Throughout the United States, the Body of Christ is fractured and divided. Our lack of love for one another and unwillingness to work together is one of the primary criticisms aimed at us by the world at large. This is no less true of the Church throughout Greater Saint Louis, as we are divided Denominationally, Politically, Geographically, Racially, and Socioeconomically.

However, Paul tells us that there is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father. As the Body of Christ, we are all called into participation with Jesus in His worldwide mission of redeeming mankind to Himself.

But unless intentional steps are taken to cross these lines and to intentionally co-labor in service to the Mission of Jesus, we cannot expect to see the fruits of that oneness. Already throughout Greater Saint Louis there is a building awareness of our need for missional unity, made manifest through events such as One Future STL and Nothing Impossible Week. Groundswell exists simply to stand in the middle between all these beautiful expressions of the Body and to connect them with each other so that they may thrive all the more in pursuit of the mission that Jesus has given to each of them.

Jonathan graduated from Columbia International University in 2001 with a degree in Cross-cultural Church Planting. Since that time he has worked as a house painter, waiter, bicycle guide, coffee shop owner, and spent many years operating his own contracting business. Along the way, he served as a founding board member and officer for the Saint Louis Downtown Neighborhood Association, partnered with several church planting organizations, and worked extensively in the areas of small group ministries and discipleship.

In 2020, Jonathan took the 15-week course Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. He was invited to facilitate the class in 2021 and was thrilled to do so again in 2022. In between those two classes, he accepted a position as Area Team Lead for Greater Saint Louis with Perspectives USA, a role in which he continues to serve. In that capacity, he became increasingly aware of the need for “connective tissue” between churches, ministries, and individuals. After a multitude of conversations and hours spent in prayer, Groundswell Saint Louis was born out of the belief that Jesus wants to send thousands of well-supported, experienced ministry workers from Greater Saint Louis to the nations–but that we have significant work to do in our own backyard to make that happen.

Jonathan loves fishing, camping, backpacking, bad puns, board games, and the Dallas Cowboys. He over-quotes John Eldredge, loves mentoring younger men, thoroughly enjoys the JB Phillips translation of the New Testament, and literally cannot turn down a cup of coffee.