Justin was born in Newport News, VA but grew up in Asheville, NC. His formative years were spent in a Baptist church that was theologically liberal and culturally moralistic (yeah, the worst of every world). He grew up thinking Jesus was legit and the church was whack.

Justin played football at Furman University and majored in business administration. After college, he began a career in business with no thoughts of ever going into vocational ministry. In his early to mid-twenties, Justin was exposed to good teaching for the first time. His life began to change. He was given regular teaching and leadership opportunities in the church. Believers around him encouraged him to go into pastoral ministry, and, eventually, the Lord brought him to a place where that became his desire.

At the end of 2011, Justin moved to Washington, DC to do the pastoral internship at Capitol Hill Baptist Church and then went on staff there as a pastoral assistant. He and his family moved to Asheville in the summer of 2014 to begin the work of planting a church. Covenant Baptist Church was constituted in the fall of 2015. Justin still serves as the lead pastor of CBC.

Justin is married to Michelle. They met in early 2012 and were married at the end of that year. He knew he had found a good thing. Justin and Michelle have four kids: Josiah, Noelle, Titus, and Scottie. In addition to his family—and theology, of course—Justin enjoys the Asheville food and drink scene, music, and pretty much anything having to do with sports.