JACKSON ACADEMY
FALL/WINTER 2025 | VOLUME XXIX
Features
Service-Over-Self Careers Lead to Meaningful Lives
JA graduates in ministry share their walk of faith.
Wired for Relationship and a Life of Discipleship
A young person who can name four to six mentors who have walked with them over time experiences a different life trajectory than those who have not. The Rev. Wes Ingram ’94 learned this spiritual concept from a doctoral professor at Fuller Theological Seminary. “When young people know adults see them, it makes a difference,” said Ingram, associate pastor at Oxford University United Methodist Church in Oxford, Mississippi.
Ingram tested this concept of mentoring early in his career during 13 years as a youth pastor at Christ
United Methodist Church in Jackson. There, he helped lead the effort to develop a small-group culture known as D-groups. Countless JA students have participated in D-Groups.
“It is a powerful model,” Ingram said. “We are wired for relationship. It is the way God designed us.” Since that time, Ingram has witnessed the flourishing of D-groups. He has watched the boys and girls in D-Groups become young men and women who lead groups or have answered the call to ministry. Among those are Josh Hinkle ’15, who leads a D-Group of eleventh grade boys, and Bobby Peterson ’08, who,
after being in D-Group, answered the call to ministry and is a camp director at JH Ranch, which offers Christian outdoor experiences.
Earlier in his life at JA and in college, Ingram had experienced his professor’s mentoring concept at work in his own life. As a student, he went on rafting trips with JA’s Coach Ray Higgins. During his JA years, Ingram recalls no pressure to be anything particular but to live into his calling. During college, he served alongside Higgins as a JA rafting trip counselor, sharing devotionals and working with the youth. One
thing that stood out to him was the influence of college-age and young adults on youth. “A college student or young adult’s presence there makes them a leader, someone with whom high school students automatically feel a connection,” he said.
These early experiences sharing his faith co-occurred with architecture school at Mississippi State University. While entertaining doubts about this first career choice, he ended up at BreakThru, a popular Christian youth retreat that has been ongoing since 1978. After BreakThru, he began to “feel the itch” to consider ministry seriously. He transferred to Millsaps College, played football from 1995-1998, and, more importantly, answered the call to become a pastor, a role he views as “one who proclaims and embodies the Gospel of Jesus in the here and now.”
“God has used me to help create belonging and a sense of worth,” he said. “I want to remind people that
they matter to God.” Between his time as a youth pastor in Jackson and his current appointment as associate pastor in Oxford, he served nine years as a youth and family pastor at Parkway Heights United Methodist Church in Hattiesburg.
The call to become a clergy member, whether first realized through something like a D-Group or revealed later during college or early career, becomes a way of life that impacts family, finances, and friendships. “My guidance would be to go into ministry if that is the only thing you can see yourself doing,” he said. In other words, you know the call is from God, and you must answer it. He said that ministry is challenging and not for the weak. “A life of ministry is a blessed calling, but it is also difficult,” Ingram explained.
While some hear that call, all who profess the Christian faith have a call to minister to others. Reflecting on the work of philosopher and professor
Dallas Willard, who taught about discipleship, Ingram said: “Every vocation is a calling. A lot of times, the non-clergy influence people the most. Everyone is called to ministry – only a few are called to clergy.”
The life of discipleship, whether clergy or laity, involves the expectation of becoming a new creation in the present. “Discipleship is to become like Jesus in real-time: to live out the Holy love of God with the people in front of you whether you believe in them or not,” he said. He said this requires compassion, mercy, connection with people, consistency in life (becoming more consistent with the life of Jesus), and a life of courage.
JA’s Associate Director of Operations and Infrastructure Josh Hinkle ’15 knew Ingram when he was at Christ United. “Wes is an incredible guy who has a heart for not only Jesus, but his students as well,” Hinkle said. “My D-Group completely changed my life. My leader, Scott Thigpen, is one of the most influential people in my life. Some of the guys in my group I still keep up with, but I could call any one of them today and they would be there for anything I needed. D-Groups taught me not only the importance of a relationship with Jesus, but relationships with others who you trust.”
With Ingram in Oxford are his wife, Katie Walsh Ingram ’99, and two daughters, Hallie, who just completed her senior year in high school, and Kendall, a rising tenth grader.
