Leadership

Grace Fellowship Church is led by a team of elders who oversee the spiritual growth and effectiveness of the church.

Peter Krol

Preaching Pastor

Peter and his wife Erin have been a part of Grace Fellowship Church since 2011, along with their children Benaiah, Ethan, Elsa, Charlotte, Alanna, Coralyn and Matthias.

Peter grew up just outside Philadelphia, where he heard and believed the gospel almost his entire life. He came to see his sin and need of a savior most clearly through his church’s summer camp when he was 8. And he grew to understand how to give up everything to follow Christ in 11th grade, when all the things he was hoping in severely failed him.

Peter coaches his kids’ baseball teams, and he and Erin play board games constantly. His favorite aspect of ministry is studying and preaching God’s word.

Tom Hallman 

Executive Pastor

Tom has attended Grace Fellowship since 2004 and has been an elder since 2009. He and his wife Ali have four fun & energetic boys: David, Jimmy, Joey & Peter.

Although Tom was an outspoken atheist as a teenager, God used the patient, caring witness of Christians at college to challenge his assumptions and show him an entirely superior worldview. He began discovering the grace of Jesus Christ - an adventure that continues to this day.

Tom loves Marvel movies, cycling, software development, and, most of all, helping people know the grace of Jesus Christ.

Rhys John

Elder

Rhys & Becky have been attending GFC since 2004. They have five children.

Rhys grew up familiar with church but his faith did not become real until the end of this sophomore year in college. Neighbors in his dorm at Penn State became his friends and inviting him to read the Bible and discuss it. After resisting the invitation for a year and a half he decided to check it out. He was amazed by reading about Jesus and soon after realized that Jesus is his savior and decided to place his trust in him.

Besides enjoying his family, Rhys likes to tinker and fix anything, and he also enjoys the outdoors.

Dan grew up in a churchgoing home, but it was in college that his faith began to become more concrete. Shortly after graduation, Dan moved to State College and began attending Grace Fellowship, becoming a member in 2008. 

What's impacted Dan the most during this journey has been the steadfast power of God's Word, the Bible. GFC's unique structure – particularly its focus on training young men to know and even preach the Word – proved very attractive to Dan, and he joined the preaching rotation a few years later. Over the past 10+ years as a member, Dan has been grateful for the many men who have personally invested in him over the years, some of which are now fellow GFC elders.

Dan is married to his wife Becky, and they have three children. They are delighted to call GFC their home!

Bill Dripps

Elder Emeritus

Bill and his wife Bonnie have made their home in State College since 1979 and helped plant Grace Fellowship in 2001. They have three children and eight grandchildren.

Bill came to know Christ through a neighbor who led a Bible study in her home for high school students. This was totally new for him, but he eagerly devoured the Scriptures and began leading a high school Bible club for other students.

Understanding God’s Word for himself and helping others grow in the Scriptures remain his passions. He majored in Physics and enjoys all things technical, spending time with good friends, reading (especially history) and engaging in conversation about important issues. 

After twenty years of actively serving as an elder at Grace Fellowship, Bill began ministering as an elder emeritus in 2021.