Mike Hixson

Growing up here at Grace Church of Mentor, I was pretty involved in youth group, and those years being under the preaching of God's Word and serving here at Grace really showed me what real faith in Christ is. It's more than just storing up facts about the Bible in your head; it's a way of life—the only way to live: having a real, personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I saw firsthand how God could change lives as I participated in the outreach and missions trips, and I saw the love that my Youth Pastor (now Senior Pastor) had for the church people and how he encouraged them to grow in their faith.

After attending Mentor Christian School, then graduating with a college degree in Biology Education, Mike taught high school science. Through his classes, Pastor Mike had many opportunities to minister one-on-one with teens as well as their parents, and the Lord gave him a burden to reach beyond their academic needs to help minister to the greater spiritual needs of those families. Grace Church confirmed his calling to be a pastor and ordained him to gospel ministry in 2011. He earned an M.Div. from Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary in 2017.

Pastor Mike oversees the discipleship, outreach, and college and career ministries of Grace Church of Mentor.

Mike married his best friend (and classmate from 4th grade on) Kelley in 2000. She also grew up at Grace, playing the piano for congregational hymns as a teen and being very active in the youth group. She continues to assist in the music at Grace and oversees the curriculum and policies in the childcare ministry. God has blessed them with three daughters: Julia, Claire, and Lily.