Jay Hutchens

Executive Minister of Small Groups & Discipleship

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 student government as Student Body Vice President.

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, 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 focused 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 master class on how a church can grow and serve, and in living the presence of Jesus, actually shift the culture of an entire county. Both experiences were incredible!”

Jay has served on numerous community boards of directors, 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 Special Education Lead Teacher at Arlington Elementary School in Jackson. Together they have a son, Will, 23, a recent graduate of UT-Knoxville who lives in Atlanta, and Neeley, 16, a sophomore at the University School of Jackson where she plays tennis.

For fun, Jay reads, plays tennis, listens to New Orleans jazz, goes to the gym, loves a GREAT meal, and plays more tennis. His wife, Susan, makes the very best chicken and sausage gumbo north of Lake Pontchartrain. When Neeley isn’t working on school and tennis, she is baking things in the kitchen not approved on Jay’s Whole-30 diet.

Meet our ministers