Community Corner

Pastor Profiles: Jason Huff Talks Relationships, Compassion at Church of the Covenant

Patch talks with Church of the Covenant pastor Jason Huff about his job, his church's role in the local community and his thoughts on faith at home and abroad.

“Pastor Jason” to his congregation and “Reverend Mister” to his mother-in-law, Jason Huff, 37, is the pastor of , a Presbyterian church in Macomb Township.

A solo pastor for three years now, Huff first felt the call to serve God as a teenager.

“I was nurtured in a very loving evangelical Presbyterian church throughout my youth, and I was moved by the love that the staff there showed me, from the pastors to the choir director to the youth leaders,” he said. “That inspired me to think about someday pursuing ministry.”

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Leaving his native Greenwood, IN, Huff traveled first to Russia as a missionary.

When he returned to the U.S., he went to work for a cell phone company, but continued his service in the church as a worship leader.

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Huff said the day he heard that the center he managed was closing "was the biggest relief in the world … because that same day, I felt God calling me into to full-time ministry.”

In an effort to expand Patch's coverage of the local faith community, Patch reached out to Huff to talk about his job as pastor, Church of the Covenant’s role in the local community and his thoughts on faith at home and abroad.

Macomb Patch: From what sources do you draw inspiration for your work?

Jason Huff: Scripture is the key to everything I do. Beyond that, I love to learn from great biblical scholars. I’m very fond of R.C. Sproul, Tim Keller, Oswald Chambers, A.W. Tozer, and C.S. Lewis, as well as early church writers like Augustine. I’m also inspired by modern praise and worship music.   

Macomb Patch: What do you want to accomplish in Macomb Township?

Huff: I would love to see the people of Macomb Township come to faith in Jesus Christ and mature as His disciples. Our natural tendency is to fear deep commitments and when it comes to any kind of faith, to stay in the “shallow waters.” My hope and prayer is that those who are a part of our church will reach out to their neighbors and show them genuine love and compassion that comes from a deep relationship with Jesus Christ. That kind of faith is truly inspiring and helps build not just the church but also our community, teaching us how to be better friends and neighbors to one another.

Macomb Patch: What do you hope your congregation takes from your leadership?

Huff: My goal in leadership is to help each person in my congregation realize that they are Christian leaders, too. Reading and studying Scripture, helping others with their physical needs, praying for those around us–these aren’t things we pay our pastors to do for us. These elements can and should be a vital part of every Christian’s life. As the pastor, I have a wonderful and unique job in that I get to nurture others … I get to be a part of the lives of my congregants. But real Christian leadership happens every day in the workplace, out on the ball field, in the school classroom, and it’s done by ordinary folks who have found a genuine love for God and have made Jesus Christ the Lord of their lives. I pray I inspire others to transform the places they work and play with God’s love.       

Macomb Patch: What do you believe is the greatest problem or issue affecting our world today?

Huff: I believe our greatest problem is that we attempt to fill our lives with all sorts of things to mask our deepest pain. We use everything from big-screen TVs and sex and food to power and fame to numb ourselves. Ironically, in our quest to find things that will take away our pain, we wind up hurting other people. Christianity teaches us that nothing can fulfill us and heal those wounds except for Jesus Christ, the master healer who restored us through His love and forgiveness.

Macomb Patch: How would you finish this sentence, "By the time I retire as a pastor, I hope to have ..."

Huff: Honestly, I hope never to retire. God’s calling to be His faithful servant to His people never ends. It would be great to be able to minister to people until the day this body gives out. But I agree completely with what –I’d love to see our congregation grow in faith to the point where they don’t just “go to church,” but realize that “they are the church” and begin to impact not just our local community but the world at large. Thankfully, we’ve already begun to see that happen.

Macomb Patch: What is the best advice you've ever been given?

Huff: Let God be the center of your life. When we try to fit God into the gaps in our lives, it just doesn’t work. But when God is at the center of our existence, everything else flows out of that relationship with Him and finds true meaning.

Fast Facts about Pastor Jason:

  • Favorite Bible passage is Romans 8:38-39: “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
  • Favorite Film: Fiddler on the Roof, Return To Me, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
  • Favorite Place to Visit? Washington, D.C., Gatlinburg, TN 
  • Favorite Band or Composer? Rush, Waterdeep, Hillsongs United, Bruce Cockburn
  • Favorite Food? Deep-dish pizza
  • Hobby? Watching Japanese animation (anime), racquetball


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