Tim Potter

Tim Potter was reared in a loving pastor’s home. His father pastored Grace Baptist Church for 34 years, which became Grace Church of Mentor in 1980. While in high school, with divine help from the Word and the wisdom of the flock at Grace Church, Tim realized he had been graced by the Spirit of God with the gift of Pastor-Teacher.

In college, he received an undergraduate degree in Bible and a minor in Business Administration. Following graduation, Tim completed a master’s degree in theology. Tim completed his Master of Divinity degree while he was the youth pastor at Grace Church. He’s currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry in Expository Preaching and Disciple-Making Ministry.

Tim began ministering to youth in the summer of 1987. In 1991 Tim was appointed full-time Youth Pastor at Grace Church of Mentor and served in that role until 2005. In 2006 Tim was appointed Senior Pastor at Grace Church of Mentor. He served in that role until December 2023.

In addition to solidifying and continuing in the practice of biblical, expository preaching, Tim developed and implemented a disciple-making culture at Grace. This included member-by-member training and involvement in personal, spiritual reproduction at the local church level. Pastor Tim is convinced, along with the continuance of expository preaching, that the disciple-making culture of the local church is essential for its sustainability. The establishment of this philosophy of ministry has allowed Tim to preach and teach this culture of spiritual reproduction throughout the United States and the world.

Within this disciple-making culture, and in the spirit of 2 Timothy 2:2, Pastor Tim has trained the next generation of pastors/leaders at Grace Church. Therefore, in January of 2024, the congregation at Grace Church of Mentor voted to appoint Tim’s trained leaders as the new Senior and Associate pastors at Grace and to transition Pastor Tim to full-time gospel advancement out of Grace Church through Arch Ministries, the church planting arm of Grace Church of Mentor. Pastor Tim, along with the faithful saints at Grace Church of Mentor are now postured to network to advance the gospel in church planting throughout the United States and world until Jesus returns.