Your 2025 elder candidates

In the Apostle Paul’s pastoral letters to his protégés, Timothy and Titus, he encouraged them to appoint elders to serve alongside them in shepherding the church (Titus 1:5). As spiritual caretakers of the church (1 Timothy 3), these elders serve in partnership with one another to lead and care for the congregation.

We are excited to introduce six new elder candidates. Nominated by you—the members—they have completed eight months of training. Nathan Hayes, John Ziegler, Matt Alley, Joe Knight, Charles McKnight, and Weston Straka were recently approved by the Session to be presented for a congregational vote on May 18 at 12:20p at the stated Congregational Meeting. Please take a moment to get to know these candidates.
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NATHAN HAYES

I've been seeking after Jesus for as long as I can remember, starting in the Catholic Church through my upbringing in North Florida, until an invitation to an RUF Bible study at Vanderbilt connected me to the PCA. I also met my wife, Heather, at Vandy, though that relationship didn’t take off until I followed her to Atlanta 20 years ago, when she was getting her PhD at Georgia Tech. We've been married nearly 18 years and have two great kids: Daniel (13) and Hannah (11).

Professionally, I'm essentially a small business consultant to independent optometry practices. Heather works in the biotech space. We've been at Westside since slightly before the pandemic, and we've loved being part of a church that's full of neighbors and friends.

Apart from work, school events, and sports, my walk with the Lord lately has been focused on translating the freedom that God’s love has secured for me into deeper holiness and love for God’s people and our community.

How would your friends or family describe you? 

Well-read, with a wry sense of humor and a love of staying up far too late. My wife wishes I’d stop telling jokes that only I understand. My kids just hate it when I use the word rizz.

What’s a book, article, or podcast you’ve recently encountered that impacted you personally or professionally? 

John Mark Comer actually hits two of these. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry deeply convicted me of the need to learn how to stop, especially with an ADHD brain always seeking stimulation. The podcast he co-produced with Mark Sayers, This Cultural Moment, deeply affected how I understand the Church's place in our current times.

Tell us about a non-work-related hobby or passion of yours. 

I absolutely love hiking in the outdoors. A perfect free afternoon for me involves several hours of walking in the woods, ideally interrupted by some time in a hammock, reading a book.
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JOHN ZIEGLER

After spending the first 22 years of my life in Virginia, I moved to Atlanta ostensibly for a consulting job—but really for a quick adventure before planning to return to Richmond. On my third Sunday in Atlanta, I visited Westside, then meeting at Boyd Elementary, and immediately felt welcomed and sensed it was a community of people earnestly pursuing God amidst in-town Atlanta . Eight years later, both Atlanta and Westside have truly become home. A camp counselor at heart, I thrive on building relationships, solving problems, and pursuing adventure. Professionally, this takes form as a Co-founder of Southstone Holdings, a small holding company focused on stewarding family-run businesses. Personally, this takes form through skiing, climbing mountains, and signing up for the latest viral fitness challenge.

How would your friends and family describe you? 

Friends and family would describe me as deeply relational, adventurous, and driven by genuine curiosity and compassion. They might add I have a natural ability to connect with people, a thoughtful approach to problem-solving, and an enthusiasm for tackling challenges head-on. 

What’s a book, article, or podcast you’ve recently encountered that impacted you personally or professionally? 

Reading Bonhoeffer—both the Metaxas biography and his book Life Together—deeply pushed me to live in a considered reality. Considered, in that we ought to be deeply thoughtful and intentional, yet grounded in the reality of real people, with a sober understanding of ourselves and the times.

Tell us about a non-work-related hobby or passion of yours. 

