Meet the Team

Troy, his wife Janel, and their four children, Natalie, Allyson, TJ, and Trever, founded EastLake in 2005. He and Janel are passionate about knowing God and doing something significant in the kingdom. Troy loves spending time with his wife, kids and grandkids. He enjoys doing home improvement on their house in Hardy. He loves to golf and fish and has an unfulfilled desire to run a marathon.

You can contact him at pt@eastlake-church.com.

Ben has been part of the EastLake team since 2009. He desires to help people experience the transformative power of God through worship. He and his wife Cora have 3 children, Quintana, Isabel, and Marshall. He loves to golf, roots for the Chicago Cubs and the Kentucky Wildcats, and enjoys streaming a good period piece. If you’re not sure where to find him, you might look at Bojangles.

You can contact him at ben@eastlake-church.com.

After 30 years in pharmaceuticals, Bob and his wife Lynn retired and moved to SML. Soon, Bob felt God’s calling to use his business training for kingdom work. Bob joined our staff in 2018. They have three sons and five grandchildren. Bob enjoys all things family and just about every sport, though being a Purdue Boilermaker limits his sport bragging rights! He likes doing home improvement projects and spending time woodworking.

You can contact him at bob@eastlake-church.com.

Aaron joined the staff in 2013. He and his wife Gretchen have three kids, Grant, Madison, and Jack. His passion is to see  people come to Christ and connect with fellow Christians. He enjoys playing and listening to music (even some Southern Gospel), working on cars, and painting. His sports loyalties are split between Ohio (Buckeyes and Reds) and North Carolina (Tarheels and Panthers). Some of his friends think he is just a fan of whoever is winning.

You can contact him at aaron@eastlake-church.com.

Jonathan and Sandy joined the Eastlake team in June, 2019. They moved to SML from Lake Charles, LA with their 3 girls, Keri, Suzanna, and Lainey. The Browns entered full-time ministry in 2014 and are passionate about reaching the Next Generation for Jesus, equipping parents and grandparents to be effective disciple-makers, and empowering leaders to serve in the Kingdom of God. They are also fans of fall weather, lake life, and LSU football!

You can contact them at jonathan@eastlake-church.com and sandy@eastlake-church.com.

Shawn and Deborah have been married and blending a family for over 26 years. They have 5 children, and 3 grandchildren. They thrive on giving hope and sharing Jesus with people whose lives might be a little messier than others because theirs has been, too, yet they have experienced God’s grace in mighty ways. They are involved in ministry to street kids and gang members in Danville where they hope to start a church.

You can contact them at shawnanddeb@eastlake-church.com.

Matt started at Eastlake in 2014 as an intern where God grew a passion in him for the next generation, and in 2018 he became the pastor of EastLake Students. He is married to Kate and have one son, Maverick. Matt’s hobbies include sports, mechanics and lots of fishing.

You can contact him at matt@eastlake-church.com.

Through our partnership with Strategic Renewal, Daniel has come alongside our team as a pastoral coach, prayer mobilizer and Bible teacher. Daniel is the President of Strategic Renewal, working to bring prayer-based revitalization to churches all around the country. He and his wife, Rosemary, have been married for over 35 years and presently live in Denver, CO. They are parents to three children and have eight grandchildren.

You can contact him at daniel@strategicrenewal.com.

After 43 years of service in the Federal Government, Bruce and his wife Darby retired and moved to SML in 2016. Both Bruce and Darby have been very active serving the Lord over their entire 42 plus years of marriage. Bruce has served on the Elder Board at Eastlake since 2019. They have three children and two grandchildren.  Bruce is very active in many activities at Eastlake, including international mission trips. He is an auto sports enthusiast and is an instructor on road race courses.

Darryl and his wife Susan retired in 2016 after 43 years of pastoral ministry. They have two children and six grandchildren. Moving to SML in 2017 they discovered that lake life is good and that ELCC life is even better. In addition to serving the Lord, Darryl enjoys playing pickleball and hiking with Susan as well as home improvement projects and woodworking. 

Ron spent 22 years in the corporate world, leading manufacturing organizations, managing numerous multi-million dollar projects, and building cross-functional teams. He currently leads the Christian School Division of Renewanation, while also shepherding overall operations. Ron and his wife, Tonya, live in Roanoke, VA and are blessed with 3 children.

