Pastor Clay strives to be a passionate spiritual leader devoted to spreading love, hope, and faith to all people by the grace of God. His favorite part of life in ministry is creating space for people to be authentically present and explore their joys, their creativity, and their callings together around the table. He has been a lifelong member of the United Methodist Church and began his faith journey at Colonial Heights UMC in Kingsport, TN. The love, grace, and leadership opportunities presented to Clay by this faith body have been monumental in his understanding of the inclusive work of the church. Clay is a graduate of Sullivan South High School, East Tennessee State University (Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences), and Vanderbilt University (Master of Divinity). He was commissioned into full-time ministry as a provisional elder at the 2023 Holston Annual Conference. His previous pastoral appointments include Morrison Chapel UMC in Kingsport, TN and Trinity Church (Brentwood UMC) in Spring Hill, TN. Prior to these roles, Clay spent many years leading bi-vocationally in youth ministry to foster an intentional community for students to feel loved and equipped in their discipleship journey.

Clay has been married to the love of his life, Tiffany, since July 2014 and together they have two wonderful boys. They moved to Pearisburg in July 2023 and have fallen in love with the strong community and comradery that embody Giles County. Clay loves spending his free time exploring with his family, cooking, and finding new hobbies to try. He would love to connect over a tremendous cup of coffee to share stories, passions, and spectacularly cheesy jokes. You are always welcomed and invited to the table with Pastor Clay and the people of Pearisburg First UMC.