Our Team

Charlie Loften (Lead Pastor, Elder) E-mail Twitter Blog
Charlie has been in professional ministry since he graduated from Hendrix College in Conway, AR in 1994. After spending six years in college ministry with Student Mobilization, he finished his seminary degree at Denver Seminary in December of 2001. His style of teaching, ministry and life is laid-back and relational, desiring that people have authentic relationships with God and each other. In addition to being a pastor, he would consider his most important role to be husband/dad to the three most important and beautiful women in the world – his wife Heidi and his two daughters Maylee and Lauren. Charlie also loves movies, video games and pop-culture stuff. His knowledge of pop-culture, especially from the 80′s, has often been called obsessive and dangerous. This, of course, only encourages him. Lastly, writing this in the 3rd person was both troubling and humorous to Charlie.
Jason Miller (Worship Pastor, Elder) E-mail Twitter
I love spending time with my wife Jaime and sons Bowman and Price. We have lived in Northwest Arkansas since coming to school in 1996. Worship has been a crucial part of my life since picking up the guitar at age 11. I have been formed and shaped through experiences like Passion conferences, college ministries, and mission trips abroad. I have way too many interests, including writing and recording music, apple computers, golfing, searching out the best Mexican food in Springdale, and following the PGA tour. I love using my gifts to serve the church and see people engage with the living God through worship. I desire to see the church take on a lifestyle of worship and connect with each other in real and meaningful ways.
Rachel Hamen (Greenhouse Director) E-mail
On the outside I am your typical stay-at-home mom. I have three of the most beautiful kids, Hudson, Drew and Lily. I like to decorate, bake, scrapbook, sew and even blog on occasion. But under the surface, I feel like my life is anything but ordinary. On the day we had our official DTR talk, I told my husband, Jason, that I knew our lives together would be lived by faith. And I was right. The past five plus years have been an amazing adventure authored by Jesus. He is ever growing and teaching us and I can not think of anything more thrilling than to know that I am His child and to see His hand at work in my life. It is the desire of our hearts to first know Jesus, to model our love for and dependence on Him to our children, and to encourage others to do the same.
Aaron Gonzalez (Community / Associate Pastor) E-mail
I began in ministry as a worship leader, but the Holy Spirit has led me into the teaching of God’s Word. It is that calling that brought my family out from California in 2009. Through many challenges, our God has blessed us abundantly! Currently, I am pursuing an M.Div in Pastoral Ministry from Liberty University. I am honored to serve the people of The Grove and to point them to Jesus. I married my wife Jacey in 2003 (she’s way out of my league) and together we’re raising our two amazing sons, Ace and Cooper. I love old Gibson and Martin acoustic guitars (I just can’t afford one) and I love reading books by the Puritans and other “dead, old guys”. Life verse: 2 Corinthians 2:14
Cass Harris (Elder) E-mail Twitter
God grabbed ahold of me in 1998 while participating in a bible study with a group of friends. For the first time, this faith thing was real and I’ve been chasing after God ever since. He led me to the Grove in 1999. I met my wife, Brandi, that same year and we married in 2001. We have three awesome kids: India, Jude, and Sam. We see our home as a place for growth and nurturing not only for our kids, but also for our community. Brandi is a family therapist. She loves being a witness to and participating in the healing of people’s lives. I absolutely love music. I am a singer/songwriter and play guitar every chance I get. Through music, God has given me opportunities to speak truth into people’s lives. And I still think vinyl and headphones is the best way to listen to music.
Heidi Loften (Communications) E-mail
My goals in life are to follow after God with everything I am, get a great deal, and FINISH the laundry. Although I cringe at the title, “Pastor’s Wife,” I have loved being married to Charlie for over 16 years. We enjoy tackling the challenges and sharing the joys of marriage, ministry and parenting as a team. When I am not chauffering my daughters around NWA or doing laundry, I love spending time with women and encouraging them in the Lord. Nicknamed “The Destroyer,” I have been known to take on a to do list with tenacity. That’s pretty much my role at The Grove.
Carol Essen (Financial Administrator) E-mail
I live in Fayetteville with my husband Dan. I seek to utilize my God-given talents of organization and hospitality to honor Jesus in behind-the-scenes administrative duties at the Grove. I enjoy reading and love to follow a random assortment of business, leadership, home living and Christian blogs. I am a native Arkansan and a lifelong Razorback fan.