Pastor Jay Parr

Jay comes to Jones Memorial UMC with unique experiences as a pastor.  As a life-long Methodist, he left a 25-year career in tech sales to attend seminary and become a pastor.  His education includes a BA in biology from the University of Texas in Austin, an MBA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, and a Masters in Divinity from Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley.  His best friend is his wife Bridget and they have four children – oldest son is a senior in college, twin girls are seniors in high school and the youngest girl is a freshman in high school. His favorite sport to play is golf, although he is quick to inform you that his last name says nothing about his golf game. 

When you ask Jay about the church, he talks about how important it is to have a culture of innovation and embracing new ideas.  He believes we need to ‘re-think’ church, as church cannot exist just within the four walls of the building.  Church is about people in relationship with God and each other - out in the community and world.  The Methodist slogan that best references this approach to church is 'open hearts, open minds and open doors.'