Our next interview for NAYC comes from Jason Pearcy of Parsons, Tennessee. So, students, It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Jason Pearcy.

InsideOut: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three items would you want to have with you and why?
Jason Pearcy: 1) A knife because every man needs a knife in every situation!! 2) A gun because you never know when you might need to shoot something!! 3) Duct tape because you can fix anything with duct tape!!

IO: Please tell us your favorite joke.
JP: A woman gets on a bus with her baby. The bus driver says, “Ugh, that’s the ugliest baby I’ve ever seen!” The woman walks to the rear of the bus and sits down, fuming. She says to a man next to her, “The driver just insulted me!” The man replies, “You go up there and tell him off. Go on, I’ll hold your monkey for you.”

IO: What is the funniest moment you have had while preaching?
JP: I meant to say, “A man should dress like a man,” but I actually said, “A man should dress like a woman!” Epic fail!

IO: Why do you feel North American Youth Congress is so important for students to attend?
JP: Youth congress is essential to students’ connection with God, the church, and their peers. It is a venue where they can catch a glimpse of how magnificent Pentecost really is. Socially, it’s essential to students feeling they are not serving God alone, and spiritually, it’s essential to students understanding they are a part of a great movement.

IO: How do you mentally prepare to preach to thousands at Youth Congress?
JP: Actually, I’m not preaching, but I will be the emcee for the Jump Start sessions. However, to mentally prepare, I will notate what I have to communicate, do my best to memorize it, and then give it all I’ve got!

IO: What do you feel are your top two personal strengths and weaknesses and why?
JP: Strengths: I’m loyal and honest.
Weaknesses: I have a temper that clouds my judgment, and I place too much emphasis on the opinions and approval of others.

IO: When and where did you receive your calling, and how did you prepare to fulfill it?
JP: I received my call to preach when I was sixteen years old at a young ministers’ conference in Tennessee called “Eagles Nest.” My pastor/dad was my primary mentor at the beginning of my preaching ministry and still is today. He taught me to love God’s people, to study, to pray, and he gave me opportunities to preach long before my abilities validated my calling. He understood that God doesn’t call the qualified, but He qualifies the called. Dad played a major roll in my qualification as a minister. He fully supported my decision to further my education at Indiana Bible College (IBC). Going to IBC was the best ministry decision I have ever made.

IO: What advice do you have for someone feeling a call to any aspect of ministry? What should their next steps be?
JP: The first thing you need to do is talk with your student pastor/pastor about it. They will help you establish the parameters of what God is calling you to do. From there, I would recommend Bible college. If you plan to devote your life to ministry, Bible college will set you up for success.

IO: What are your long term goals for ministry and life in general, and what steps do you plan to reach those goals?
JP: Long term, I plan to pastor and further my education in marriage and family therapy. Hopefully by the time I become a pastor, I’ll be able to serve the families of my community/city through counseling.

IO: How can the students take the Youth Congress fire to their homes and home churches and keep it burning?
JP: Take it home in your heart, in your mind, and in your soul. In the first service you have at your home church after Youth Congress, remember the same presence of God will be manifested in your praise at your home church as He was at Youth Congress. It will be your responsibility to demonstrate the same intensity in worship at home with other generations as you do with your peers at NAYC.