Who We are

Basics

If you're unsure how best to get connected to the BGCC community or have more questions about becoming a member, then BASICS is your first step! We host BASICS the third Sunday of every month at 5:30 pm. Just let us know you're coming! Childcare can be available if needed.
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Our Vision

To see families and individuals follow Jesus faithfully, grow in community, and impact the world through His mission. 

Our Mission

We exist to make disciples of Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18-20) by following him in four key movements. 

Look Up

Confess Jesus as Lord; worship, pray, and obey Him daily.

Lean In

Connect with other Christians; growing together and making disciples of Jesus

Step Out

Share the gospel and serve others locally and globally.

Press On

Persevere in faith; encourage one another with hope in Christ.

What We Believe

God
  • God is all-powerful and all-knowing (Luke 1:37, Jeremiah 32:17, Psalm 147:5)
  • God as Triune: We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each fully and equally God, yet distinct in role and personhood. (Matthew 28:19) 
Jesus Christ
  • Jesus Christ is God’s only Son who took on the human form to come into the world and save us so that we could be united with Him forever. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He died on a cross for our sins, was buried, rose from the dead, and is coming back. (John 3:16, Philippians 2:5-8, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
The Holy Spirit
  • The Holy Spirit lives in every single believer, acting as guide, counselor, and teacher and enabling us to live Christlike lives. It is the final authority for all matters of faith and practice. (John 14:16-17, Romans 8:9, Galatians 5:22-23, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
Salvation
  • Salvation is a gift of God’s grace that we can accept through faith in Jesus Christ. The Bible gives us instructions for receiving this freely given gift: believe in Jesus Christ as God’s Son, repent of your sins, confess Christ as Lord and Savior, and be immersed in baptism. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Acts 2:38)
Restoration
  • We proclaim a message of hope and restoration through Jesus Christ, believing in His power to transform and redeem individuals and communities, knowing that every person is deeply loved by God and created in His image. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
The Church
  • We believe in the universal Church as the Body of Christ, with Jesus as its Head. We affirm the autonomy of the local church, self-governed and self-supported, under the leadership of Christ and qualified elders. (Colossians 1:18, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13) 
Scripture
  • The Bible is an amazing gift to the world.  We believe the entire Bible is the inspired Word of God and without error, it is “God breathed” as the apostle Paul writes. (2 Tim 3:16) If we take the time to read God’s Word and put it into practice, it will be a transformative “lamp for our feet and light on our path.” (Ps 119:105)
The Church in General
  • We believe that the church is God’s plan for rescuing the world. Jesus is our leader. The members of the church are those who have said “I believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and I accept Him as my personal Lord and Savior.” The purpose of the church is to grow together as we celebrate what God has done for us and make Him known to the world around us. The Church was intended to be the most welcoming, loving, and inclusive family that the world has ever seen.
Sexuality/Marriage
  • We believe that God’s design for sexuality and for marriage is specific and best for humanity. We believe the term “marriage” has only one meaning for the follower of Jesus: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as described in Genesis 2:18-25. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4). For the follower of Jesus, we believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person. As male or female, these two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Genesis 1:26-27).

Meet Our Staff

Matthew Riley

Senior Minister

MATTHEW@BOWLINGGREENCHRISTIAN.ORG
Matthew came to BGCC in the fall of 2023. He and his wife Rachel have two daughters, Piper and Sloane, and one son, Simon. Matthew loves spending time with his family, especially when they can all pile into a car and go on a family trip. He enjoys spending time with people and sharing the stories of Jesus with them. Matthew is a graduate of Cincinnati Christian University and has been in full time ministry since 2006. He enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, and just being outdoors. He drinks too much coffee, loves his home town of Harrodsburg, refuses to stop driving his old 4Runner, and will gladly sit and talk with you about anything mentioned above.

Megan Case

Children's Minister

MEGAN@BOWLINGGREENCHRISTIAN.ORG
Megan has been a member of BGCC since 2017. She has a degree in elementary education from Western Kentucky University and taught for several years. She and her husband, Landon, have three sons: Howie, Bennie and Wally. Megan loves Abraham Lincoln, who was born in her hometown of Hodgenville, KY, and she’d love to tell you a story of how her ancestor saved his life!

Melody Urban

Administrative Assistant

OFFICE@BOWLINGGREENCHRISTIAN.ORG
Melody, and her husband, Bryce, have been members of BGCC since 2008. Melody wears multiple hats at BGCC, but her favorite role is helping people find their place within the church and feel like part of the church family! In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family.

Nathan Ayers

Youth/Associate Minister

NATHAN@BOWLINGGREENCHRISTIAN.ORG
Nathan has been going to BGCC for years but joined staff September 2022. Nathan was previously the director of Christian Student Fellowship at WKU for 10 years. He and his wife, Sarah, love being with people and invite people over all the time for food, games, or just to talk. Nathan is a big UK and WKU fan and will literally play any sport that you ask him to play.

Amanda Claise

Worship Leader

AMANDA@BOWLINGGREENCHRISTIAN.ORG
Amanda and her husband, Nick, began attending BGCC in 2022. Amanda graduated from Belmont University where she studied Music Business and Commercial Voice and performed for companies such as Holiday World, Kings Island, and Celebrity Cruise Lines for over 10 years. She is now a mom of two, who loves taking family walks, traveling to new places, and spending her summers introducing her kids to her love of Holiday World.

Justin Honey

Pastor of Worship and Discpleship

justin@bowlinggreenchristian.org
Justin Honey and his wife Lexie began their ministry at BGCC in 2026. Justin graduated from Truman State University with a Major in Mathematics and Minors in Statistics and Actuarial Science and he currently attends Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for biblical counseling. He has served in the ministry as a pastor since 2019 and is the father of one Jonas Honey! They enjoy being outside, playing games, worship, sports, music, and good company.

Our Elders

Todd Hammerstone

Lucas Humble

Steve Briggs

Spencer Tuttle

Jeff Rose

Dana Wooters

Brian Schreiner

Micah Morris