I love Type 2 fun (the kind that’s only fun after the fact). Recently, that meant summiting Cayambe in Ecuador and practicing my “mountain Spanish” (not a technical term, but you get the point).
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MATT ALLEY

I’m in my early 60s and have been a follower of Jesus since I was 18, and a member of a PCA church since 1997. Over the years, I’ve served in several capacities: Senior High discipleship group leader for nine years; pre-marital mentor for six years; early marriage Sunday School teacher for four years; marriage counseling ministry for three years; short-term missions team leader to Poland for two weeks; board member for Metro Atlanta Seminary for 14 years; and board member for PACT Ministries (which supports youth pastors around the U.S.) for 15 years.

My wife, Tiffany, and I worked together at a business we owned for 26 years, which we sold in 2015. I’m a native Atlantan, currently living in Midtown, and a Georgia Tech graduate. Before working with Tiffany, I owned a bike shop, was a stockbroker, and sold plant-floor computers to industrial customers like GM and Ford.

Tiffany and I have been attending AWPC since August 2021 and became members in 2022.

How would your friends or family describe you?       

Friends and family describe me as introverted, bookish, interested in a deep understanding of subjects I’m drawn to, loyal, and probably a bit unconventional.  

What’s a book, article, or podcast you’ve recently encountered that impacted you personally or professionally? 

Two recent reads, or re-reads, that have led me to make course changes in my life are: (a) Moving Mountains, John Eldredge’s 2017 treatise on personal prayer, and (b) The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr.

Tell us about a non-work-related hobby or passion of yours. 

In 1994, I founded, and still run, ManTsunami, a men’s high-adventure collective that organizes and leads backpacking, cycling, and Jeeping trips, mostly in the western U.S., but occasionally in Europe. This June, we’ll be heading to northern Nevada to backpack in the Arc Dome Wilderness. These trips generally include 3 to 6 men, and our purpose is to offer a brief antidote to the over-civilizing effect of modern culture on men, i.e., controlled barbarity.
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JOE KNIGHT

Hey! My name is Joe Knight, and I am thrilled to be considered for the Session at Westside. My family and I have been attending Westside for over eleven years, and I have been a long-time Bible Study leader and served as a Community Group leader. I am married to Sarah, and we have three kids: Shep (10), Lewis (7), and Eliza (4). My two boys go to Whitefield Academy, and my daughter goes to St. Anne’s. We may not be in the "OG Group” of Westsiders, but we've been around long enough to have baptized a child at each of Westside's three locations.

For my day job, I own a small commercial real estate development company, and Sarah currently serves as the Teaching Leader for the local Bible Study Fellowship class. This time of year, though, you’ll normally find us at Buckhead Baseball, where I coach both Shep and Lewis’s baseball teams.

I was blessed to have grown up in the church and to have been raised by two faithful believers. I don’t think there was ever a time when I wouldn’t have considered myself a Christian, but like any normal person, I have had ups and downs, doubts, and struggles. I’ve always been amazed and thankful for the guiding hand of God in keeping me in the fold. There have been many inflection points in my life where my path could have taken a wrong turn, yet God continued to hold me close and bolster me by placing believers in my life, which has ultimately led me to being called to serve as an Elder. Like many of y'all in this church, I don’t have a dramatic testimony, but a testimony defined by God keeping me for Himself and not letting me go, even though, at times, I would have wondered.

How would your friends or family describe you?       

My friends and family would describe me as a sometimes grumpy golden retriever. I don’t sit still, and I tend to have an optimistic viewpoint on life, but I can get frustrated (grumpy) with people who I think are wrong. Also, like a golden retriever, the quickest way to my heart is a game of catch.

What’s a book, article, or podcast you’ve recently encountered that impacted you personally or professionally? 

Two quick ones: In Elder training, we were required to listen to a podcast by Sinclair Ferguson, where he teaches through the Westminster Confession of Faith, and I loved it. It’s such a great resource for helping you think through and explain your orthodox and reformed worldview.

Second, like all dads, I tend to primarily read non-fiction about wars, fishing, or history, but I recently read a novel for the first time in a while and got mad at myself for not reading more novels. The book was Beartooth by Callan Wink, about two brothers trying to make a living in Montana.

