Jason Fordyce

I grew up in Edmond, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City, in what is often called the buckle of the Bible-Belt. I lived in a home where attending church services Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night every week of the year was simply what we did. It was a part of our lifestyle. It was in this church home that I made a profession of faith as a student after a week-long summer camp and was I baptized shortly after. Though there was ample exposure to the gospel and all the related biblical knowledge that comes with growing up in a church environment, one could not observe my life and tell that I was born again. Neither my motives nor behavior had changed, and the things I lived for were no different. Additionally, what I read in my Bible did not make sense to me. There was no real understanding of the truth in Scripture. I knew deep in my own heart that what I proclaimed to have done as a student was not genuine. I did not reflect godly characteristics in any way. I had a high degree of morality, but that only gave me a false sense of security of being saved.

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Around the time of the birth of our first son, God began to give me a greater hunger for His Word, and it was during this timeframe that God was drawing me to Himself and ultimately to the realization in my heart that the Lord Jesus was Lord but not Lord of my life. I was constantly convicted of sin in my life but through consistently reading His Word, He opened my eyes to see the truth of who I was as a sinner and my need for Him as my Savior. The battle inside my heart and mind had become so intense that there was no escape. I finally had to give up. I believe it was then, that night when coming home from a church event, driving back by myself that God saved me. He granted repentance in my heart. I didn’t know what else to do except simply to give up and submit my life to Him and confess him as Lord. It was on that same way home that the battle in my mind began to subside, and in the matter of minutes my heart and mind was at peace. This peace gave me a new level of confidence of being a child of God. Slowly and progressively God began changing me to possess fruit that started to reflect Him. He took a very impatient man who was very quick- and hot-tempered, and began granting patience and kindness. He began taking my speech and instead of being filled with filthy language, He began changing me according to the words of James 3:8-12. Moreover, He instilled in me a peace that did not exist before, peace of knowing the Lord Jesus for certain and Him being the Lord of my life. He also began filling me with a desire to be a student of His Word and pursue genuine holiness, because a child that loves his Father should reflect his Father.

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Having a great interest in woodwork and mechanical engineering, Jason found himself in a career in the store fixture industry from 1992 through 2025. During that same time frame, Jason and Kelly served the church in many different areas: in youth ministry as a volunteer as well as on staff at a church in Oklahoma. Having a secular career in the business world, Jason's service in the local church was primarily geared toward small group and discipling as well as leadership in men’s ministry.

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The Lord used Jason's career to move his family to Mentor, OH in 2012, and through a series of events, led them to Grace Church of Mentor. Since then, they have continued to grow in the Lord and possess a love for His church and desire to see her grow. Jason was recognized as an elder by the congregation in 2023, defended his doctrinal statement in 2025, and joined the staff in 2026. He has attended Oklahoma Baptist University and Masters University and is now attending Southern Baptist Theological Seminary pursuing a Master of Divinity.

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Jason and Kelly were married in March of 1993. God has given them three children and seven grandchildren.