Never Tiring of Sharing His Encounters with Jesus
An engraving of Joshua 1:16 rests inside David ’96 and Meg Robbins’ wedding bands. The verse refers to the willingness to serve in whatever circumstances God requires. The Scripture tells of the ancient Israelites’ response to Joshua after Moses’ death: “...Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go.”
Joshua led the Israelites to the Promised Land. Today, the Robbins are part of a worldwide ministry that leads young adults to discipleship with Jesus Christ.
Named Global President of Campus Crusade for Christ International/Cru in July of 2024, David Robbins is the leader of a 15,000-person worldwide staff in 190 nations. The 16-person global team he oversees focuses on high-level direction and the organization’s future. His role involves meeting with members of national teams across the globe, working to raise up local leaders in each country, and encouraging those in this ministry. Recent trips have included Yucatán, Mexico, Nairobi, Kenya, West Asia, and Cape Town, Africa, where they see amazing church multiplication. Robbins and his wife, Meg, have four children at home, ages 8 to 18. At times, Ford, 18, Mim, 17, Roe, 15, and Mac, 8, travel with their parents to Cru activities.
“What wakes me up every day is the opportunity to encounter Jesus and grow his kingdom,” said Robbins.
“The Lord invited me to experience more than service; He invited me to be a lover of Him. As we
continue to cultivate being a lover of Jesus, we cannot help but show and tell of the One who we love.”
Jackson Academy plays a significant role in Robbins’ story. His father’s job
change brought him to Jackson as a high school junior. Then-headmaster Peter Jernberg was virtually his only connection when he toured JA. Though he had visited other area schools, by the end of his
JA tour, Robbins asked his parents if he could keep hanging out with the guys he had met that day.
Robbins still regularly reconnects with four friends who met at JA. These “lifetime friends” serve as a support system for each other in life and in their various areas of ministry. “It is fun to see all the different ways our lives have developed,” he said.
“JA means a lot to me,” Robbins said, noting the influence of the headmaster, coaches, fellow students, and the unique circumstances of his two years at JA. “Mr. Jernberg created a culture that made it easy just to be yourself and to use your gifts. There was a grace and truth in how he interacted with students,” he said. Basketball Coach Stan Jones also shaped Robbins’ view of what it was like to be a man of faith and of excellence. The Ball twins, sons of current history teacher Dee Ball, hosted a small group. “They put deposits in that really grew later,” Robbins said. “The Gospel was shaping us and deeply taking root.”
Finally, the circumstances surrounding the life of Coach Sherard Shaw, who died after a battle with cancer during Robbins’ senior year deeply impacted him. He observed how Coach Shaw lived out his last days, witnessed with classmates the finality of death, and watched as the football team went on to capture its first MAIS championship in memory of their coach.
“I am grateful for JA. It is part of our story in ministry. I doubted myself as a leader before JA. I grew in confidence through opportunities as a student and through the influence of teachers and friends. Although I was there only two years, it shaped my personal life, and I developed lifelong friends,” he said.
Robbins connected with Campus Crusade for Christ/Cru as he transitioned to college life. Cru blossomed at The University of Mississippi, growing from 20 students to 1,000, and the seeds planted in Robbins earlier began to grow.
He had gone to college thinking he should be a
good student and grow in his relationship to Christ, yet again, another student showed the love of Christ in a way that changed him. “A guy on campus named Bo was helping relaunch Cru and was really faithful. He was cool yet bold in his faith. He invested in me and discipled me. He had a marked impact on my life. I learned to be present, be involved, and that you don’t have to compromise,” said Robbins.
He later served on the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ at Ole Miss. He and Meg served in Italy and then at the University of Georgia. “We wanted to send 100 percent of our students to live a life for the kingdom,” he said.
A generational ministry began to take shape during their next appointment in New York City, where they worked with 20-somethings, encouraging leadership development in the rising generation. Following New York, a Cru division called FamilyLife
appointed Robbins president, and there, the couple emphasized helping marriages and families grow in their faith. Robbins served in that role until his current appointment.
He encourages young adults to embrace the journey of what God has invited them to pursue, whether that involves a lifetime of professional ministry, lay ministry, or ministry for a season. “If you feel called to ministry, take a step forward in that direction. Remember that professional ministry can be for a season or a lifetime,” he said.
However, Robbins encourages young adults to keep in mind that ministry is ‘not just for the professionals.’ Citing Ephesians 2:10, he emphasized that God has prepared work in advance for His followers. God calls all Christians to make disciples, whether that effort is accomplished at home or, like David Robbins and his family, is carried out across the globe.
As You Are Going Through Life, Make Disciples
The Travelsteads’ children call them the “Starter” and the “Finisher.” Spouses Meredith ’89 and Joel Travelstead are two parts of a whole who use their God-given gifts in lay ministry while maintaining busy careers and parental responsibilities.
Meredith Travelstead is the starter. She generates ideas at 4:30 a.m. while riding her indoor bike before starting the day as an obstetrician and gynecologist. Joel Travelstead is the finisher. He takes her ideas and gives them life, using his CPA and business professional background to support various non-profit organizations.
Their tandem work took root in junior high school when they were spiritually fed in the same church but attended different schools. It has grown over the years as they teach, serve, study, and share their walk of faith. More importantly, they influence their sons Will ’20, Reed ’22, and John ’25, and others in their sphere of influence to become disciples of Jesus Christ.
The Travelsteads have found that service has changed them and their sons as much as it has helped others. They have taught their boys to “always look outward.” Their
experiences during the last few years at Jackson’s City Church have resulted in opportunities for the entire family to put that concept into practice.
“God brought us to City Church, a church birthed in an apartment complex in South Jackson, near Metrocenter,” said Joel Travelstead. “This church ministry initially centered around reaching the children there with the good news of a relationship with Jesus Christ.” College-age and young adults started the ministry by knocking on doors and providing meals and mentorship at the apartment
complex on Saturdays. The church now operates out of the former Westview Baptist Church near the Merit Health Hospital in South Jackson, and the Travelsteads characterize the church as a “lively, beautiful, God-filled place.”
Their engagement with the church led to multiple opportunities for ministry, including a City Church partnership with a school in Jackson.
“Most recently, our involvement at Hillcrest Christian School has been with Joel’s CPA/audit and leadership restructuring for the school, fundraising for students in need of supplemental scholarship money, and mentoring for students.” Meredith Travelstead said. She notes they have witnessed the impact of Christian leadership within the school, from 77 student decisions for Jesus Christ in 2024 and 86 made decisions so far in 2025. “Those numbers represent many children with lives changed, resulting from a small church that started in an apartment complex,” she said.
The Travelsteads have witnessed that the mission field can be as close as their own city. They know students in the area who have not
heard who Jesus is, and they meet students who do not have a Christian influence at home, church, or school.
Joel Travelstead grew up as the youngest of six in a single-parent home with a mother who had only a high school education, and the family struggled. From a young age, he saw that when Christian men and women of the church engaged in ministry, it impacted his own family. “We have frequently been involved in youth ministry, knowing that the two things to change the trajectory of a child’s life are a relationship with Jesus Christ and a Christianbased academic foundation, which prepares them for a career,” he said.
Their obedience has taught them to watch where God is working and join Him there. “We know that our mission is rooted in obedience to wherever God has us at any time,” said Meredith Travelstead. “God does not always provide us with a clear path with perfect long-term goals. He has taught us, however, to be faithful in just the ‘next step.’ He asks us to partner where He is already working. We hope to be supporters and conduits of God’s love and grace through His Son, Jesus Christ. Often, we find ourselves
involved in a ministry and say, ‘God, why are we here?’ He usually makes it very clear, very strongly, which is the next step we are to make and by showing us lives that are changed. Opportunities present themselves often IF we just say ‘yes’ to the next step of faith God puts in front of us.”
Feeling called to join God where he is working, they are focused on eternal outcomes while meeting people where they are. “The mission Jesus Christ gave us through the Great Commission is to disciple others. That means engaging them where they are in their burdens and struggles,” said Meredith Travelstead. They believe their work is not about service for the sake of serving or for the sole purpose of a conversion experience; instead, it is to respond to the Great Commission of Jesus to disciple others as you go along throughout your life.
The Travelsteads encourage others to put away the idea that ministry is only for those working at it as a full-time job. The parable of the talents demonstrates how God calls all Christians to use the talents given to them. Joel Travelstead cited this quote: “’When you leave work every day, you leave your part-time job where you generate an income to go to your full-time job where you generate an outcome.’ No matter what career path you choose, your singular focus as a follower of Jesus Christ should be finding the way He wishes to use you to impact His kingdom. God may call you to a traditional full-time ministry, but He calls all of us to have a ministry heart, a love for people as He does.”
“’See one, do one, teach one,’” was a saying in medical school for Meredith, but it can be applied to ministry,” he said. “We saw ministry in our own lives from our church family. Then we learned to do this ourselves. Then we taught this to our boys and other youth. This is what it means to live a life of purpose, God’s purpose.”
“Our view is, we just keep saying ‘Yes,’” said Joel Travelstead.
Christian Experiences at JA
Middle and Upper School Chapel
JA’s Chapel is a monthly worship event that is planned and facilitated by a student-led, faculty-supported Spiritual Life Leadership Team. Throughout the year, guest speakers, faculty, alumni, and students share messages of encouragement and hope with students, all relating to a theme selected by the Spiritual Life Leadership Team. Some chapels have a special focus, including Christmas, Black History Month, Easter, and Senior chapels. Upper School students are required to attend five chapel services per year, with additional chapel attendance being encouraged, while Middle School students attend all chapel experiences. Taught from a Christian perspective, chapel is designed to encourage and equip students to grow in their faith.
Spiritual Life Leadership Teams
A student-led, faculty-supported Spiritual Life Leadership Team makes decisions about chapel themes and programming. A Black History Month committee develops an extended chapel program for February, which focuses on the contributions of Black Americans.
Student Praise Team
Students with interest in serving through singing and playing instruments can audition for the Praise Team, which leads worship during Middle and Upper School Chapel.
Lower School Chapel
Students in the Lower School attend chapel once each month. Teaching in the Lower School’s chapel meetings interweaves ethics around a yearly theme — such as “Friendship” or “Live in Harmony” — chosen to appeal to younger children’s understanding of spirituality. Students attend each chapel service. Lower School educators lead the chapel services, with accompaniment from the Lower School music teacher and hundreds of eager young singers in the audience.
Bible Curriculum
Upper School students can choose Old Testament or New Testament as electives. Middle School offers a boys’ Bible elective in the fall and a girls’ Bible elective in the spring, both titled “Survey of the Old and New Testament.” Lower School teaches a full semester of Bible in Kindergarten
through fourth grade. Students each receive a Bible to keep. JA teaches Christian music starting in the K2 music program. Also, Preschool and Lower School students start their day with a Bible story, prayer, and praise songs every day during Morning Meeting.
Bible Studies
Student and adult-led Bible Studies are offered for Upper School and Middle School girls and boys. Refresh is a Bible study hosted weekly during lunch in the Performing Arts Center for girls in ninth through twelfth grades. Bonded is a weekly study for ninth through twelfth grade boys to gather to hear messages from peers as well as outside guests and faculty members; it meets in the Learning Commons. Middle School Bible Study alternates between boys and girls every other week and meets on Tuesdays during lunch, with student, parent, faculty, and counselor support. A morning Bible study for sixth grade girls meets weekly as well.
Fellowship of Christian Athletes
JA offers an active chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which meets regularly on campus, having guest speakers and student speakers. The campus chapter collaborates with another independent school to offer a worship event that is attended by students from multiple schools.
Service
Students connect with Christian organizations through volunteer service. Each year, a Service Fair offers organizations an opportunity to show students the array of service opportunities available and to help them sign up for service. The school and student leaders arrange on and off-campus service opportunities throughout the school year. At JA, students are not required to serve to earn service credits. JA seeks to encourage students to develop servant hearts, growing into people who make service a way of life.
From the School Nurse and Counselor
School Nurse and Lower School Counselor Kathy Sheffield ’82 incorporates Christian values into the social/emotional lessons she provides to all K4 through fifth grade students. They talk about how God made all people differently, yet perfectly, and how each person can strive to be the best version of themselves.
Ministry Voices
CLERGY
Jody Schmeltzer ’96
Campus Pastor for Pinelake Church Oxford, Mississippi
Q Describe your current work.