Tell us about a non-work-related hobby or passion of yours. 

I love coaching my boys in baseball, fly fishing, and quail hunting. I also enjoy grilling on my Big Green Egg with a cold beer while watching my kids run around the backyard.

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CHARLES MCKNIGHT

I grew up in a Christian home in Miami, Florida, and accepted the Lord when I was eight. A few years later, my family began attending a small Presbyterian church, which became an important part of our family life. I went away to college at Emory, and during that time, my walk with the Lord strayed. However, I met Becky (a subsequent educator and lifelong student) there, and we married after my second year of law school. We returned to Atlanta, and the Holbys introduced us to Intown Church.

Intown was pivotal for us. We joined a covenant group, received strong teaching, and enjoyed great fellowship with other young couples. Over time, the Lord blessed us with three children, and we later moved to ChristChurch. From there, we followed our children, Ellen (Wright) and Charlie, to Westside. I am a member of the Riverside Community group and serve as a volunteer on the welcome, prayer, and Safe Church teams.  

How would your friends or family describe you?       

My family and friends would describe me as conscientious, hardworking, logical, humorous, and still a work in progress. They would say I'm dedicated to my family, and my new role as "Poppy" has been a boon.

What’s a book, article, or podcast you’ve recently encountered that impacted you personally or professionally? 

Although it was written long ago, I frequently return to A.W. Tozer's The Pursuit of God, particularly his chapter on faith. Tozer defines faith as "a continuous gaze of the heart at the Triune God." It’s an aspirational challenge to have our gaze, hope, and identity fixed on Christ throughout our day and our entire life.

Tell us about a non-work-related hobby or passion of yours. 

For most of my life, I have enjoyed running and reading (fiction, nonfiction, historical fiction, opinion pieces, etc). Recently, I have been reading books and editorials from various sources on the purposes and uses of power (both legitimate and illegitimate), as well as structural, moral, and societal checks on the misuse of power

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WESTON STRAKA

I’ve grown up in the church my entire life and began following Jesus when I was 9. However, it was during college (at NC State, Go Pack!) that I began to understand more of what it meant to follow Jesus and to call Him my King. Throughout the rest of undergrad and grad school, I came to know more of the sweetness and beauty of Jesus and began to center my life and rhythms around Him and His church. He has been indescribably kind to surround me with an incredible community while I was in Raleigh and has provided a great community here at Atlanta Westside. It is through community that I continue to learn more about the character and love of our Savior.

My wife, Laura, and I met through a mutual friend in July 2020. I moved to Atlanta in May 2021, and Laura and I were married a month later. We are currently expecting twin boys who we have through embryo adoption. We love going for walks and sharing meals with people in our home or theirs. I enjoy reading and running (though it’s really terrible to do so in July and August around these parts...). I’ve been honored to be asked to be an elder and am thankful for Jesus’ grace and kindness in all that He is and does.

How would your friends or family describe you?       

Friends and family would say that I love spending time with people, building relationships, and enjoying coffee and/or meals. They’d also say that my heart is geared toward serving people as much as I possibly can. My wife would also tell you that I’m really bad at knowing the lyrics to any song and will make them up at the drop of a hat.

What’s a book, article, or podcast you’ve recently encountered that impacted you personally or professionally? 

I’ve been consistently listening to Theology in the Raw (great podcast!), and two recent episodes have been impactful. One is with John Eldredge on enjoying God’s presence, and the second is with Dr. Malcolm Foley on greed, racism, and nonviolence.

Tell us about a non-work-related hobby or passion of yours. 

About the only hobby I make time for is running (though most people would call this punishment, not a hobby). Otherwise, I really enjoy spending time with people over meals and am passionate about how one of the greatest gifts the Lord has given is His church, and how we should avail ourselves more to center our lives and rhythms around His people.

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