We exist to glorify God by
making more and better disciples
Learn more about Grace Fellowship
Our Beliefs
Our core beliefs come directly from the Bible. Check out what we believe the Bible teaches about God, humans, and other essential aspects of faith.
Philosophies
Every church operates differently. Our philosophies of ministry help us fulfill our mission in practical and effective ways.
Leadership
Meet our Leaders and staff here at Grace Fellowship
Our Beliefs
These are the essential beliefs that Grace Fellowship holds to. Our essential beliefs are held with great confidence and passion.
The Bible
The Scriptures, comprising 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, are the inspired Word of God without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of mankind, and the divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life.
God & The Trinity
There is only one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. Furthermore, He arose bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Father, He is now our High Priest and Advocate.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit’s ministry serves to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, to convict men of sin; regenerate the believing sinner; and to indwell, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly living and service.
Mankind & Sin
Mankind was created in the image of God, but fell into sin and is therefore lost. Only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained.
Salvation by Grace
The blood shed by Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only grounds for salvation of all who believe. Only those who receive Jesus Christ by faith are born of the Holy Spirit and thus become the children of God.
The Physical Return of Christ
The personal and imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ is our “blessed hope” and has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer.
The Bodily Resurrection
There will be a bodily resurrection of all the dead. The believer will be welcomed to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord, and the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting, conscious punishment.
The Church
The true Church consists of all such persons who, through saving faith in Jesus Christ, have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the Body of Christ of which He is the Head.
Philosophies of Ministry
Our mission at Grace Fellowship is to glorify God by making more and better disciples. One of the ways we seek to thrive in fulfilling that mission is by adhering to five ministry philosophies. If you want to learn more about these 5 philosophies, check out the following sermon series where Pastor Rex does a deep dive:
Three Circle Thinking
This means we hold our essentials with confidence, our convictions with humility, and our preferences with a spirit of practicality
Methods & Principles
Methods are many, principles are few; methods always change, principles never do.
Training Up Others
Every believer is a minister and is called to serve the body of Christ with whatever gifts & abilities God has given them.
Your Life is Your Ministry
While our desire is to grow toward perfection in character and to constantly strive to be more like Christ, each of us should feel comfortable being “Real.” We look for excellence, not perfection.
Balancing Grace & Truth
We strive to accurately balance these two core aspects of the Christian life at Grace. We must have grace and truth together in balance if we are truly going to reach people for Jesus Christ.
Leadership
Our leadership team guides Grace’s direction and mission. Along with our pastoral staff, we have a dedicated team of elders who oversee Grace Fellowship.
Dr. Rex Keener
Senior Pastor
Pastor Rex, our Senior and Founding Pastor, is a dynamic and engaging preacher who leads our church in our mission. His journey with Christ began at a young age, when he accepted Christ at 13, a testament to his deep-rooted faith and connection to the church.
Pastor Rex graduated as a religion major at Carson-Newman College in Jefferson, Tennessee, and completed a Master of Divinity program in 1985 at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. After completing the Master of Divinity program in 1985, Rex was offered a full-time job as a coordinator of counseling and follow-up with the Billy Graham Team. He worked with the team for six years before going back to Southern Seminary and completing his Doctorate of Ministry in 1994.
He and his wife Debbie have been married since 1990 and have 2 children, Allee and Chase. They currently live in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Mat Saxon
Latham Campus Pastor
Pastor Mat serves as the Campus Pastor for our Latham Campus. Professionally, Mat’s background is in business. He served as a business manager with a franchise group for nine years in the Carolinas and Georgia before sensing the call to vocational ministry. In 2011, Mat went back to school and began pursuing his Master of Divinity (M.Div) at Columbia International University in Columbia, SC. Upon completion of his M.Div., Mat was ordained and transitioned from the marketplace into full-time ministry.
Mat is passionate about studying and teaching God’s Word, helping disciples grow in Christ, and overseeing the Latham Campus. Mat, Nikki, and their three daughters, Ilona, Eloise, and Chloe, are originally from the Carolinas but love life in the Capital District.
Tim Gardner
Halfmoon Campus Pastor
Tim Gardner serves as the Campus Pastor for our Halfmoon Campus. As a pastor’s kid, Tim grew up in the church and “never wanted to be a pastor!” However, God had different plans. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Youth Ministry from Azusa Pacific University in California, he went on to complete his Master of Divinity at Azusa Pacific Seminary in 2012.
Tim is passionate about seeing people find hope in Christ and encouraging disciples to live in a way that makes their kids, family, friends, and neighbors say, “Wait, you actually believe this stuff?”
Tim and his wife, Emily, transplanted from Southern California to Idaho and then to Pennsylvania. They finally landed in the beautiful Capital District of New York, with their two kids, James and Kennedy.
Isaac Denton
Saratoga Campus Pastor
Isaac is the Campus Pastor at our Saratoga Campus. Isaac grew up in rural northwest Indiana before attending Clarks Summit University. He then completed his Master of Ministry degree and, later, his Master of Divinity from Baptist Bible Seminary. He served in several different ministry roles before joining the Grace staff.
Isaac loves seeing people take their next steps in their walk with Christ and is all-in with Grace’s mission of making more and better disciples of Jesus Christ. Isaac, his wife Abigail, and their three children, James, Lia, and Adeline, live in Saratoga Springs and absolutely love the greater Capital Region.
Tim Kong
Central Operations Pastor
Tim Kong serves as our Central Operations Pastor. Under his leadership, Tim oversees our Central Support Teams of Finance, Legal, Human Resources, Information Technology, Productions, Communications, Missions, and Community Engagement. Central Support’s mission is to provide exceptional operational support for our three campuses.
After receiving his ordination through Grace Fellowship, Tim regularly preaches and teaches at Grace Fellowship. One of Tim’s favorite classes to teach at Grace Fellowship is Discovering Your Design For Ministry, which helps people discover their God-given calling. Tim holds a B.S. in Cross-Cultural Studies from Alliance University and a Master of Divinity in Church Ministry from Alliance Theological Seminary.
Tim and his wife Melinda live in East Greenbush, NY, with their 2 teenage girls, a miniature labradoodle, and 2 cats.
In addition to our leadership team, Grace Fellowship also consists of campus and support staff.