It’s hard to say that I chose ministry.

I chose Christ, and He led me into ministry. There have been so many seasons in my life that I did not “choose ministry,” but it chose me.

I started leading worship when I was 13, at a small church in the boonies of Indiana (just imagine just about everything about the town in the movie Hoosiers). I have served as the worship leader of several smaller-sized churches and ministries for about 11 years and am now serving as a worship resident at Perimeter Church in Johns Creek, Georgia.

I come from a lot of unhealthy churches, and have been burned over and over again by the church. Two years ago, I gave up on ministry. I tried to walk away from my calling. It was the team at Leadership Pathway that pulled me out of that pain. Sometimes, the call still feels impossible, but God is teaching me that He deals exclusively in impossible matters.

It’s a genuine struggle to come from a place of leadership and serve at the bottom again; I have to check my pride and nurse my ego-wounds daily. But God has called me to teach and empower people to worship in a healthy way, through devotionals, conversation, and on-stage leadership.

I’ve learned to love having set mentors who are here to guide and teach me. We all need leadership. To be honest, most of us are starving for it. I chose Leadership Pathway because of their undying desire to understand me, and place me according to what might be the healthiest fit for me. I love having a genuine opportunity to exercise my call in a meaningful and powerful way. God truly gets all the glory for my being here.

To others, and even to younger me, I would say: Don’t quit. Surround yourself with healthy people. You don’t have to change the world right now. Just say yes to every opportunity. Learn from anyone and everyone. Read every book, give every speech. Just say yes.

I’m Jesse Baize, and this is my leadership pathway.

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Jesse is currently in his first year at Perimeter Church.
Go here to learn more about their residency program.