MATT & JILL MCCLOGHRY
M
att and Jill McCloghry traveled a circuitous path to opening Colonial Church. Jill was born and raised in St. Augustine, but combining her love of singing and ministry, she was able to travel to Australia to work with the Hillsong Churches ministry organization. Matt, a Sydney, Australia native, went to the same cafe with his friends every Saturday morning. His life changed forever when he looked up one morning in 2004 and saw Jill walk in with one of her friends. Thirteen years of marriage later, they now have three children. After living in Australia for eight years, they moved to Atlanta and then New York for Matt’s work with a Wall Street firm. In 2012, they moved back to St. Augustine, where Matt and Jill originally planned to open a vintage surfboard/coffee shop. But once here, they knew they were being called to something much different. In 2015, they started a home-based Bible study. For two years, they met quarterly, then gradually increased to monthly, bi-monthly, and eventually weekly meetings. Matt continued working while they slowly built the church. Matt and Jill compare their own church-planting experience with growing a family – couples slowly add one child at a time, instead of all at once. And growing Colonial Church felt the same to them. Matt and Jill work together as a team. Sitting in their conference room, the obvious connection between the couple shows as they look at each other with grins and laughter and share how the church planting process has strengthened their marriage in innumerable ways. Jill blushes slightly as she says, “We’ve always enjoyed being close. I used to go have lunch with him every day while he worked.” As busy as they are now, they have learned to be intentional in making sure they “still date,” and focus on each other. They believe strongly that the church reflects their marriage. “There is an amazing parallel between marriage and the church. Now we’re understanding just how great God is on a whole new level.”