A We are a multi-site church with five locations throughout the state of Mississippi: Oxford, Flowood, Madison, Clinton, and Starkville. My role is to serve as the lead pastor/shepherd of our Oxford staff team and congregation. On a day-to-day basis, I spend the majority of my time leading our
staff, overseeing pastoral care/ counseling for our congregation, developing and discipling men, encouraging our church family to get connected in small groups, exploring opportunities to serve our community, managing our campus budget, and collaborating with our campus pastors plus teams across our other campus locations.
Q What do you hope that you have accomplished for God and the people He brings across your path?
A At the end of each day, my hope is that the people God has placed in my path are encouraged to grow in their faith in Jesus. I want people to be reminded that the Christian life is not easy to live out, but it is so worth it. I want to see men and women in all seasons of life discover their God-given purpose and live in the abundant life that He has for us every single day. I want people to know that every day is a gift, that life is short, and at the end of it all only one thing really matters…and that is our personal relationship with God.
Q What would you say to students who are considering a form of ministry - as a pastor, missionary, student pastor, non-profit leader, or Christian counselor?
A I would say to anyone who is considering any type of ministry as a career/vocation to make sure you have spent enough time praying and asking God if this is the step of faith He is calling you to take. Ministry is awesome, but it is very demanding of your time and a high percentage of people who step towards ministry out of high school or college tend to burn out if they aren’t very intentional with their boundaries. Ministry is very rewarding on a lot of levels, but you need to know that it is not an easy path. It will require a lot of sacrifice and commitment… but at the end of the day, it is worth every minute because God is faithful and promises to meet your every need.
CHRISTIAN CURRICULUM
Meg Leech Hanes ’98
Children’s Curriculum Developer for Children’s Ministries Metro Jackson, Mississippi
Q Describe your current work.
A From 2019 to October of 2024, I served as the Director of Children’s Ministries at Galloway United Methodist Church in downtown Jackson. My responsibilities included overseeing the spiritual formation of Galloway’s children from birth to fifth grade. In October of 2024, I stepped down from my role at Galloway to pursue and focus on a career in developing children’s curriculum and equipping leaders and volunteers within children’s ministries to guide children
as they begin and continue their walk with the Lord. My business is Lighthouse Kidz Curriculum and Coaching, which offers churches short term curriculum units along with consulting and coaching for its leaders and volunteers.
Q At the end of the day, what do you hope that you have accomplished for God and the people He brings across your path?
A My focus has always been on ministering to children, which can sometimes be tricky. We
want children to feel safe and secure, but at the same time, also realize that life can throw some curveballs. My hope is that, with every child or teenager that I have crossed paths in my ministry, they have felt and known the love of God, and that they know no matter what is thrown their way–good or bad–the Lord is ALWAYS walking beside them and will never leave their side.
Q Did JA, JA people, or your experiences while in high school play a role in your career decision making?
A The short answer to that is yes, but I think it wasn’t until I was older, with a family of my own and an enormous amount of perspective that I realized the true impact that JA and its people have had on me. My mom (who was a teacher at JA in the mid-70’s and again in 1988) has always played a huge role in my desire to work with children, but there were teachers at JA who did as well. While I had several teachers and coaches who were a huge influence on me, Dot Gamblin probably played one of the biggest roles in who I am today as a teacher and a minister to children. As a student, watching her patience and love in a classroom was inspiring, but it was what she said to me as an adult that has always stuck with me. Not too long before I began my first year of teaching, I saw Mrs. Gamblin, and she offered me some of the best advice I have ever received. “Meg,” she said, “always remember-be firm, but be fair…and be flexible.” As I have prepared for my Children’s Moment during our services on Sunday mornings, I have ALWAYS remembered those words… and if you have ever watched a group of young children be the center of attention at the front of a sanctuary, knowing that they are on TV, you will understand why being flexible is a must!
YOUTH MINISTRY
Dannie Waller ’14
Student Minister (7th-12th), First Baptist Tupelo, Mississippi
Q Describe your current work.
A My day-to-day work varies widely depending on what we have going on, but it’s definitely never dull! A lot of work goes into writing weekly Bible studies for Sunday nights and sermons for our Wednesday night service every other week, but I also do a lot of event planning for things like summer camp, Disciple Now, mission trips, and other events we have throughout the year. I also meet with different students on a regular basis, whether that be for lunch or dinner, just popping by my office, or even late night Sonic runs! A lot of evenings are filled going to students’ activities
as well, from all kinds of sports to plays, ballets, and band concerts. I also do all of the graphic design for our student ministry as well, so I design graphics to promote our events and run our social media accounts. But I do all of this alongside our student pastor, so it’s definitely a teamwork effort that makes it all happen.
Q At the end of the day, what do you hope that you have accomplished for God and the people He brings across your path?
A I feel like the ultimate goal of anyone that works in student ministry is to share the Gospel for
teenagers to come to know Christ and to help those that already do, grow closer in their walk with Him. I know for me personally, my time when I was in student ministry was so influential in my faith, really helping me to make it my own and understand that having a relationship with Jesus is so much more than just attending church on a regular basis. So that’s what I hope that I am able to accomplish in the ministry that I do, to help students wrestle with the hard things, continually point them back to the Gospel and help them to live in light of that truth, glorifying God in everything they do, and to help them build a foundation of faith in their lives that lasts far beyond their student ministry years.
Q Did JA, JA people, or your experiences while in high school play a role in your career decision making?
A Having attended JA from Preschool through twelfth grade, my time at JA influenced me in numerous ways. Probably the most impactful was the quality of education that I received. The way that I was intentionally invested in and challenged by JA faculty and teachers thoroughly prepared me for college, and even beyond when I felt like God was calling me to seminary. Because of the foundation that I had from my time at JA, neither college nor my master’s level classes ever seemed daunting, and I was able to rise to the occasion set before me and use the tools and experiences I gained during my time here. And even now in my day-to-day work from writing, to problem solving, to looking at things through a Christian worldview, it can all be traced back to my time at JA. I will always be so grateful for the education I received here and all the ways that JA truly set me up for success, not only in academic settings, but in all of life.
OUTDOOR PROGRAMS AND EXPERIENCES
Glenn Breazeale ’96
Co-owner and Director (with his wife, Carter) at Alpine Camp for Boys Mentone, Alabama, high atop Lookout Mountain
Q Describe your current work.
A I oversee all aspects of the business and ministry from hiring, operations, marketing, programs, and facilities. We have over 350 acres and over 50 buildings and cabins and approximately 25 different activities. We have summer camp sessions all summer long and also host retreats and conferences during the school year.
Q Describe the need for Christian retreat and time for students and families in today’s environment?
A Oh boy, I could talk for hours about this. The world has changed so much since I was a camper. Smart phones, social media, video games, instant everything has increased the need for more places
where students and families can unplug, slow down, and relate face to face. It’s not that all of our modern technology is bad - it has brought us so much good. But with that it has made intentional spaces for reconnection and rest so much more important.
Q Did JA, JA people, or your experiences while in high school play a role in your career decision making?
A Absolutely, JA had a huge impact on my wanting to do this. The obvious answer, Mr. Higgins’ rafting and outdoor trips helped nurture my love of the outdoors. It turns out that Ray is an Alpine man, too, having worked as a counselor in college. He came back for a period in the early 2000s to work as one of our program
directors, so we got to be peers. I consider Ray and Millie dear friends. I use the leadership skills and motivational ideas I learned from Coach Shaw every summer with our 80 college-age guys. Communication is a huge part of what I do, whether it’s marketing, staff recruiting, or the daily blog I write for camp parents in the summer. I really love to write thanks to so many of my English teachers at JA, including Mrs. Downey my senior year.
Q What would you say to students who are considering a form of ministry - as a pastor, missionary, student pastor, non-profit leader, or Christian counselor?
A This may be controversial, but I would tell students to think long and hard and consider the calling with much wise counsel before going into some sort of professional ministry field. It can be difficult on a family, lonely at times, and eye opening to the hardships of the world - and I’m really speaking more about my friends who are ministers and missionaries and Christian counselors. I also say that because I so strongly believe that Christians should be ministers in whatever field they choose. We need Christian doctors and lawyers and bricklayers and garbage men. Professional ministry fields are not more spiritual than any other field if we do our work with excellence to the glory of the Lord in whatever he calls us to do!
Carter, Caroline, Gigi, and Glenn
MISSIONS
Rett Stanley ’21
Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Student Kansas City, Missouri
Q Describe your college course of study.
A I graduated in May of 2025 with an Intercultural Studies degree from Spurgeon College in Kansas City, then entered seminary at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, which is on the same campus. This study is preparing me for overseas missionary work. The International Mission Board, affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, considers the Intercultural Studies degree good preparation for those who are called to missionary work. The master’s degree will be an additional year, and I’ll travel to another country as part of that degree program.
Q How did you recognize your interest in being a missionary?
A After graduating from JA, I entered a summer program
called Fusion, which is in partnership with the International Mission Board operated out of Spurgeon College. After the summer, my plan was to head to Mississippi State University to major in criminal justice or political science. Once I spent a summer overseas in mission work, I decided to finish my undergraduate degree at Spurgeon. Because of my two Fusion trips to Northeast and West Asia, I want to go into ministry. Before Fusion, I was not looking at ministry at all. I had never even thought about it.
Q At the end of the day, what do you hope that you have accomplished for God and the people He brings across your path?
A In Matthew 28: 19-20, Jesus gave us the Great Commission, where we are called to share the Gospel.
Christians are all called to do this. It can be locally or overseas. I know that I’m doing what I’ve been called to do. My main goal is to at least plant the seed so that they have a chance to come to Christ, even if I don’t see it happening at the time I share the Gospel.
During one Fusion trip, I met only three to four people who claimed to be Christian out of the hundreds of people I met. Our main task was sharing the Gospel. No one came to Christ during our time there, but we planted seeds. In another country, we were in a Christian part of the country. Our main task was discipleship for Christians, helping equip them to start churches. I still text with one of the individuals who came to Christ while I was in his country.
Q What would you say to students who are considering a form of ministry - as a pastor, missionary, student pastor, non-profit leader, Christian counselor, etc.
A Don’t get discouraged when hard things happen in your walk with Christ. Endure to the end. Don’t let go of your goal for ministry. There were so many times I felt people were not listening and even a few times that people told us that they did not want to hear. You have to keep going. The Bible speaks about being rejected or disliked, and you have to be prepared for that.
Finding support is very important for someone in the ministry. My friends at Broadmoor Baptist Church were really supportive of me. At one point when I wanted to return home from overseas, my friends at Broadmoor encouraged me to keep going. I looked to Christ first, and I had other people who had my back.
OUTDOOR PROGRAMS AND EXPERIENCES
Steven Irby ’15
Trac II Program Lead at JH Ranch Etna, California, and Birmingham, Alabama
Q Tell me about your current work - city, state, your role, what you do on a day-to-day basis.
A I serve as the Trac II Program Lead at JH Ranch and also wear the hat of IT Manager for the organization—which means no two days are ever the same! My wife, Caroline, and I live in Birmingham, Alabama, during the school year (September through April), and then we pack up and head out to Etna, California, each summer to live
and serve at JH Ranch. During the summer, my primary role is leading Trac II, our high adventure, student leadership program for high school seniors and college freshmen. At JH, we believe that the Christian life is often information-rich but experience-poor—Trac II is designed to flip that. Students dive deep into what it means to abide in Christ, how to stay connected with the Lord, the blessing in honoring their parents, and how to stand firm when their faith gets tested.
In addition to teaching these things, I also lead an alpine mountaineering trip up Mount Shasta, where students attempt to summit a mountain and have the chance to put what they’ve learned to the test. I also pastor and mentor 13 college students who serve as our Trac II coaches. They lead small groups, walk alongside our students, and play a huge role in the week-to-week impact during the summer. Throughout the year I help lead JH Outback, a weekend version of the Ranch experience that’s now in over 16 cities across the United States. When I’m not leading Trac II or JH Outback, I work on the tech side, building tools and systems to make sure our guests, volunteers, and donors have a smooth and meaningful experience with us.
Q How did you get into nonprofit or outdoor Christian experiences work?
A I was sitting in class my senior year at JA and a friend of mine leaned over to me and said “Dude, my sister worked at this awesome place called JH Ranch last summer. You’d love it.” A month later I applied to volunteer that next summer and my life was changed. I knew who God was in high school and did my best to follow Jesus, but when I went to JH Ranch that
summer I learned what it was like for my relationship with God to be a two-way street - where I could speak to God and he could really speak back to me, like a real relationship. God turned my relationship with Him into an adventure rather than a list of dos and don’ts. God revealed so much to me that summer, and I ended up returning for two more summers as a volunteer while I was in college and got offered a job with JH a few years later.
