Our Elders

A team of elders leads Gold Country Baptist Church under the leadership of Christ and His Word. These are men who have been deemed to be qualified to serve in this way according to the qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Each man is uniquely gifted by God to serve in this leadership position, and serves according to his ability in “overseeing” a part of the church at GCBC.

The Elders asked Phil to serve as the primary teaching pastor among his fellow pastor/elders who shepherd the flock with him. Phil is a graduate of The Master's College in 1997 and The Master's Seminary in 2006. Before accepting the call to be Pastor-Teacher at Gold Country Baptist Church in the fall of 2006, Phil served for 10 years as a lay-leader and shepherd at Grace Community Church under the preaching ministry of John MacArthur and elder oversight of Phil Johnson.

Pastor Phil Layton is committed to expository preaching, the sufficiency of Scripture for ministry and all of life, the doctrines of grace, spreading a passion for a high view of God and His Word, and pursuing a ministry that is Scripture-saturated, Christ-centered, God-glorifying, and Spirit-sensitive. The Lord has blessed Phil and his wife Jaime with three daughters and two sons.

After serving as the youth pastor at Faith Bible Church in Spokane, WA (2011-2014) Corey and his wife Laura moved from Los Angeles to be a part of the pastoral staff at GCBC in August 2018.

He is passionate about teaching the Word of God, discipling, equipping, and mobilizing God's people in ministry, as well as studying and teaching theology in the local church. He desires as the great aim and purpose of his existence to see every believer engaged in helping others follow Christ, and to be a part of investing in and training the next generation of saints, pastors, young people, and elders for a lifetime of ministry and Great Commission living.

Corey and his wife Laura have been married since 2012, have three children. Corey takes great delight in seeing his family grow; reading books on ecclesiology; roasting and drinking coffee; daydreaming about what life on the New Earth with Christ and all the redeemed will be like; listening to and playing music (especially acoustic music).

He holds a bachelors degree from Eastern Washington University and a Master of Divinity degree from The Master's Seminary in Sun Valley, California.

Mark Freeman is retired from a full career in law enforcement and serves as an Elder at Gold Country Baptist Church, with a specific focus on the mid-week Children’s Ministry program (Adventure Club).

He married Christine in 1983 and they are blessed with 4 children and a growing number of grandchildren. Mark loves to see these children grow in their knowledge of the Lord, which in turn causes their little hearts and minds to love the Lord Jesus Christ even more. He also teaches one of the mid-week home group bible studies for all ages.