Team

Stephen Kim

Lead Pastor
stephen.kim@greatcommissioncc.org

Pastor Steve Kim grew up in Northern Virginia and attended Virginia Tech, then went on to graduate from Biblical Theological Seminary. His ministry experience began in Philadelphia where he ministered for 16 years in various roles: youth pastor, associate pastor, and then senior pastor & church planter. Throughout that time, he felt a calling from the Lord to return “home” to serve in the Washington DC area. On August 1, 2010, Pastor Steve was installed as Lead Pastor of Great Commission Community Church. He is married and has three grown children. He enjoys reading, drinking good coffee, and playing basketball.

Carl Park

Arlington & Worship Pastor
carl.park@greatcommissioncc.org

Carl pastors our Arlington site, and he oversees worship, prayer, and classes for all of GCCC. He holds degrees from Yale, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Trinity, including a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies. Prior to serving GCCC, he served as a pastor to congregations in Chicago, New York, and Milwaukee. Carl is passionate about environments where people experience and get shaped by the Spirit of Jesus. He also likes teaching, whether tutoring adults for basic literacy, coaching youth basketball, teaching university courses, or leading classes for the church. He is married with two children, and enjoys a broad variety of music, books, and sports (if Wisconsin teams count as broad).

Jonathan Thornton

Youth & Missions Pastor
jonathan.thornton@greatcommissioncc.org

Jonathan grew up all over the world but spent most of his time as a kid running around in the forests of Germany. His parents were missionaries and from a young age, he developed a love for different cultures. He has a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Ministries from Nyack College and a Masters in Intercultural Studies from Alliance Theological Seminary. Jonathan has served in New York, Arkansas, Minnesota, and Virginia. He is passionate about helping people encounter the Holy Spirit and living out their lives empowered by Him. Jonathan and his wife, Erika have five kids. In his free time, he enjoys going to the park with his kids, pick-up sports, and strategy board games.

Erika Thornton

Families & Children‘s Pastor
erika.thornton@greatcommissioncc.org

Erika Thornton studied Youth and Family Ministries at Nyack College, where she met her husband, Jonathan (who also works at GCCC). She has served in several church plants, worked as the Youth Coordinator for the Metro District, and in the Candidate Development Office of our denomination.  In 2014, she moved to VA with her family to work at a church plant for a few years before coming on staff at GCCC. In 2018 she was Ordained and Consecrated in the Christian and Missionary Alliance. Erika loves teaching people about Jesus and getting kids excited about obeying His Spirit. She also loves thrift store shopping and camping with her five kids.

Chris Chen

Assistant Pastor
chris.chen@greatcommissioncc.org

Chris grew up in Cerritos, a suburb of Los Angeles before having a short career in the army and the private defense industry. Chris then went on to attend the University of Pennsylvania, where he met the Lord powerfully and experienced heart and life transformation. He then served in different pastoral roles in the Philadelphia area working mostly with college students and post-college young adults. Chris has a Master of Divinity from Cairn University. He has a heart to see the healing redemptive reality of God’s Kingdom in all aspects of life–personally, in our relationships, and in our communities. Chris and his wife Christine have a son, Enoch. He loves studying the intersection of faith & culture and enjoys the outdoors, hip-hop and R&B, and LA sports. 

Daniel

Cross-Cultural Outreach Resident

Daniel grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee as the oldest of three kids. He graduated in 2023 from an undergrad program in Cross-Cultural Studies at Toccoa Falls College. During his time in college, Daniel and his wife Grace met and got married, after which they spent a semester studying abroad in the country of Jordan to gain experience working in a cross-cultural setting. They moved to Bailey’s Crossroads in June of 2023, and they oversee outreach and development in that community. Daniel is passionate about learning about different cultures and languages, and developing genuine relationships across diverse peoples. In his free time, he enjoys playing disc golf, teaching chess in after-school programs, and eating anything Grace bakes.

Grace

Cross-Cultural Outreach Resident

Grace was born and raised in Zephyrhills Florida. She then attended Toccoa Falls college where she met her husband and in 2023 she graduated with a degree in Cross-Cultural Studies. Growing up she was constantly exposed to different cultures while she volunteered to serve refugees in two relocation sites in the U.S. This only grew her passion to further understand different cultures and worldviews. Grace now works doing outreach in the Baileys Crossroads community. She also enjoys baking, getting boba with friends and is always up for trying something new.

Jennie Ro

Children’s Ministry Assistant – Arlington
jennie.ro@greatcommissioncc.org

Jennie was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs of DC and attended the University of Virginia where she studied Psychology and Spanish. Jennie briefly taught ESL and explored overseas missions, then headed to grad school to study social work at the University of Texas-Austin. She spent several years working with children with disabilities and at-risk youth before deciding to stay home full time with her kids. Jennie has been volunteering in children’s and youth ministries for over 25 years. She considers it her greatest joy and privilege to simply know people (of all ages!), listen to their stories, and be used by God to help them experience His love for them. Jennie is married to Kyung, an elder at GCCC, and they have two tween/teen daughters. Jennie enjoys pastries and coffee, home organization, yoga, and beating her husband at Scrabble. 

Esther Pyon

Tysons Worship Director
esther.pyon@greatcommissioncc.org

Esther grew up in New York and Connecticut and is a proud alumna of the University of Michigan (Go Blue!) with degrees in Political Science and Sociology. Esther was part of a local church in Ann Arbor during college and post-grad years, and she surrendered her life to Christ upon experiencing God’s radical love and transforming power through her community there. Esther moved to the DMV area in 2012 to attend law school and works in DC. Since joining GCCC, she has grown a deeper passion for intercession and worship ministry. She enjoys live music and running outdoors. Esther and her husband have one son and enjoy spending time with their friends and family over good food and conversation.

Tigan Hughes

Administrator
tigan.hughes@greatcommissioncc.org

Tigan grew up in Wyoming but moved out to the DC area after graduating from Carleton College with a degree in Russian. She worked at an immigration law firm and a vet clinic for a time before settling in to the much more demanding work of raising three young children. She and her husband, Eric, share a love of community theatre, although Tigan’s passions in general incline more towards the details and behind-the-scenes work rather than the center of a spotlight. Which is why she loves the administrative work of answering emails, tracking expenses, and reserving Sunday service venues.

---

GCCC Elders

The Elders at Great Commission Community Church have been nominated and elected by other GCCC members. Their primary role is to shepherd the congregation through prayer, hospitality, member care, teaching and exercising discipline when needed.

---

Board of Women

The Board of Women at Great Commission Community Church are elected members of GCCC. They seek to love and support the spiritual, physical, mental and emotional needs of women at GCCC through teaching, prayer, counseling, and holistic care. The current members of the Board of Women can be contacted at: women.board@greatcommissioncc.org

---

Governance Board

The Governance Board at Great Commission Community Church consists of elected members who will ensure support and accountability to the lead pastor and to the pastoral staff. They oversee the implementation of GCCC’s mission and vision, as well as provide appropriate financial oversight and accountability. The current officers serving on the Governance Board are: