Jay is a native Tennessean, born in Memphis and raised in Nashville. During college Jay began to feel some stirrings toward seminary. After some time living abroad and traveling in Latin America, he enrolled at Princeton Theological Seminary. There, God affirmed with clarity that he belonged in the church as a pastor.  After graduation, Jay was called as Associate Pastor for Discipleship and Mission at Germantown Presbyterian Church in Germantown, TN, where he served beginning in 2012. During his tenure there, he completed his doctorate at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Jay was called to SHPC in 2019.

Jay is happily married to Frances, and they have two sons, Jack and Harry.