Leadership
Lead Pastor
Mark Pettus is an action-oriented faith leader driven by his focus on empowering the next generation. He and his wife Jill were called to ministry after attending Church of the Highlands and meeting Pastor Chris in 2001. Mark became the church's Youth Pastor in 2006, pioneering the annual MOTION Student Conference, which brings thousands of middle school, high school, and college students together to worship, grow, and activate their faith.
Since 2010, Mark has served as an Elder and member of the Highlands Executive Leadership Team. He became President of Highlands College when it was created in 2011, working with Pastor Chris to bring his vision of preparing the next generation of ministry leaders to life.
Mark and his wife, Jill, are raising their four sons in Birmingham, Alabama where he serves as the Lead Pastor at Church of the Highlands – helping others discover a personal relationship with Jesus and sharing the hope and future God has with them.
Founding Pastor
Chris Hodges is the Founding Pastor of Church of the Highlands. Since it began in 2001, Highlands has grown to have campuses across the state of Alabama and Georgia, and we're known for our life-giving culture and focus on leading people to an intimate relationship with God.
Pastor Chris has a deep passion for developing leaders and planting life-giving churches. He co-founded ARC (Association of Related Churches) in 2001, which has launched hundreds of churches across the United States. He also founded Grow, specializing in training and resourcing pastors and churches to help them break barriers and reach their growth potential. Chris is also the founder and Chancellor of Highlands College, a ministry training school that trains and launches students into full-time ministry careers.
Chris and his wife Tammy have five children and live in Birmingham, Alabama, where Church of the Highlands began. He speaks at conferences worldwide and is the author of Fresh Air, Four Cups, The Daniel Dilemma, What’s Next?, Out of the Cave, and Pray First.
1. We are guided by Pastors.
The Lead Pastor leads the Pastoral staff team. The Leadership Team oversees the day-to-day ministry and operations of the church and, together with the Campus Pastors, serves the congregation and is responsible for developing the church's spiritual life.
The Church of the Highlands Leadership Team is:
- Chris Hodges
- Mark Pettus
- Ronnie Bennett
- Steve Blair
- CJ Blount
- Kellen Coldiron
- Beth Cunningham
- Lee Domingue
- Hamp Greene
- Denny Hodges
- John Larson
- Dino Rizzo
- Layne Schranz
- Heidi Spicer
The Church of the Highlands Campus Pastors are:
2. We are protected by Trustees.
The Trustees are members of the congregation who oversee the finances and direct the provision of the facilities needed by the church. They provide counsel to the Lead Pastor and Leadership Team regarding the major financial commitments of the church. The Trustees serve as Non-staff Elders.
The Trustees for Church of the Highlands are:
- Dr. Robert Sorrell (Secretary/Treasurer)
- Barry Howton
- Phillip Jauregui
- Brant McDuffie
- Ken Polk
- Johnny Walker
- John Wright
3. We are strengthened by Overseers.
The Overseers are five pastors of nationally respected congregations and ministries who love Church of the Highlands and are willing to provide spiritual protection to the church. They may be called in to help in accountability matters relating to the Senior Pastor if requested by the Pastors or Trustees. The Overseers serve as Apostolic Elders.
The Overseers for Church of the Highlands are:
- Pastor Rick Bezet
New Life Church, Arkansas - Pastor Jim Laffoon
Bethel World Outreach Church, Tennessee - Pastor Tom Mullins
Christ Fellowship, Florida - Pastor Larry Stockstill
Bethany Church, Louisiana - Pastor Greg Surratt
Seacoast Church, South Carolina