Meet Our Staff

It takes many talented hands to manage a church and reach our community with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Here are our staff and Lay Leaders who help to guide us on our mission to be a Beacon of God's Light to our community and the world.

Meet our Staff

Pastor Russell Robertson was called to serve as the Lead Pastor at Beach Beacon Baptist Church after the retirement of their faithful Lead Pastor, Gordon Ellsworth. Pastor Russell started at Beach Beacon in January of 2025. He is a native of the Hampton Roads area and seeks to be a beacon to the local community through the faithful exposition and teaching of God’s word in a way that challenges and engages people to desire more in their walk with Christ.
You can email him at: [email protected]

Pastor Neil Johnston is the Pastor of Youth Ministries here on our Campus. Neil is committed to seeing that each of our middle and high school students are living a life spiritually that allows them to grow their faith in Jesus Christ through Bible teaching, mentoring, fellowship and missions. Contact Pastor Neil at: [email protected]

Donna Murray is the Church Administrator here at Beach Beacon. When you enter into our Church Office hers is the face of “Welcome” and “How can I help you today” that truly allows us to be a Church Living Life Together.

Craig McManus is our Director of Children's Ministries. He is responsible for the children's programs from birth through 5th grade. If you drop in on Wednesday nights, you will find Craig and his wife Connie running our Awana program. Craig also serves as one of our Deacons here at Beach Beacon and leads our Facilities Team to ensure that each and every time the doors of Beach Beacon open, our building and grounds say “welcome”, especially to our guests. You can email him at [email protected] .

Our Lay Leaders give their time, being sure that the Gospel of Christ is shared and lived out in all of the Church's endeavors.

Pastor Bill Dudley is our Worship Team Director. Each week Pastor Bill leads our Worship with songs of praise with a mix of contemporary songs and traditional hymns.
Pastor Bill leads one of our Sunday morning Small Groups and you can sometimes find him in the Pulpit when Pastor takes a break.

Angie White leads our Audio Visual Team here at Beach Beacon. Every Staff needs someone who ensures things flow in the right order on Sundays, Angie is that person for us. She also serves as one of our Awana Leaders, teaching our Sparkies to Know , Love , and Serve Jesus Christ.

Jerry Chappell serves as one of our Deacons and leads our Outreach Teams here at Beach Beacon. His passion for the lost is a reflection of his love for His Savior and His desire to see all come to know Him as Savior and Lord.

Pastor Willie White has been bestowed the title of Deacon Emeritus, having faithfully served the church since 2001 as a Deacon. Pastor Willie was part of the team that merged the two churches and brought Pastor Gordon Ellsworth to the fellowship as our Lead Pastor. His service and leadership helped to grow Virginia Beach Beacon Baptist Church through many years. Although Pastor Willie has retired from serving at Beach Beacon, he is one of the faithful faces you will see on Sunday mornings, and offers a wealth of experience to the leaders of the Church.

Todd Smith is part of our Deacon Fellowship and he is in charge of our Benevolence Fund. When we get calls from people requesting financial assistance, Todd works with them to assess their need and then with prayer, guidance from The Holy Spirit, and our Deacon Fellowship, he facilitates the gift to help meet the need. On Sunday, you will see Todd at the Keyboard as part of our Praise Team and on Sunday mornings, Todd also leads one of our Sunday Small Groups.

Bob Hunt wears a couple hats at Beach Beacon, serving as our Treasurer and leading our Missions Team. Bob's passion for Missions has him traveling a couple of times each year, taking the Gospel message across the globe.