First Pres Hayward welcomes new Pastor!

Jake was born and raised in Olympia, Washington. Following his high school graduation, he went to Western Washington University, in Bellingham, WA, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies. He and Joan met while studying there. Shortly after graduation, they married and moved to San Diego, where Jake served as Area Director for YoungLife in Point Loma. During his time on staff with YoungLife Jake continued his education at the Fuller Theological Seminary. In 2008, he received his Master of Divinity degree, and was ordained as a Pastor in the Presbyterian Church USA. Jake’s first call was at La Jolla Presbyterian Church as the Youth and Children’s Pastor. After his first two years, he began to invest in students at Mission Bay High School. While there, he noticed that many students at Mission Bay were being bussed in from inner-city San Diego and so he started Sunhouse Urban (the urban branch of La Jolla Presbyterian’s youth ministry). As this ministry continued to grow La Jolla Presbyterian Church formed a non-profit and changed the name to UrbanLife. UrbanLife has grown to 7 staff and reaches over 300 students and families each year. Concurrently, along the way, several community-based leaders, joined by a launch team from La Jolla Presbyterian Church, planted and chartered a PC(USA) congregation, Orange Ave Community Church. Jake has served as both Executive Director of UrbanLife and Lead Pastor for Orange Ave Community Church for the last 4 years.
Jake and Joan are blessed with 3 children: Addison (7), Samuel (3), and Kimo (2).