About us

Connect | Encourage | Equip

Our Mission

The mission of the Free Grace Alliance is to advance the grace message throughout the world by connecting, encouraging, and equipping the body of Christ. We reach out to all points of the world through the internet, conferences, seminars, our magazine, and other media.

Our Beliefs

As members of the Evangelical Tradition, we affirm the Bible alone, and the Bible in its entirety, is the inspired Word of God and is therefore inerrant in the autographs. Furthermore, God is a Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each an uncreated person, one in essence, equal in power and glory.
As members of this tradition, we are concerned about the clear understanding, presentation, and advancement of the Gospel of God’s Free Grace.

The Free Grace Alliance Covenant

WE AFFIRM THE FOLLOWING:

  • The Grace of God in justification is an unconditional free gift.
  • The sole means of receiving the free gift of eternal life is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died on the cross as our substitute, fully satisfying the requirement for our justification, and was raised bodily from the dead.
  • Faith is a personal response, apart from our works, whereby we are persuaded that the finished work of Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection, has delivered us from condemnation and guaranteed our eternal life.
  • Justification is the act of God to declare us righteous when we believe in Jesus Christ alone.
  • Assurance of justification is the birthright of every believer from the moment of faith in Jesus Christ, and is founded upon the testimony of God in His written Word.
  • Spiritual growth, which is distinct from justification, is God’s expectation for every believer; this growth, however, is not necessarily manifested uniformly in every believer.
  • The Gospel of Grace should always be presented with such clarity and simplicity that no impression is left that justification requires any step, response, or action in addition to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

In agreement with these affirmations, we covenant to work together graciously and enthusiastically to advance this Gospel of Grace, and to communicate with a positive and gracious tone toward all others, both inside and outside the Free Grace Alliance.

Become a member

Our leadership

Executive Council Members

Jeremy Mikkelsen

Before taking his current role as the executive director of the Free Grace Alliance, Jeremy served as a Senior Pastor (Lacey Bible Church), an Executive Pastor (Northwest Hills Community Church), and before entering pastoral ministry he and his wife (Carri) and their three kids served as missionaries in South America (Wycliffe Associates).

Jeremy and Carri have been married for 21 years and both received Bible degrees from Ethnos 360 Bible Institute. Jeremy also has a civil engineering degree from Oregon State University and practiced engineering as a bridge designer before their time in South America. He also completed a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Chafer Theological Seminary in 2023.

When they are not teaching and advocating for grace you’ll find them enjoying the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest as avid cyclists and gardeners.

Dr. Charlie Bing

Charlie (Th.M., Ph.D.) is one of the original founders of FGA, served in pastoral ministry for 25 years and is the founder and director of GraceLife Ministries. With a pastor’s heart and perspective, he travels the USA and the world sharing the message of grace and training others to do the same. He has authored several books and many articles. His speaking and writing is known for its passion and clarity.

Dr. Mark “Dean” Haywood

Dr. Mark “Dean” Haywood currently serves as the Provost and Professor for Grace School of Theology (Grace). He is the founder and former pastor of God’s Household of Faith in Houston, Texas. God has sent Dr. Haywood to teach and preach about the love of Christ, a love that cannot be earned, and cannot be lost.

Kenny Ray Hodges

Kenny Ray Hodges was born and raised in Mississippi and graduated from Mississippi State University in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science in Business and Industry. After spending a year at Florida Bible College he enrolled in Dallas Theological Seminary and graduated in 1980 with a Masters of Arts in Biblical Studies. He moved back to Mississippi in 1984 and in 1987 began a thirty-three-year ministry at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Starkville, MS. For eighteen years Dr. Hodges was the discipleship director and worship leader. In 2005 he became the senior pastor and ministered in that role until June of 2020. In 2016 Dr. Hodges began the Doctor of Ministry program at Grace School of Theology and graduated in May of 2020. In July of 2020, Dr. Hodges and his family moved to Texas where he is currently involved in a writing and teaching ministry and is also an adjunct professor at Grace School of Theology. He also leads the worship at Community Baptist Church in the Woodlands, Texas. Dr. Hodges is the founder of Two Circles Ministries, www.the2circles.org a web-based platform for teaching the gospel of grace. Dr. Hodges and his wife Kaye, live in Spring Texas. They have two grown children who also live in the Houston area.

Sam Newton

Sam Newton, a native of Corpus Christi, Texas, graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering and Masters in Business Administration in Finance, from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. Sam has 40+ years of experience in numerous phases in the oil and gas industry. He assists senior business executives in strategy development, planning, organizational development, and leadership development.
Sam came to know Christ at the age of 17 while engaged with his church youth program in Corpus Christi, Texas. Sam has always embraced the doctrine of Free Grace long before he became familiar with the phrase and is now enrolled in seminary at Grace School of Theology in pursuit of a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies
In semi-retirement, Sam finds himself as busy as ever as he continues leadership consulting, serving on two advisory boards, continuing his education, and serving as a church lay leader offering his many years of business and leadership experience.

