Staff

BARRY CLIFTON, SENIOR PASTOR

pastorbarry@grace-baptist.net
Barry Clifton came to Grace as Senior Pastor in 1995. Born in Iowa, he studied both at Bethel Seminary and Gordon-Conwell Seminar, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1992. Barry sensed the call to ministry after graduating from the University of Iowa (with the degrees in Journalism and English). Before seminary, he led a youth ministry and then served an inner city church in London, England for a year. While in school, he pastored a rural congregation in Minnesota.
Barry is a racquetball nut, and also writes. He is currently trying to market his first book Ben-Hur: The Odyssey, a sequel to the Ben-Hur story, and is working on a second novel, A Sparrow Could Fall, about a country church that takes on a white supremacist group in the upper midwest. Barry and his wife Janis have been married for 27 years, and have a 25-year old daughter, Hannah.

JONATHAN AYERS, ASSOCIATE PASTOR

j.ayers@grace-baptist.net
Jonathan Ayers joined the Grace staff in 2008. He recently received his Masters of Divinity degree through Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. Jonathan was born and raised right here in Bristol, CT. He decided to join the Air Force right out of high school at the age of 17. He spent 8 years on active duty as a Security Forces Member and Chaplain Assistant, completing multiple tours deployed to the Middle East. Soon after joining the military, Jonathan decided to become a true follower of Christ and was baptized in 2003.

Currently, Jonathan is a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force Reserves, serving as a Chaplain Candidate. Jonathan has served in different areas of ministry to include: music, young adults and youth ministries. Jonathan, along with his wife Nerissa, assist with our Noncon4mers high school group here at Grace. Jonathan and Nerissa have been married for 8 years and have 2 beautiful children, Zachary and Hannah.