Roger DePriest

B.A., M.A., Ph.D.

Level 2 Certification with ACBC

Executive Director and Chairman

Roger is an active member of Colonial Baptist Church of Virginia Beach where he leads and teaches an Adult Bible Study. He is an ordained Baptist minister and a biblical counselor certified with ACBC (Level 2) since 1991. He holds a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies from Clarks Summit University, an M.A. in Theological Studies from Talbot Theological Seminary, and a B.A. in Psychology from Cedarville University.

Roger is the Founder and Executive Director of Grace Biblical Counseling Ministry (GBCM) in Virginia Beach, Virginia. GBCM is an ACBC Certified Training Center. He has been in full-time pastoral ministry for approximately 40 years (youth pastor, pastor/church planter, jail and prison ministry chaplain). Since 1979 he has carried on an active ministry of biblical counseling, teaching, and preaching ministry. He is also a Faculty Associate at Virginia Beach Theological Seminary, serving as Professor of Biblical Counseling. Roger and his wife Susann have five sons and thirteen grandchildren.

Les Litchfield, II

B.S., M.B.S.

GBCM Financial Secretary

Les serves as Exclusive Agent at Horace Mann, a company that is dedicated to servicing Educators with auto, home, property, and life insurance, as well as life retirement annuities.  In addition to that, he assists the pastoral staff of Colonial Baptist Church of Virginia Beach, in the business and finances. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mass Media from Bob Jones University in 2000 and completed his Master of Biblical Studies degree at Virginia Beach Theological Seminary in 2011.

Les is married to Shannon, and they have three boys: Patrick, Ian, and Miles.

R. Adam Messer

CFP®, AAMS®, 

GBCM General Secretary

Adam is an active member of Christ Fellowship in Williamsburg, Virginia. He currently serves as a community group leader in his church. He is the founder and President, of Forefront Asset Management, LLC, where he is an Investment Advisor, building trusted relationships with clients and helping them pursue their financial goals.

Prior to entering the financial industry, Adam previously served in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Nuclear Warfare Officer and is a graduate of the Naval Nuclear Power School. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the United States Naval Academy in 1994. Originally from Manassas, Virginia, he lives in Williamsburg with his wife, Kerry, and their children, Hannah, Luke and Levi.

James Newcomer

B.A., M.A., D.Min.

Level 2 Certification with ACBC

GBCM Director

Jim is an ordained Baptist minister and an ACBC certified biblical counselor (Level 2). He serves as the Senior Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Ypsilanti, MI. He was born in Detroit, Michigan and lived there until he left for college in 1985. In 1994, he entered pastoral ministry in 1994 and since then he has carried on a rich and fruitful ministry, serving variously as a youth pastor, an executive pastor, conference speaker, and a senior pastor, first in North Carolina, and now in Michigan. Beyond all that, since 2000, Jim has served as adjunct faculty teaching in the area of pastoral theology and biblical counseling at both the undergraduate and graduate levels in several institutions, including Virginia Beach Theological Seminary. 

He and Lorie were married in 1989 and now have 3 adult children.

Helene Watts

B.A.

Level 1 Certification with ACBC

GBCM Director

Helene is an active member of Cornerstone Bible Church of Virginia Beach, Virginia and is an ACBC certified biblical counselor (Level 1). She is also very involved in para-church ministries, including a Christian surf ministry called Walking on Water, a Christ-centered micro-finance ministry called HOPE International, Bible Study Fellowship, and Young Life—Tidewater Independent Schools.

Helene graduated from Virginia Tech in 1982 with a degree in Business Management. She then returned to Virginia Beach, her hometown, to begin a career as a financial advisor first with a large brokerage firm and then with a banking institution, but soon became a stay-at-home mom, after the arrival of her two children, Kyle and Meredith.

Helene and her husband, Greg, live in Virginia Beach