Jake felt called by God to go into vocational ministry when he was in high school, and after graduating college he decided to spend a year serving in East Asia with Cru before he attended seminary. God began to call him into missions and he ended up serving there for two years. Courtney also spent two years in East Asia on Jake’s team, where the Lord gave her a heart for cross-cultural ministry and building up the global Church, particularly in Asia.

They returned to the States and got married while Jake attended seminary at Beeson Divinity School. During this time, God clarified their mutual calling toward global church planting. The Lord led them to Mission to the World and to the team in Bangkok, Thailand.

Jake and Courtney will be serving on a church-planting team, helping to establish a network of gospel-centered churches in the city. They will also live and conduct relational ministry, sharing the gospel with their neighbors. They have a love for Asia and a desire to see people who have never heard the name of Jesus have their lives transformed by the power of the gospel.

Jake and Courtney welcomed Olivia Christine Thomas on February 4th, 2024.