May 11, 2026
Meet Jefferson
Doctor of Ministry, Kairos University
Clarksville, TN
District Superintendent, Tennessee – Western Kentucky Conference of The United Methodist Church; Senior Pastor, Hilldale United Methodist Church
We asked Jefferson a few questions to learn more about his journey at Kairos. Here is what we discovered.
What led you to Kairos University?
I came to Kairos University through Evangelical Seminary at the point when the Kairos Project was coming into full effect. What initially felt like a transition between institutions quickly became an invitation into a different way of thinking about theological education–one that honors lived ministry, deep reflection, and formation alongside academic rigor.
What I have appreciated most about my educational journey at Kairos is the way learning is integrated with real ministry contexts. Rather than treating education as something detached from pastoral life, Kairos encouraged me to bring my questions, challenges, and hopes directly into the learning process.
The guidance of my mentors helped me stay rooted in my calling while pushing me to think more critically and creatively about discipleship, formation, and leadership. I am deeply thankful for the Kairos community as a whole—for the relationships, the conversations, and the shared commitment to learning that serves the Church and the world.
What moments or experiences at Kairos have been most meaningful in your journey?
One unexpected challenge during my time at Kairos University was a significant change in my ministry context in the middle of my program. That transition required me to rethink my Doctor of Ministry project and, more importantly, to reexamine some of my assumptions about stability, calling, and control. What could have felt like a disruption instead became a formative moment.
The support of my faculty mentor and team was essential during that season. Rather than encouraging me to start over or rush toward solutions, they helped me remain grounded in the foundation I had already built. I was invited to trust the theological and pastoral instincts that had shaped my work from the beginning, while also learning to listen more carefully to how God was moving in the midst of uncertainty and change.
That experience taught me an enduring lesson: faithful ministry is not only about careful planning, but about attentiveness, paying attention to God’s presence and activity even when the path forward is unclear. The Kairos journey gave me permission to hold questions with patience, to honor seasons of transition, and to discern God’s work not in spite of change, but often through it.
How has your love for Jesus grown during your time at Kairos?
My time at Kairos University deepened my love for Jesus by inviting me into a slower, more attentive way of learning and living the faith. Rather than treating theological education as the accumulation of information, Kairos consistently drew me back to the person of Christ. The rhythm of reflection, practice, and discernment helped me remain rooted in grace and attentive to God’s presence in both ordinary and demanding moments of pastoral life.
Kairos equipped me to serve my community more faithfully by helping me integrate theology and practice in meaningful ways. The project-based model of the Doctor of Ministry program allowed me to listen more carefully to the stories, needs, and hopes of the people I serve and to respond with greater intentionality. I was reminded and encouraged to see ministry not as something I do for others, but as something God is already doing in and through the community.
What advice do you have for someone considering attending Kairos University?
For those considering Kairos University, I would offer this encouragement: come with openness rather than certainty. Kairos is not simply a place to acquire credentials or complete requirements; it is an invitation into a way of learning that will ask you to listen to Scripture, to your ministry context, to the community around you, and to the movement of the Holy Spirit in your own life.
How can the Kairos Community continue to support and pray for you in your current role?
In this season, much of my energy and joy are centered on the work of discipleship, particularly through Rooted in Discipleship, a congregational renewal journey focused on cultivating spiritual leadership. I am also deeply invested in helping individuals and communities grow in their love for Jesus and in their clarity of purpose, especially as the Church continues to navigate change, uncertainty, and new possibilities for faithful witness.
Kairos University can continue to support and pray for me by holding this work in prayer—that it would remain grounded in grace, attentive to the movement of the Holy Spirit, and faithful to the call of forming disciples rather than simply maintaining institutions.