MEET THE PASTORS
Meet Our Pastors
David (Dave) Graybeal
Senior Pastor
Dave is originally from Marion, VA, where he grew up attending First United Methodist Church with his family. He attended Emory & Henry College, majoring in philosophy and psychology while playing tennis and singing in the concert choir. After graduating in 1995, he served the college as an admissions counselor before heading to seminary at Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, where he met his wife, Tracy. They married in March 2000 and spent their first year of marriage and ministry serving five British Methodist churches in Penzance, Cornwall, England. Back in the Holston Conference,
Dave served as associate pastor at Keith Memorial UMC in Athens, pastor of the Englewood and Mars Hill UMCs, pastor of St. Mark UMC in Knoxville, and returned to Keith Memorial UMC as senior pastor. He has served as a volunteer hospital chaplain, on the boards of the Athens Area Council for the Arts and Camp Lookout, and as an adjunct professor of religion at Tennessee Wesleyan University. Dave is the author of two books: Faith in The West Wing: The Portrayal of Religion in a Primetime Presidency (Wipf & Stock, 2023) and Bethlehem: An Advent Journey (Parson's Porch, 2024) and the co-author of Christmas in the Neighborhood: Lessons from Mister Rogers (Parson’s Porch, 2026).
Dave and Tracy have two young adult sons, Noah and Wesley. The family loves the outdoors — tennis, golf, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, kayaking, and exploring all that Signal Mountain has to offer.
Dave's favorite scripture is Romans 8:28 - "God makes all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to God's purpose."
Bill Thornton
Associate Pastor & Director of Congregational Care
Bill has served in a pastoral role at Signal Crest since June 2015, when he was licensed as a local pastor — though he's been a longtime member of the church far longer than that. Bill and his wife, Tracey, have one adult daughter, Emily. He completed the United Methodist Course of Study through the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Bill is also deeply involved in Walden's Ridge Emergency Services, where he serves as Board Chairman and as an EMT/Firefighter.
Bill's favorite scripture is 2 Corinthians 12:9: "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.' So I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me."
Drew Barton
Director of Youth Ministries and Community Connections
Drew grew up in Sevierville, TN, and attended college at Tennessee Wesleyan College (now University) where he received his BS in Church Vocations. He moved to Chattanooga in 2015 to join the Signal Crest Team. In 2021, Drew received a Masters of Arts in Christian Practice from Duke Divinity School and he added Director of Community Connections to his plate. In 2026, he was fully ordained as a deacon in the United Methodist Church.
When Drew isn’t hanging out with the youth, you can find him spending time with his wife, Kaitlyn and their dog, Banjo. He also enjoys coaching baseball at Howard High School, eating 517 subs, running, golfing, playing pickleball or watching his favorite sport teams: the Duke Blue Devils and the Atlanta Braves. Drew’s favorite part about youth ministry is seeing students take ownership of their faith and are excited to pursue God. Drew's favorite part about mission and outreach is seeing the Signal Crest community connect with other neighbors both on the mountain and off the mountain.