Jay Hutchens

Executive Minister

A native of New Orleans, Jay began his ministry in 1991, working with youth and young adults at Lindenwood Christian Church in Memphis. He is a graduate of Memphis Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Texas A&M University (B.A., Philosophy and Religion).  As an “Aggie,” Jay served in several different student government roles.

Jay left Lindenwood in 1998 to serve as associate regional minister for the Christian Church in Kentucky, working primarily with Camps and Conferences and Christian Education.

In 1999, Jay returned to Lindenwood as Associate Minister for Church Life, overseeing youth, young adults, and singles ministry, as well as working closely with Lindenwood’s new “Wide Open Worship.” In 2004, Jay began work on a new church plant in Jackson, TN – “The Promise Church.” Then, in 2005, Jay was asked to fill a pastoral leadership role with Alamo First Christian Church. He served both churches until 2016, when Jay began focusing on full-time work in Alamo.

Jay says, “At Promise Church, I learned the importance of sharing life together in small, intentional, intimate, and empowering community. First Christian Alamo was a masterclass on how a church can grow and serve, and, by living the presence of Jesus, actually shift the culture of an entire county. Both experiences were incredible!”

Jay serves on the Board of “Raising Resilience” – a family empowerment not-for-profit in Nashville. He also serves on the Advisory Board for the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at Belmont University and the Advisory Board (PEDAC) for the Department of Philosophy at Texas A&M University.

He has formerly worked with boards in West Tennessee, including JACOA (Jackson Area Council on Addiction), Friend2Friend Mentoring of Crockett County, and the Crockett Cares Food Bank. He also served for eleven years as an outside evaluator as part of the Crockett County Drug Court team.

Jay is married to Susan Hutchens, a teacher at James Lawson High School. Together they have a son, Will, who lives and works in Atlanta, and a daughter, Neeley, a student at Samford University in Birmingham.

For fun, Jay reads, plays pickleball, listens to all kinds of jazz, and enjoys eating out with Susan and friends at one of the many really amazing restaurants in Nashville!

Meet our ministers