Elder Board
Our Elder Board is a group of men that serve the church as elders, or spiritual shepherds. The men must meet the qualifications outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 and are appointed to 3-year terms. The Elder Board is responsible for both spiritual and fiduciary oversight of Northstar, seeking to equip our members and staff to create a Christ-centered environment that promotes gospel-focused living within our local community. We are motivated by our desire for each member of Northstar to personally experience the hope offered in salvation through Jesus Christ and enter into an intimate, love relationship with God. More information on the Elder Board’s responsibilities, functions, and selection process can be found in our ByLaws.
Josh Drake
Josh has been married to his wife Carri for 15 years and, together, they have two sons, Liam and Eli. They moved to Blacksburg at the start of 2020 as Josh started a research laboratory at the little school in town and joined Northstar shortly after. In addition to serving on the Elder Board, Josh regularly serves in the Worship Team and, along with his wife, leads a Small Group for college students. When left to his own devices he enjoys playing wiffle ball in his backyard with his sons and building furniture. In particular, he enjoys fly fishing because, as the great Norman Maclean wrote: “all first-class fishermen on the Sea of Galilee were fly fisherman…”.
Chip Dunstan
Chip is a native Virginian. Raised in Lynchburg, he headed to Virginia Tech for college. After graduation, his career took him to Charleston, SC, and then to Northern Virginia for 15 years. In 2019, God opened many doors to bring Chip and his family full circle—back to Blacksburg. Chip married his high school sweetheart, Hayley, and together they have been blessed with two teenagers: Jamerson and Hayden.
In his free time, Chip cherishes family movie nights (complete with homemade popcorn), meaningful fellowship, early-morning workouts (yes, 4:30 a.m. is his preferred time!), golf, and reading nonfiction. Chip is secretly honing his skills as a budding card-trick magician—a hobby that’s provided plenty of laughs but not much success.
Bob Jackson
Bob and Sandra Jackson have lived in Blacksburg for 24 years, moving from Abingdon, Virginia in 2002 to begin the Northstar Church where Bob served as pastor until 2008. Upon retirement, Bob and Sandra both joined International Students, Inc. as Campus Staff. The Jacksons lead The International Ministry at Northstar and work with people from around the world who come to Virginia Tech. The Jackson’s have three grown children, Joel, Jeremy (Michelle) and Jennifer (Jeremy) and four granddaughters—Violet, Lily, Lola and Jovie. Bob enjoys hiking at Pandapas Pond.
Jeff Noble
Lead Pastor
Jeff became Northstar’s second pastor in 2009 after the retirement of founding pastor Bob Jackson. He and his family are from southeast Arkansas where he served as a campus minister at the University of Arkansas at Monticello for eight years before planting Journey Church there and serving as its founding pastor for six years. Jeff loves coffee and is still trying to decide if he’s a “runner.” He’s a former fantasy football champion, the author of Super Center Savior, an Apple fan boy and a teller of bad puns.
Justin Yalung
Born and raised in Virginia Beach, Justin met his bride, Jessica, while they both attended college at Virginia Tech. After starting their careers and a family in North Carolina, they returned to Blacksburg in 2012 to grow their family. The Yalungs have attended Northstar since 2014 and have served in almost every volunteer capacity. Today, Justin and Jessica have been married for over 15 years and have three amazing children: Ezra, Micah, and Abigail. In his spare time Justin enjoys drinking coffee and the pursuit of becoming a scratch golfer.