Ernest (Ernie) Hofmeister is a retired electrical engineer living with his wife of 58 years, Betty, at Smith Mountain Lake, VA.  He was active in the Presbyterian Church for over 50 years. He and his wife have been active in the Eastlake Community Church in Moneta, VA since 2008 and he has served on the building committee and the leadership, trustee, and elder boards. He has been involved in the acquisition and development of land for the future vision of EastLake including a church, a Christian School and a Christian Retreat Center. He served on the Board of the Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy from 2015 to 2019/20. He enjoys recreational boating and seniors pickleball. Ernie and Betty have two adult children and five living grandchildren who now live in the Raleigh, NC area.  

Gary and his wife, Delores, are owners of F & S Building Innovations, Inc. Having several brothers already in the construction trade, Gary started his business in 1976 which has since become a local leader in both Residential and Commercial construction. In 2020, Gary started Build Smart Institute- a construction trades training facility- aimed at training a new generation in the art of construction. He has served on several boards, including the Roanoke Regional Home Builders Association, Palestine Baptist Church Leadership Team, Lakeside Baptist Church Leadership Team, Advisory team at
Crossroads Church. Gary currently serves on the boards of Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy, the Moneta Rescue Squad, and Renewanation. Gary and Delores have three daughters and ten
grandchildren. Gary's favorite pastimes are hunting, outdoor activities, and spending time at the farm, but his passion is family.

Denise is the executive assistant to the pastor at EastLake. She and her husband Maver are blessed with four children and eight grandkids (and counting!) Prior to being called into ministry, she worked for over 30 years in the travel industry. She and Maver enjoy Baseball (Boston Red Sox, of course), NASCAR, and sharing the gospel to motorcyclists through the Christian Motorcycle Association (CMA).

You can contact her at denise@eastlake-church.com.

Sally Stob is a retired accountant. She moved to SML with her husband Forrest and great-niece Hailey from Maryland. She loves Eastlake Community Church and when asked to come into the office to help out, she said yes! Sally loves to study the Bible and read.  

You can contact her at accounting@eastlake-church.com.

Amy started as an intern at Eastlake in the summer of 2020. In the fall of that year, she joined the staff as the Assistant Worship Director. She loves working with the choir and training and developing the youth worship team. She enjoys hanging out with friends and watching movies.

You can contact her at amy@eastlake-church.com.

Matt and Allie have been a part of EastLake for 6 years since they relocated from the Washington D.C. area. They have two daughters, Claire and MJ. They love spending all their time off together on the water whenever possible. They serve in EastLake Kids and have a heart for missions, regularly joining our overseas missions teams.

You can contact them at .

You can contact him at tech@eastlake-church.com.

Angeli manages our social media channels and creates promotional materials for EastLake events. She lived in Thailand for 7 years, working at a digital marketing agency and serving at a church before marrying her husband TJ and moving to the US in February 2022. She loves baking, watching movies, going on walks, and hanging out with friends and family.

You can contact her at angeli@eastlake-church.com.

Pastor Mike Smith is the Lead Chaplain at Bedford County Sheriff’s Office and the Town of Bedford Police Department. He’s been in ministry for almost 20 years and has served as a Chaplain for 17 years. Chaplain Mike feels passionately about the need to serve those that serve, providing first responders with a support system in times of crisis, mental and emotional health counseling, and spiritual encouragement. He also works to bridge and promote healthy relationships between the police and the community. He is a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, the Virginia Sheriff's Association, and a Master Chaplain with the International Conference of Police Chaplains. Chaplain Mike and his wife Sara have four little boys and live in Bedford County. Chaplain Mike is a total Syfy geek who collects rare comic books and autographs, none of which have anything to do with sports.

You can contact him at mikebs77@icloud.com.

You can contact her at alice@eastlake-church.com.

Atlee started at Eastlake in 2022. He is married to Heather and they have two children, Isaac and Eli. Atlee’s hobbies include residential remodeling, yard work and lifting weights. Atlee loves being able to use his specific skill set to help improve Eastlake inside and out.

You can contact him at facilities@eastlake-church.com.

I am so grateful for God and His Word. The beauty of His creation that I see all around me expresses His love for us. I enjoy singing in the choir at EastLake, raising goats with my husband and two children, and serving God’s children that I am blessed to do life with. My desire is to share God’s love with all those around me.

You can contact her at sherry@eastlake-church.com.

Jacque has been serving inthe body of Christ for over40 years. She is the motherof two and a grandmother offour. Her passion here atEastlake is being incommunity throughwomen's Bible studies,Choir, mission sewing,coffee ministry and Agapecenter. Her hobbies includemusic, reading, sewing, andplants.

You can contact her at facilities@eastlake-church.com.

You can contact him at facilities@eastlake-church.com.