Q Describe the need for Christian retreat and time for families in today’s environment?
A There’s nothing more personal—or powerful—than the relationship between a parent and their child. What a parent says, or doesn’t say, can shape a kid for the rest of their life. JH provides a fun way for parents to get away with one of their kids with a one-on-one
experience where they’ll go white-water rafting, horseback riding, experience our state-ofthe-art ropes courses, and dive into topics like life purpose, love of God, dating and how to have a thriving relationship with your parents. The transformation and reconciliation we see in parent/ child relationships is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I heard about a guest recently who arrived at JH Ranch carrying the weight of a painful divorce—one caused by his own choices. He came hoping just to reconnect with his oldest daughter. But during a worship night under the Big Top, he prayed, “Lord, I want to radically surrender.” In that moment, he sensed God whisper, “If you’ll give me all of yourself, I’ll do things in the next twelve years that you can’t even imagine.” That simple moment marked the beginning of a complete transformation. Shortly after returning home, his daughter sent him a house
listing—just down the street from hers. He bought it. Day by day, he started showing up—walking his kids to school, cooking dinner, rebuilding trust one moment at a time. He also dove deep into Scripture, especially the book of Nehemiah, and realized that God wasn’t just restoring his family—He was rebuilding him. Over time, honest conversations with his ex-wife led to something neither of them expected: reconciliation. Two years after his confession, they stood together and chose to remarry—this time with Christ at the center. Not long ago, he sat in church the day before sending his oldest to college. As he looked down the aisle and saw his kids worshiping, tears filled his eyes. He remembered the words from that summer at JH: “I’ll do things you can’t even imagine.” That’s the kind of transformation we get to see at JH — when someone chooses surrender, God writes a story only He could write.
ADMINISTRATION AND CONSULTING
Zach DePriest ’15
Student Ministry Consultant, Mississippi Baptist Convention Board Jackson, Mississippi
Q Describe your current work.
A I currently serve at the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board in downtown Jackson. I am the Student Ministry Consultant in the Discipleship and Sunday School Department. In this role, I get to serve churches across the state when they have questions or issues related to student ministry. It could be leading Sunday School trainings for teachers, helping a church decide on a curriculum to use, questions on how to best utilize their church space with student ministry events, etc. I also help connect student pastors across the state to each other to help build relationships.
Q Did JA, JA people, or your experiences while in high school play a role in your career decision making?
A In the time I was a student, my experience didn’t really play a part in my decision since I did not feel called to ministry until I was in college. But in hindsight,
I can certainly see how God was using relationships with teachers and friends I made while I was a student to help guide me and to be a source of wisdom to fall back on when trying to discern the path the Lord has had for me in certain moments. In hindsight I can also see where things like The Retreat weekend that was started when I was in high school really helped me understand even a small part of what planning events and working with a team to meet a need really looked like.
Q What would you say to students who are considering a form of ministry - as a pastor, missionary, student pastor, non-profit leader, Christian counselor, etc.
A The first thing I would say is spend a lot of time in prayer and in God’s Word. It is nearly impossible for really anyone to understand the path the Lord has for them if time is not spent in God’s Word with intentional time set aside to really hear from God.
Second, I would say to speak to a church leader so they are aware and can help you. God uses those around us to help affirm things at times. Those leaders can be a source of wisdom and can also help answer questions that you may not even realize you have. Another thing would be to not wait until you work in ministry to do ministry. There are plenty of ways to serve now. That might be volunteering if possible in the preschool ministry, helping set up the youth worship room before the service begins, greeting church members and other students before church begins, or many other ways. If you do not know of a way to serve now, ask someone in your church how you can serve, and I am sure there will be a place.
Lastly, if you realize that the Lord hasn’t called you to work at a church in full time vocational ministry, do not feel like you’ve let the Lord or anyone down. We need accountants that are missionaries in their firms. We need doctors who can show the love of Christ to patients going through critical times in life. School teachers have the opportunity to help students see the value they have as individuals and how they were created in the Image of God. Whatever you do as your “job,” you can still be a minister of the Gospel in that role. The Great Commission in Matthew 28 isn’t just for those that work in a church. It is for all that follow Jesus to take the message and hope of the Gospel with us in everything we do.
