About Us
A people for a better Asheville, NC
Not a Religious List, but...
A Fruitful Life
The gospel is like a seed that gets planted into the soil of our lives. Once rooted and planted, this seed begins to grow and makes our lives fruitful for the glory of God and the good of others.
The South has long been a place known for religion. Religion is an outward husk with no life inside. This has been the experience for many in Asheville, NC. They have partaken and been left with hungry souls. Soma Asheville longs to plant the seed of the gospel into the barren soil of empty religion. As this seed takes root in individuals, couples, families, and neighborhoods, our hope is for Jesus' life-giving fruit to spread all across Asheville and beyond.
Serve the City.
Serve Asheville NC
Not a better Church event, but...
a better city.
a better city.
Like you, we want a better Asheville, not a 'bigger' or 'better' church event. Our aim is to serve alongside existing like-minded churches and spend our lives making a better Asheville in Jesus' name.
We planted Soma Asheville Church in the summer of 2015 in hopes of becoming a good news people filled with love for one another, our neighbors, and our city.
We planted Soma Asheville Church in the summer of 2015 in hopes of becoming a good news people filled with love for one another, our neighbors, and our city.
Our Leadership
All of us value leaders who serve and give rather than take and demand. Soma Asheville Church is led by a group of servant-leaders called 'elders' who help us faithfully follow in the way of Jesus. This group of field-tested leaders evidence the character and competency of Jesus. They are committed to the long-term work of spiritually nourishing and maturing the Church so that Soma Asheville Church might become a healthy and whole people.
- Tommy RutledgePastor of Vision and PreachingTommy had a radical conversion to Jesus in 1996 during his sophomore year of college at North Carolina State University.
After graduating in 2000 with a degree in Civil Engineering, he moved to Denton, TX to go through a 1-year discipleship program. Tommy went on to earn a Th.M. in Pastoral Leadership/Historical Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary in 2007.
After serving for several years in vocational ministry, Tommy and his wife, Celeste, felt called to Church planting with the Soma family of Churches. They moved to Asheville in 2015 to plant Soma Asheville Church.
With over 20 years of ministry experience, Pastor Tommy feels called to equip the local Church, establishing strong apostolic foundations, and to raise up strong biblical men and women who live wholehearted, emotionally healthy, relational lives unto Jesus.
Tommy and Celeste have been married for 15 years and have 3 kids, Ellis (14), Olivia (11), and Silas (9).
Email Pastor Tommy - Grant EdwardsProvisional LeaderGrant is the Research and Operations Director for City Leadership, a nonprofit organization in Memphis, TN. He has a PhD in Theology and Religion from the University of Birmingham (UK). He has been married to his wife, Christy, for 20+ years and they have two daughters, Allie and Lydia.
- Chuck GschwendProvisional LeaderChuck is Director of Culture and Spiritual Formation at the Eden Project, headquartered in Dallas Texas. Our aim is to retrain people to deeply connect with God, themselves, and others. Chuck is a former attorney, church planter, and pastor in Northeast Arkansas. Chuck has been married to Lindy for 25+ years and they have three children, Charlie, Billy and Kate.
- Milt SquiersProvisional LeaderMilt Squiers is a retired pediatrician in Denton Texas and a longtime leader at Denton Bible Church. Milt and his wife Deb have four grown children living in the States and abroad, and a growing number of grandchildren.
We believe the Church should function much like a spiritual household. Soma Asheville Church currently operates under a provisional group of leaders who have come alongside Tommy during this interim period. The long-term goal will be for Soma Asheville Church to appoint and be led by leaders locally as God raises them up.
Staff Team
Serving alongside Tommy Rutledge
- Ross DuncanPastor In-ResidenceRoss was raised in Columbia, SC. He would look back to a weekend spent in Montreat, NC when he was 14 years old as that pivotal moment that the Lord captured his heart in a personal way.
During his time at Clemson University, he spent several summers engaged in foreign missions in Slovakia and it was on one of these trips where he first met Tommy. He returned to Slovakia after graduation for a 2 year engagement. The Lord used this season of ministry to call Ross into foreign missions long-term.
In 2004, the Lord led him to pursue ministry training in Denton, TX and this is where his path re-converged with Tommy's. Later he earned a Th.M. in cross-cultural ministry from Dallas Theological Seminary.
During this time he met and married Carmie and they had their first child Owen. Eventually, the Duncans moved to Nice, France as missionaries sent by Denton Bible Church. In France they had 2 daughters, Isla and Amelia.
Sensing God's leading into a new season of ministry, the Duncan's moved home after 11 years in France to answer a call to re-join the Rutledges at Soma Asheville.
Email Pastor Ross
| What We Believe What we believe shapes how we order our lives. Soma Asheville Church affirms the historic statements of the Christian faith. |
What We Believe
We affirm the Creeds of the early church, Soma's Distinctives, and the Gospel Coalition's Confessional Statement and Theological Vision.
View our Statement of Faith
We affirm the inerrancy, authority, and sufficiency of the Word of God to address all matters of faith, life, and practice.
We affirm the God of the Bible as Trinity, God existing eternally as 1 nature yet 3 distinct persons.
We affirm that Jesus Christ came to earth fully human yet also fully deity.
We affirm the total depravity and lostness of man apart from the revelation of God in Jesus Christ.
We affirm that salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.
We affirm substitutionary atonement as the only adequate provision for the forgiveness of sins.
We affirm the physical, bodily, resurrection of Jesus Christ to conquer sin, Satan, and death and to inaugurate His kingdom reign upon the earth.
We affirm the physical, literal, 2nd return of Jesus Christ to once and for all to consummate His kingdom reign upon the earth.
We affirm the God of the Bible as Trinity, God existing eternally as 1 nature yet 3 distinct persons.
We affirm that Jesus Christ came to earth fully human yet also fully deity.
We affirm the total depravity and lostness of man apart from the revelation of God in Jesus Christ.
We affirm that salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone.
We affirm substitutionary atonement as the only adequate provision for the forgiveness of sins.
We affirm the physical, bodily, resurrection of Jesus Christ to conquer sin, Satan, and death and to inaugurate His kingdom reign upon the earth.
We affirm the physical, literal, 2nd return of Jesus Christ to once and for all to consummate His kingdom reign upon the earth.
Partnerships
Together is better. Soma Asheville Church is a part of the Soma family of churches. We share in their larger vision to see the good news of Jesus saturate North America. To find out more visit WeAreSoma.com.
We also look to partner with other churches in Asheville NC committed to serving our city, meeting needs, and promoting our wonderful community.
We also look to partner with other churches in Asheville NC committed to serving our city, meeting needs, and promoting our wonderful community.
Partnering for a Better Asheville
Do you have an opportunity where we can work together for a better Asheville NC?
Please let us know. That's why we're here!
Please let us know. That's why we're here!
Got a Partnership Opportunity?
Share your opportunity and we'll be in touch!
Soma Asheville: A place you can grow.