Eric sensed a call to pastoral ministry shortly after he was saved in 1989 at age 17. He says his college years at the University of Maryland gave him a passion for sharing the gospel on college campuses.

Eric was among the first graduates of the Sovereign Grace Ministries Pastors College (Class of 1998). In 1999 he served Kenneth Maresco as an intern for the college ministry.

In addition to leading ONE (the singles ministry of Covenant Life), overseeing campus ministry, and serving on the church's executive team, Eric is currently playing a key role in the planning and leadership of New Attitude.

Eric and his wife, Lisa, have three children and reside in Germantown, Md.

Isaac came to faith in Christ during his late teen years when a friend shared the Gospel with him. Another friend brought Isaac to Covenant Life Church, and he became a member in 1992.

Isaac earned a B.A. in Visual Arts from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and then worked as a commercial freelance photographer. He began leading a care group at Covenant Life during this period, and experienced a desire to enter full-time ministry. This led to enrollment in the Sovereign Grace Pastors College in 2000-2001 followed by a three year internship and ordination as a pastor in 2004.

Isaac assists Eric Simmons in leading the singles ministry by overseeing care groups, counseling, interviewing new members, and leading discipleship groups.

“I love discipling other men into leadership roles and helping believers apply God’s Word to their lives,” Isaac says.

Isaac and his wife, Kelly, have one child.

Jon came to the Lord on July 25, 1997, at a Christian camp called Centrifuge.  "I was on my way to the beach for a week of partying," he recalls, "when God redirected my plan and led me to the cross."

Jon says he came to saving faith then, although he grew up in a Christian home in Winston-Salem, N.C., Louisville, Ky., and Ellicott City, Md.

Looking back, Jon says, God "impressed upon my heart that He was calling me to be a pastor" during a sermon at a local church. It was the summer of sophomore year at University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), where he was on the lacrosse team.

Jon went to work as a mortgage consultant in Columbia, Md., after receiving a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2002. He eventually accepted repeated invitations from a friend, Peter Jansen, to visit Covenant Life. Here, Jon says, "God made this internal calling and desire more clear."

Jon joined the pastoral team in March 2005 after graduating from our Pastors College in June 2004. He oversees campus ministry, singles care groups, and elements of the Friday night singles meeting.  

"I have a deep burden and passion for campus ministry and discipling young men," Jon says.

Raised by Christian parents in Rochester, N.Y., Braden says he made a "superficial profession of faith" during his youth, but trusted Christ for his salvation in the fall of 2000. "The Lord broke through my hard sinful heart... I was finally tired of sin. I knew I needed to be in a church, so I found one in the phone book and got plugged in right away," he recalls.

Braden's mother helped trigger a pivotal series of events when she paid for him to attend New Attitude as a Christmas gift in 2000. There Braden was moved by both Joshua Harris' and C. J. Mahaney's preaching (on Bartimaeus and "The Main Thing" respectively). He relates, "I was ruined for Sovereign Grace and for Covenant Life. I wanted C. J. and Josh to be my pastors. So, I figured out how to shorten my stay in graduate school—got out early and made it to Covenant Life in May 2001." Several months later, Braden met his wife Christy while both were teaching at Covenant Life School.

Soon after conversion Braden had experienced a desire to become a pastor, and the prospect of attending the Sovereign Grace Ministries Pastors College was among the factors that drew him to Covenant Life. Sharing his interest in "the PC" with Eric Simmons and Isaac Hydoski led to a four-year process of dialogue and evaluation that culminated in Braden's enrollment in the Pastors College class of 2006.

Braden joined Covenant Life's team of Singles pastors right after graduation in June 2006. He has a passion to see people who are straying from God's grace restored.

He graduated from Syracuse University and the University of Virginia with degrees in Biomedical Engineering. Prior to becoming a pastor he worked at the National Cancer Institute.

Braden, his wife Christy, and their two children reside in the Gaithersburg area.