James grew up in Clearwater, FL and he also grew up in church. At the age of seven James gave his heart and life to Christ. He went on to college to pursue a career in business/tax law at Flagler College only to be called to vocational ministry. James changed his major and after graduating college he attended Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. During his time at seminary James served at Central as an intern. After graduating seminary, James came on the staff at Central full-time in 2005, where he has served as the discipleship pastor since.
When he was five, James met a young girl named Jenni Gildersleeve at church. Little did he know how much this little girl would change his life. They became best of friends in high school and then James successfully escaped the “friend zone” in college when they started dating. After they both graduated from college (Jenni attended Campbell on a full-ride volleyball scholarship) they were married and started their family. It would be years later that the Lord would bring their oldest son, Logan, through adoption, followed by their daughter, Megan, who also joined the family through adoption. Years later, the Lord saw fit to bring about an unexpected miracle through the birth of their youngest son, Gavin.
James is convinced that the Bible is foundational to any believer’s relationship with the Lord. Through the Bible we understand who God is, what He has done, and who He is changing us to be. James is committed to providing opportunities for people to study the Bible together whether it is through Sunday School classes, small groups, or even short-term classes (like GROW classes). James writes the Sunday School lesson each week because he loves to write and communicate truth through words and story. He has also written many scripts that have been used for Christmas, Easter, and even Thanksgiving programs here at Central. James has also had the opportunity to write Judgement House scripts that have been used throughout the country (and he and Jenni are also JH national trainers). James enjoys all sorts of fandoms, including but not limited to Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, comic books, video games, and so many more.