Officers
The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) recognizes two kinds of biblically sanctioned church officers, or ordained leaders, continuing beyond the apostolic age of the church. Chapter 7 paragraph 2 of the PCA’s Book of Church Order defines these kinds, or classes, of ecclesiastical office, “The ordinary and perpetual classes of office in the Church are elders and deacons. Within the class of elder are the two orders of teaching and ruling elders. The elders jointly have the government and spiritual oversight of the Church, including teaching. Only those elders who are specially gifted, called and trained by God to preach may serve as teaching elders. The office of deacon is not one of rule, but rather of service both to the physical and spiritual needs of the people. In accord with Scripture, these offices are open to men only.”
For information about Antioch’s Session of elders, click here.
For information about Antioch’s Diaconate, click here.
Staff
The staff of Antioch Presbyterian Church includes a full-time pastor and a part-time pastor called by the congregation, and one part-time pastoral intern studying for the ministry at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary.
Pastor Zachary Groff
Full-time Pastor, Moderator of Session
Pastor Zachary Groff is pastor of the historic Antioch Presbyterian Church (est. 1843) in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, which he was instrumental in reorganizing beginning in 2020. A native of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, Zack holds degrees from Temple University (BA) and Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (MDiv). He is active in leadership with the Carolinas PCA Church-Planting Network and with the PCA’s Mission to North America through its Permanent Committee. He is married to Mrs. Jocelyn Groff, and they have six children. For a list of publications, click here. He is married to Mrs. Jocelyn Groff, and they have six children.
Dr. Joseph A. Pipa, Jr., PhD, DD
Part-time Pastor
Dr. Pipa is one of the charter Teaching Elders of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), having come into the denomination at its formation in 1973. A native of Pensacola, Florida, Dr. Pipa holds degrees from Belhaven College (BA), Reformed Theological Seminary (MDiv), Westminster Theological Seminary (PhD), and Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (DD). Dr. Pipa has pastored congregations in Mississippi, Texas, and California. During the 1990s, he labored as a Seminary professor at Westminster Seminary California, where he directed the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program. From 1998 to 2020, Dr. Pipa served as President of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, where he continues to teach full-time as Professor of Systematic & Applied Theology. He has authored or edited many books and academic articles (for a list, click here). He was married to the late Mrs. Carolyn “Sissy” Pipa, and their two grown children and ten grandchildren live in the Greenville-Spartanburg area.
Pastor Ronaldo André
Pastoral Intern
Pastor André began attending Antioch in the fall of 2024 after moving to the Greenville area to complete his studies at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He began a local pastoral internship under the oversight of Antioch’s session in August 2025. A native of Brazil, Pastor André is an experienced missionary and evangelist with the Igreja Presbiteriana do Brasil (IPB). He is married to Mrs. Fernanda André, and they have three daughters.
Mr. Timothy Pierce
Pastoral Intern
Mr. Pierce joined Antioch in September 2024 and began a pastoral internship under the oversight of Antioch’s session in August 2025. A native of Massachusetts, Tim is a graduate of Reformation Bible College in Sanford, Florida and is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity (MDiv) at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Tim is married to Mrs. Stephanie Pierce, and they have four children. He desires to pursue a call to pastoral ministry in the PCA upon graduation from GPTS.
Mr. Nathan Tunnell
Pastoral Intern
Mr. Tunnell joined Antioch as an Associate Member in September 2024 and is completing a pastoral internship under the auspices of Georgia Foothills Presbytery in partnership with Chestnut Mountain Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Flowery Branch, GA and Antioch Presbyterian Church. A native of Georgia, Nate is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Divinity (BDiv) at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary (GPTS). Nate is married to Mrs. Kasia Tunnell, and they have four children. They desire to move to Poland as PCA missionaries with Reformed Evangelistic Fellowship (REF) after Nate graduates from GPTS.
