Our Staff & Leaders

Pastor

Rayshawn Graves
Rayshawn Graves
Pastor
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Rayshawn has lived in Richmond for over 25 years. He and his wife, Tiffany, have been married for ten years and have one son. He trusted in Jesus at the age of seven and was baptized at the age of ten. Rayshawn received his Masters of Arts in Theological Studies from Liberty University and is currently pursuing a Masters of Divinity at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. In his spare time Rayshawn enjoys basketball, writing, the beauty of athletic sneakers, and Chipotle when he has a few extra dollars.

Elders

Derek Gaubatz
Derek Gaubatz
Elder, Group Leader - Innsbrook
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God called Derek to saving faith in Jesus Christ after after saving his life in a college auto accident. Derek married Judy in 2003 and they have 3 children, Bethany, Jeremy, and Katelyn. In his spare time, he practices law.

One of Derek's favorite books of the Bible is Isaiah. Though language can never fully capture the character and nature of the almighty, triune God, the rich imagery of Isaiah's poetry cannot help but stir the mind, heart, and soul to worship.

In his free time, Derek enjoys reading Christian biographies such as Adoniram Judson, Jonathan Edwards, or Jim Eliot. He is inspired by such men who have both poured out their lives "like a drink offering," and also have "run the race with endurance." He also enjoys music, classical, jazz, and his kids belting out “By Faith” or “Mighty to Save.”

Matt Hawkins
Matt Hawkins
Elder, Worship Leader, Group Leader - Innsbrook
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Matt's journey with the Lord Jesus began at age 4, and he was baptized at 14. While attending a Christian college, God challenged Matt to a deeper level of faith. At age 19, after wrestling with his salvation, Matt made a firm decision to follow Christ and was re-baptized a few years later.

A native of Richmond, Matt began serving as the WEBC praise & worship leader in January 2002. He has enjoyed being involved in a new church plant almost from the start. That same year, he married his wife Jenny (also from Richmond), and God has since blessed them with a daughter and a son.

During the week, Matt works in marketing communications. He also enjoys listening to music of all kinds, working on computers, using other languages, and amateur photography.

One of Matt's favorite scripture passages is Philippians 2:6-11, especially in the poetic quality of the International Standard Version.

Kevin Rogers
Kevin Rogers
Elder, Group Leader - Near West End
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804-938-4673


Kevin grew up in a large extended family in southwest Virginia. The deaths of several family members caused him to wrestle with matters of eternity at an young age. Though he attended church all the way through high school, he was a stranger to true faith in Jesus Christ. Amidst all the sensuality of the college environment, God awakened Kevin to the truth that these pleasures would last only for a lifetime. As he read for himself through the Gospels and the words of Jesus, he came to see that his life was one of sin. But he also saw that Jesus loved him in spite of that, and had died so that he might be forgiven and have eternal life. During his final year of college, Kevin put his trust in Jesus Christ to forgive him for his sins and committed to following Him. Full of new joy in Christ, he wanted to help others experience this same joy, and thus enrolled in Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

After his graduation in 2004, he moved to Richmond and started attending WEBC. Kevin became an elder in the summer of 2005. The following year, he married his wife Talona—whom he met at our church. They now have three sons and one daughter. In 2012, WEBC commissioned its founding pastor and his family to take the good news of Christ to the nations, and the members affirmed Kevin as the church's next pastor. Still motivated by the joy that he has in Christ, Kevin serves as a worker for the church's joy (2 Corinthians 1:24), as well as to proclaim the good news to those who don't know Christ.

Kevin enjoys spending time with his family, reading all kinds of books, and playing golf.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'" Romans 1:16-17

Group Leaders

Matt Burton
Matt Burton
Group Leader - Regency
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Matt grew up attending church but truly came to know the Lord when he was 15. In 2001, Matt married the love of his life, Smokey and in 2008 they welcomed their beautiful daughter Mia into the world. Matt was called to live a life of service and has been blessed in his job as a teacher in Louisa County working with troubled and at-risk students.

In his spare time Matt enjoys playing and writing music. He plays several instruments including guitar, bass guitar, drums and piano. He is involved with several Christian bands in the Richmond area and plays drums for the West End Baptist Church praise band. He also enjoys playing and watching sports.

"Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:18

Steve Petersen
Steve Petersen
Group Leader - Regency
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Born into a loving Christian family, Steve was blessed with parents and a church that taught him about God. He came to a saving faith in Christ early in life through the faithful witness of his parents and grandparents.

While a student at VCU, Steve met Ann.   Ann and Steve were married in 2001, and now have three children: Natalie, Megan and Michael.

One of the Scripture passages that has challenged him most is: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing." James 1:22-25 (ESV)