Clay Jacobson named new director of Church Starting

The Texas Baptists Center of Missional Engagement welcomed Clay Jacobson as its new director of Church Starting. Jacobson transitioned from his prior position as Cooperative Program Director on Oct. 1.

Jacobson said church starting is a long-time passion for him. 

“Church planting has been my life. My dad was a church planter, and so half my childhood was us as a family supporting Dad as he was planting churches,” said Jacobson. “As a pastor, I led our church to see church planting as missions, and that's how I connected to Texas Baptists by sponsoring church plants, in the area and out of state. It's just a passion for me.” 

Prior to his time at Texas Baptists, Jacobson served as student pastor at First Baptist Church of Roscoe from 2010 to 2013 and lead pastor of Lamar Street Baptist Church from 2013 to 2016. He also served as Baptist student director of Rolling Plains Baptist Network from 2011 to 2013.

Jacobson has previously served as a Church Starting strategist for Area 4 with Texas Baptists from 2016-2024. Most recently, he served as the director of the Cooperative Program. 

“Church planting is very much a part of my DNA, so I love being able to be in this space. Tom [Howe]'s done a great job of building the team that's here, and they've been doing really killer work,” said Jacobson. “I'm stepping into a high note for church planting for Texas Baptists… We're almost double [the church plants and replants] we were [at] last year.”

Jacobson earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Texas A&M University and a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 2023, he earned his Doctor of Ministry in Church Revitalization from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. 

“Clay comes to his new role as director of Church Starting with many years of experience as a Church Starting strategist. He will build upon the good work that has been done in the past and lead the Church Starting efforts in a few new initiatives moving forward. We are happy to have Clay serve in this new role,” said Noe Treviño, director for the Center for Missional Engagement. 

Texas Baptists Church Starting shares God’s Word by planting new churches of all different sizes and ministry styles, and exists to connect people to a church where God is present. Learn more about Church Starting at txb.org/churchstarting.