Local Church started as a dream in the summer of 2014. During that summer, God gave an overwhelming call on the lives of Ryan and Jana Miller, who lived in Indianapolis at the time, to move back to Marietta (where Jana grew up) and start a church.

Two years later, the Millers partnered with a national church planting network called ARC. They moved to Marietta in May 2016 and began building a launch team to help get the church off the ground. The events that transpired over that summer were nothing short of miraculous as God showed up in a million different ways to help start the new church. On October 23rd, 2016, Local Church (formerly Pathway Community Church) was born. 

Then, in November 2025, Ryan stepped out of his role as Lead Pastor to take on full-time leadership of a national church-planting organization called the 99 Network, and Jessie Vaca took over as the new Lead Pastor of Local Church. 

Over the years, God has been incredibly gracious to Local Church. We’ve seen hundreds of people make decisions to follow Jesus. We’ve also built a fantastic team of volunteers (we call them the Dream Team) who come together to make our Sunday services possible. God continues to bless our church in some amazing ways, and we’re so excited to see what the future holds. We’d love to have you join us in this movement.

Jessie Vaca has served in ministry for over 20 years in various roles: Youth Pastor, Lead Planter, Campus Pastor, Pastor of Multiplication, and Executive Pastor. He now serves as the Lead Pastor of Local Church.

Jessie and his wife Carla planted a church in the Chicago neighborhood of Lincoln Square in 2014 and served there for many years. During that time, Jessie co-authored the book “Developing A Leadership Resident” and also worked for NewThing (a church-planting network), serving as a coach, conference speaker, consultant, and ultimately as the Regional Director for Central & South America.

Jessie is passionate about church planting and reaching people who are far from God with the life-changing love of Jesus! He is also relentless about developing leaders within the church through apprenticeship. 

Jessie is a secret tech nerd, loves to read, watches the news every morning with his coffee, and can often be found playing video games in his spare time. He’s been married to Carla for 25 years and has three kids: Isabelle (19), Gabriel (18), and Elijah (16).

Corey serves as the Creative Pastor at Local, where he brings energy, vision, and creativity to every part of ministry life. With over a decade of experience leading and developing ministry teams, Corey is passionate about helping people use their gifts to serve God and others.

At Local, Corey wears many hats—overseeing worship ministry, social media, marketing, graphic design, video production, and creative storytelling. He also plays a key role in teaching, leadership development, and partnering with his wife, Shelli, to invest in the next generation through youth ministry.

Corey is a devoted follower of Jesus, a husband, and a proud dad who’s never without a good (or at least attempted) dad joke. He’s a lover of travel, adventure, and capturing the beauty of God’s creation through art, music, and media. His heart is to see people encounter Jesus in authentic and creative ways that change lives and impact the community.

With over two decades of administrative experience and more than five years serving in executive administration, Carla brings excellence, organization, and heart to her work. Known for her attention to detail and self-starter mindset, Carla helps ensure that daily operations run smoothly and that every project is carried out with purpose and care.

Her strong administrative background, combined with her passion for serving others, makes her a vital part of the team. Carla approaches her work with both professionalism and compassion, creating a welcoming environment where ministry can flourish and people feel valued.

Shelli serves as the Next Gen Pastor at Local, leading our youth and missions ministries with passion and purpose. She has a genuine heart for Jesus and a deep desire to see the next generation discover their identity and purpose in Him.

For over a decade, Shelli has impacted the lives of hundreds of students through her leadership, teaching, and ability to connect in real, authentic ways. Her creativity, energy, and compassion make her a trusted voice and mentor to students and leaders alike.

Shelli married her high school sweetheart, Corey, and together they’ve built a beautiful life full of family, ministry, and adventure. After spending time traveling the country in an RV with their kids, Shelli continues to live life with an open heart and a go-where-God-leads mindset. She’s passionate about helping others experience life to the fullest through serving Jesus and being part of His local church.

Shelli serves as the Next Gen Pastor at Local, leading our youth and missions ministries with passion and purpose. She has a genuine heart for Jesus and a deep desire to see the next generation discover their identity and purpose in Him.

For over a decade, Shelli has impacted the lives of hundreds of students through her leadership, teaching, and ability to connect in real, authentic ways. Her creativity, energy, and compassion make her a trusted voice and mentor to students and leaders alike.

Shelli married her high school sweetheart, Corey, and together they’ve built a beautiful life full of family, ministry, and adventure. After spending time traveling the country in an RV with their kids, Shelli continues to live life with an open heart and a go-where-God-leads mindset. She’s passionate about helping others experience life to the fullest through serving Jesus and being part of His local church.