JAY & JODIE RUNYON
FRANKLIN, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Pastor Jay was born in Missouri and when he was 8 years old he heard that Jesus could spare him from hell and prayed that Jesus would save him. In his early teens, he attended a Baptist church and learned more about the Jesus he prayed to 5 years before and was baptized and began to attend church regularly. He then moved and fell away from fellowship and lived as he saw fit. In college Jesus finally became a complete reality to Jay and he was truly born-again. Jay felt called to ministry shortly after this, but still had no church to attend.
At the College of the Ozarks he heard about a ministry called Child Evangelism Fellowship and a camp they had in New Hampshire. His first summer counseling was a great time of growth in the Lord, the next summer he moved there and he met his wife and was married in the fall. In 2001, Jay and Jodie’s first son was born and went to be with the Lord after 6 days. It was a devastating time, but the trial drove them closer to Jesus.
In 2003, their second son was born. Later that year, they moved to southern California to attend Calvary Chapel Bible College and to fellowship at CCBF. For the first time, they had found a church home and were going together in the Lord and learning how to serve within the body. While attending college he interned at CCBF.
Feeling called back to New Hampshire they were prayed over by the family at CCBF and they moved back and started a home fellowship that didn’t work out. Their daughter was born in 2005. Jay and Jodie served in a few different churches and learned a lot about serving the Lord in a difficult region. But God gave Jay the desire to teach and to disciple.
In 2011, they started meeting again and after 5 years was asked to co-pastor a small church in a local village. After a year there, God made it very clear that Jay was called to plant a church and not be hired into one. In early 2017, the announcement was made and a few families joined them, they have since rented a space in Franklin, NH and became Grace Bible Fellowship. They currently have a growing youth group, ladies study and many opportunities to fellowship together.
At the College of the Ozarks he heard about a ministry called Child Evangelism Fellowship and a camp they had in New Hampshire. His first summer counseling was a great time of growth in the Lord, the next summer he moved there and he met his wife and was married in the fall. In 2001, Jay and Jodie’s first son was born and went to be with the Lord after 6 days. It was a devastating time, but the trial drove them closer to Jesus.
In 2003, their second son was born. Later that year, they moved to southern California to attend Calvary Chapel Bible College and to fellowship at CCBF. For the first time, they had found a church home and were going together in the Lord and learning how to serve within the body. While attending college he interned at CCBF.
Feeling called back to New Hampshire they were prayed over by the family at CCBF and they moved back and started a home fellowship that didn’t work out. Their daughter was born in 2005. Jay and Jodie served in a few different churches and learned a lot about serving the Lord in a difficult region. But God gave Jay the desire to teach and to disciple.
In 2011, they started meeting again and after 5 years was asked to co-pastor a small church in a local village. After a year there, God made it very clear that Jay was called to plant a church and not be hired into one. In early 2017, the announcement was made and a few families joined them, they have since rented a space in Franklin, NH and became Grace Bible Fellowship. They currently have a growing youth group, ladies study and many opportunities to fellowship together.