Carmen Pate

Carmen Pate is an author, speaker, teacher of biblical studies, and mentor to those seeking to discover their place in God’s story, encouraging women and men to fulfill their God given purpose.

Carmen is the producer and host of Saving Grace, a broadcast ministry of Grace School of Theology. Carmen’s past work experience includes serving as a Principal with Alliance Ministries, and Chief Communications Officer for Truth in Action Ministries. She has produced and hosted nationally syndicated radio programs including Truth that Transforms Radio, and Point of View Radio Talk Show. Carmen was a past President of Concerned Women for America (CWA). In that capacity, she regularly defended family and Judeo-Christian values before Congress and international media venues.

Carmen and her husband Bob have three grown children and 9 grandchildren. Bob and Carmen live in Conroe, TX.

Dr. Juan Sanchez

Dr. Juan Sanchez currently serves as Dean of International Programs and Adjunct Professor of Bible Exposition and Music at Grace School of Theology. He is also a Reverend, an accomplished Musician and has served in several areas of ministry in many congregations in the United States and around the world. Dr. Sanchez has been married to his wife Kristen for over 15 years and they are blessed with two lovely children.

Ed Underwood

Ed Underwood is president and lead consultant for Recentered Group. During his career as a pastor, culminating with turning around the historic Church of the Open Door, Ed merged his leadership experience as an Army Officer and fireman with his passion for authentic church to help leaders and communities heal from wounds and toxicity that cripple vision and impede sustaining success. Ed has authored four books, numerous journal and website articles. He travels extensively, preaching, teaching, and equipping leaders, leadership teams, mission organizations and churches. Ed and Judy have three grown children and nine grandchildren.

Dr. Jeremy Vance

Dr. Jeremy Vance, the current president of FGA, is a native of Wisconsin. He received his B.A. in Religion at Northwestern College in Iowa, went on to earn his M.Div. from Phoenix Seminary, and his doctorate of ministry degree from Grace School of Theology. Jeremy has served as a full-time pastor since 1994 and is currently the Senior Pastor of Faith Church in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. He was ordained in the Evangelical Free Church of America in 2006. He and his wife Jill have four children and two grandchildren. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his family, being outdoors, golfing, camping, hunting and fishing. He also loves to draw, paint and write. Jeremy has written two books published by Grace Theology Press, Companions With Christ and his most recent publication, John, Jesus & Me.

Staff

Carri Mikkelsen

Carri Mikkelsen is our online editor. She is native to the Pacific Northwest where the trees stay green and the mountains are white. She is a graduate of Ethnos360 Bible Institute (1999). She has also received a BS in Anthropology at OSU (2007) and a Masters in Biblical Counseling from Calvary University (2022). In 2012 her husband and three young kids served with Wycliffe Associates in Venezuela. They now serve at Lacey Bible Church in Washington state. She counsels, shepherds, disciples, and writes.

Frequently
Asked
Questions

Contact us

There are a variety of organizations which promote evangelism, discipleship, and various theological viewpoints. The FGA is seeking to unite leaders, churches, and organizations which affirm the gospel of grace. The structure of the Alliance is such that the membership owns the organization through shared leadership. We at FGA want to CONNECT, ENCOURAGE and EQUIP free grace leaders, churches, and organizations…to strategize together about how to unite and promote grace to our needy world. The FGA encourages its members to belong to any organizations or churches they want to which are a match within their own doctrinal convictions. All are welcomed to belong to the FGA if they affirm our covenant; there are no restrictions on membership in other organizations as a member of the Free Grace Alliance.

YES. The FGA COVENANT is for membership and interaction among ourselves. It is not designed to explain all aspects of a theology. Instead, it is for the purpose of helping us clarify who all can align themselves with us and our purpose to CONNECT and ENCOURAGE free grace leaders. Specifically, it is designed sequentially; so understanding point number 1 precedes appreciating the addition or clarification of point number 2, etc. Since the membership “owns the organization,” the Beliefs Covenant may be changed by the procedures outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws. The only question one need ask as he reads the Covenant is, “Do I agree with this point?”

As stated previously, the only requirement for membership is the Covenant itself. If it is not in the Covenant, then the question is open for discussion. The FGA is within the historical Christian faith, so traditional errors regarding the trinity, deity of Christ, etc., will probably be avoided in our discussions.