From Florida, Jerry went to Lee University in Tennessee where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. This incredibly practical degree allowed him to find a position as waiter at his local Shoney’s, which he did for year, servin’ up the best breakfast bar in town!

From there he was off to Wheaton, Illinois, where he received an M.A. in Religion in American Life from Wheaton Graduate School. After a year spent working with World Relief helping to settle refugees, he was off on a journey to Alaska to spend the summer waiting tables in Fairbanks (unfortunately, no breakfast bar).

After a long drive (over 5000 miles!) from Alaska to Florida to New Jersey, Jerry began his M.Div. studies at Princeton Theological Seminary. While enrolled at Princeton, he spent summers working at Village Chapel in Charleston, West Virginia, as a hospital chaplain in Kansas City, and as a youth intern in Westfield, New Jersey. Upon receiving a fellowship after graduation from Princeton, Jerry ate at a breakfast bar (not really) and headed off to Edinburgh, Scotland (really) for a year.

After travels and study in Europe, Jerry headed back to the homeland where he worked for five months as an intern in Altavista, Virginia. A few months later, he took his first call at Heritage, pleased to be back in familiar territory and near Egg Harbor Café (no breakfast bar, but great skillets!)

Jerry’s faith walk has also involved a fairly circuitous journey. He was raised Pentecostal, but made a very “typical” move over the years to becoming a Presbyterian (via stops at Southern Baptist, Methodist, Charismatic Episcopal, and your plain old non-denominational churches). Throughout these various and diverse experiences of worship and theology, Jerry has learned much that he hopes to pass on.

The journey of faith takes us to both very exciting and very ordinary stops, but it is always moving. If there’s one thing Jerry has learned on his journeys, it is that a journey is much better if it is made with others. So, if you desire to journey with other travelers, come join us as at Heritage as we sojourn into a richer and deeper faith. Breakfast is on Jerry!

To read some of Pastor Jerry's sermons, click here.