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Jay is a speaker, teacher, musician, story-teller, and humorist whose passion for telling the good news with honesty and passion has led him to speak to thousands of people in 34 states. Jay uses God’s story, his own story, and the stories of every day life to teach people about God’s undying love for the world.
Jay was born in Florida and lived in the Tampa Bay area. The son of two wonderful pastors, Jay grew up in the life of the church but by High School, the Christian faith had begun to lose meaning. Jay was gifted in music and theater and as he left for college he was determined to become an actor and rock star. His first year in university was like many other’s experience- lost in the stereotypical college lifestyle. That summer he spent a summer at a Christian camp. Suddenly he saw his gifts being used for something greater than himself. He saw what life would look like as a sacrifice to Jesus and it grounded him in a way he never had been before. Needless to say it scared him to death.
Returning to school he tried to deny what that summer had done to him. But the more he denied the reality of God the more he felt his heart pulled to Him. By the end of his second year he knew that something was wrong with his life. Jay left college for a year-long pursuit of God.
Jay thought the year would be simple and as usual discovered how difficult life can be when you are not in a dorm with three square meals a day in the cafeteria. After several long months of hopeless wandering, Jay came to a fateful conclusion: he was not in charge. This realization changed everything.
In a night, Jay saw God take control in a new way. He found a position in a congregation serving as a youth director. Friends from high school found him milling about a store when they asked him to join them in communal living. That night he met an old friend with whom he had seen once since high school. They began a conversation that was as much confession as anything else. He finally kissed her, asked her to marry him two weeks later, and 13 years later Tia is his best friend and spiritual companion.
Jay is not sure why God interceded in such a clear way. Many never have a story of capture as Jay’s. It was clear in his mind that God granted him a gift of incredible mercy and grace. In the face of such a gift, Jay’s knew he would from then on strive to live a life of thanks.
Returning to college Jay surrendered his call to Jesus and began to seek how God wanted to use him. He pursued music. After 3 albums and a national tour he began to see the necessity of day-to-day discipling of youth. He entered seminary at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, graduating in 2001 with the award for preaching. While serving an excellent church in Norfolk, Virginia Jay saw the state of University life and recalling his own spiritual wilderness he encountered during this difficult period, he felt a call to serve in the university mission field. Jay is clear that his call is not as a pastor but a missionary to the university community at The Ohio State University.
Jay lives in Columbus, Ohio with his amazing wife, Tia and two boys, Abel and Roman.
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