2017. He became a Partner at VLC shortly after, and began leading worship on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. Through the creative ministry of FOMO Worship ("Faith Of My Own"), he hopes to see this next generation enter in to true and honest worship.

Rachel Adair

// Administrative Assistant

Rachel and her husband, Nick, have lived in Paulding County since 2005. They have two wonderful children, Angie and Caleb. Rachel and Nick have been on staff since VLC launched in June of 2012. They both love watching God use VLC to change people’s lives with the gospel. They are always excited to see people grow in their faith through serving at VLC, in our community, and around the world.