Good News Church is a multi-cultural church in Augusta, Georgia that celebrates diversity! When you come to a gathering, you’ll find an inviting atmosphere and caring people to make you feel right at home.
Matt Judd (along with his wife Suzie and five other brave souls) founded Good News Church in November 1995. Matt is originally from St. Paul, MN where he was raised in a good Catholic family. Saved at the age of 19, he transferred to Oral Roberts University where he met Suzie and then moved to her hometown of Augusta after graduation.
Matt worked as an accountant before leaving the world of business to pastor. His passion is to see people find and embrace God’s plans for their lives and to empower them to fulfill those plans. As a pastor, he sees his role as that of a coach and mentor.
Matt is the father of four kids (2 daughters and 2 sons). He’s into reading – with a particular passion for books about the American Revolution and the founding of our nation. He also enjoys organic gardening and journaling.
Suzie Judd is from Augusta where she was raised as the only girl with four brothers. She met her husband Matt while studying Communications at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK and has enjoyed being married to him for more than 25 years.
Suzie has ministered alongside Matt since the beginning of the church. Together, they have developed curriculum for our School For Life and have written and produced the I Give Life Course, a DVD series being used around the world to inspire and equip believers to reach out to the people God brings across their paths. The greatest joy in her life is mothering her children (Mattie – married to Matt, Molli – married to Josh, Harry – married to Becky, and Grayson – married to Katarina)
Nate Barbour moved from Travelers Rest, SC to Augusta, GA to join the staff of Good News Church as Youth Pastor in the summer of 2002, following his graduation from North Greenville University with a BA in Christian Studies. In December of 2002, he married his wife, Kristen. They enjoy doing ministry together and spending time with their wonderful children, Karis, Atalie & Nolan. After over 13 years of service at Good News, Nate was promoted to Executive Pastor and now oversees Administration, Team Good News, Campus Support, Worship & Production, Website and Graphics Development, Data Services, and is an integral part of the Stewardship Team. In 2017, the Kerysso Project released Nate’s first book, Shockwave. Nate is also an avid Superman fan and movie buff. If you want to know just how much he loves Superman, take a peek inside his office (AKA The Fortress of Solitude).
Kristen Barbour came on staff as the Children’s Ministry Director in the fall of 2007. Having received her BA in Elementary Education, it was a perfect fit for her to use those skills to serve the kingdom of God through teaching and training our children to have a real relationship with Jesus. After serving there for several years, Kristen moved into a new position as our Team Good News Director. While faithfully serving in this capacity, it became evident that Kristen has been called to be a Pastor. She now serves as our Care Pastor, overseeing the Ministry Council and Member Care, Prayer Partners and Altar Ministry, and Guest Follow-up and Assimilation.
Kristen is married to Nate Barbour (Executive Pastor) and together they have three wonderful children, Karis, Atalie, and Nolan. Kristen loves interior design and art of any kind and uses those skills to serve Good News Church as well!
Rhonda is an excellent addition to our team at Good News Church. She is married to Frank, who is retired from the Army and currently serving as a civilian contractor on Fort Gordon. Growing up as a Pastor’s Kid has given her a unique insight into how the church functions and she uses that insight to help us do things with excellence! She has been on staff since 2010 and handles a variety of responsibilities and is likely one of the first people you’ll talk to upon visiting Good News. If you need any assistance, please let her know!
Grayson Judd came on staff as the Youth Ministry Director at the beginning of 2016. Despite the recent change in title, Grayson has been faithfully attending Good News Church for his whole life. While at the church, he has served on a variety of teams–Hydroforce, Media, Cleaning, Resource Center, Altar Ministry, Overflow, Storage, Drama—just to name a few. However, despite this vast list of serving, his ultimate dream of being on the Worship Team has been crushed by his lack of simple rhythm and vocal ability. In addition to his lack of singing skills, Grayson has many other qualities which hinder his youth director abilities such as: poor penmanship, fear of heights, child-like gullibility, dislike of chocolate, lack of arm muscle, and his inability to be alone for long periods of time. Despite these flaws, Grayson bravely presses on by the Grace of God. What he lacks in natural ability, he makes up with charm, charisma, and the Holy Spirit. Through reliance on these things, Grayson aims to successfully empower every student to know who they are, what they have, and what they can do. This goal continually challenges each student to grow into their identity in Christ, develop his or her personal relationship with God, and fulfill the plan God has placed on his or her life. Grayson may not be serious about a lot of things, but he is serious about calling teens to a higher level—calling them to walk in the life Jesus made available to them even at this age. In his free time, Grayson loves to pray without ceasing.
Terri has been serving in Children’s Ministry for many years and is an excellent leader on Team Good News! She is married to Matt and they have two children, Taryn and Liam. She leads Hydroforce Children’s Ministry and oversees all of our children from birth to 5th Grade. With a great team of volunteers, Terri manages to ensure our children are well cared for while being taught the fundamental truths of God’s Word. It’s amazing what our children can grasp when it comes to the Scripture!