Our Staff
Pastor James Hilton :: Lead Pastor & Teacher
James was born in Orlando and had the privilege of being raised in a home where his father was a pastor. Though he attended church during his childhood and accepted Christ at an early age, he did not fully grasp the power of Christ and radically begin to follow Jesus until the age of 17. During his college years, he served as a youth minister in two churches while completing a degree in Business Communications from the University of Central Florida.
In 1997, soon after graduating from UCF, James married his amazing wife and sweetheart, Shana. She is the love of his life and the incredible mother of their four children Josiah, twins, Halyn and Gracyn and Ansley, born in March of 2010. Once James fully committed to full-time ministry he headed to Southeastern Seminary to further his education. James received a Master’s of Divinity Degree with Biblical Languages then continued on to earn a PhD in Systematic Theology with an emphasis in ecclesiology. During seminary James had the privilege of leading several ministries, doing itinerant speaking ministry, and teaching on college level. However, God continued to place a strong call upon his heart to pastor a local church. James has felt that the primary means in which God transforms people and radically converts communities, is through the power of a local church.
Then in 2004, feeling led by God and unanimously called by God’s people, James became Lead Pastor and Teacher at the Journey. These past several years have been some of the most rewarding and exciting times in his life. To be a part of a church that is beginning to treasure Christ above all things and take the power of the gospel message to a hurting world has been truly an amazing experience. James has seen God’s miraculous hand as hundreds have come to know Christ and experience His amazing love and joy. It is because of these encounters that James has an even deeper hunger to see God move even more in our church and community so that Jesus Christ will be glorified. He looks forward to what God is going to do through the Journey in the future as we live to make Jesus Christ famous in West Volusia and see the gospel drop in thousands of people’s lives.
Pastor John Smith :: Pastor of Ministry Development
John was born and raised in New Jersey. The Lord has blessed him with a great family; his wife Maria and three kids, Sarah, Jessica and Chris and his wife Tiffany. He also has two grandchildren, Eva and Sean. John graduated from Farleigh Dickenson University with an undergraduate degree in psychology and from Baptist Bible Seminary in PA with a MDiv degree. John also worked in management with UPS, and previously pastored in Michigan and Iowa before coming to Florida to start a church. John and his wife currently live in DeLand.
Hobbies include: lifting weights, fishing and working around the house
Most recently read book: Transformation, How glocal churches transform lives and the world by Bob Roberts
Favorite verse: Proverbs 3:5-6
Pastor Jason Wilson :: Worship Pastor
Jason has been the Worship Pastor at the Journey for six years. He was born in Richmond, Kentucky. He and his wife, Karen, have five children, Allie, twins Ethan and Anna, Eli and Abby. Jason received his BA from the University of Kentucky in Mathematics, his MA from Eastern Kentucky University in Counseling and his MDiv from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jason and Karen came to the Journey in February of 2005.
Interests include: theology, music, and sports
I'd describe my faith as: freedom, rescue
Favorite album: old Crowder CDs (Can You Hear Us?, All I Can Say)
Favorite band: Hillsong United, the Passion guys
Favorite books: The Pleasures of God by John Piper, The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis, The Pentateuch as Narrative by John Sailhamer, and The Meaning of the Pentateuch, by John Sailhamer
Favorite movie: The Matrix
Favorite restaurant: Outback
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