Elders

By the Lord's kindness, Eric was born in to a home with believing parents who regularly taught their children the Bible and took them to church. Sometime in elementary school during a backyard Bible club, the Lord opened Eric's eyes to his sin and he desired to follow Him in faith. God has persevered Eric and graciously shown him more of His grace and kindness throughout his life. Eric and his wife, Loretta, have been at Clifton since 2006. They are parents to Abigail, Elliana, Meseret, Benjamin, and Asher. Eric has a degree in Environmental Biology and a Masters of Environmental Science, and works for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources as a Nursery Inspector. He is also a certified arborist at 5 Saplings, LLC.

Jason met his high school sweetheart, who later became his wife, and she helped him discover the love of Christ. After serving in the military for over 20 years, Jason felt a calling to pursue Christian ministry. Consequently, he moved to Louisville with his family and enrolled in The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He completed his Master of Divinity and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Leadership. Jason serves as one of our staff elders, playing a vital role in bringing the congregation's vision to life by providing guidance and support to the staff, deacons, and volunteers.

David heard the gospel from an early age from his parents. He was helped to see his need for Jesus by watching the way the Lord changed his older brother when he became a Christian. After becoming a Christian at a young age, David continued to grow in faith through the ministry of several churches. He joined Clifton Baptist in 2001. While here, he met Ericia, and they were married in 2005. They have five children: Ruth, Elisabeth, Seth, Faith, and Joseph. David began serving as a lay elder at Clifton while working for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. He joined Clifton’s full-time staff in 2014 as our Pastor of Discipleship. In this role, he provides general pastoral care and leadership for the congregation with particular responsibilities for the small group ministry and member care.

John began to trust Christ at an early age under the instruction of his parents, and thanks God for graciously strengthening his hope in Him with each passing year. Early in his college years the Lord opened John’s eyes in new ways to His greatness and glory from Scripture and began instilling in him a deep appreciation for the local church. It was also at this time that he met his wife, Sarah. They now have six children: Anna, Rachel, Trevor, Ryan, Julia, and Tyler.  John completed his M.Div. (2003) and Ph.D. (2008, NT Theology) at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and was an active member of Clifton during those years. John joined the pastoral staff in 2008 and transitioned into the role of Pastor of Preaching in 2015.

Ian was raised in a Christian home where he heard the gospel often both at home and at church. He remembers repenting and putting his faith in Jesus around the age of 6, and knew His presence and had peace in forgiveness even as a young boy. After years of stunted growth in the Lord, Ian began to grow in grace and maturity in college when he learned the basic disciplines of Bible reading, prayer, and fellowship. Originally from Virginia Beach, VA, Ian and his wife, Megan, moved to Louisville so he could pursue his MDiv at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. They are now the parents of four children: Cohen, Isaac, Luke, and Josie.

Jeremy grew up in a home where the Gospel was proclaimed and lived. Around age 5 or 6, the Lord began to draw Jeremy to Himself and saved him. He was baptized in his teenage years. Now he will tell you that over the years, the blazing need for Christ has only become more evident to him. And over the years, His grace has been more and more sufficient. Jeremy is married to his wife, Catherine; the father to five children; and one of the owners of Louisville Overstock Warehouse.

The Lord blessed Shawn with Christian parents who took him to church and taught him the gospel from a young age. Shawn believes he trusted Christ at the age of 10. In 1996, he helped to start Trinity Baptist Church in Louisville, KY when he began working on his Ph.D. In 2001 Trinity merged with Clifton, where he has served ever since. Shawn currently serves as Clifton’s Pastor of Leadership Development. In this role, he intentionally equips individuals for the work of the ministry through Bible study, the internship program, and the missions cohort. He also teaches church history at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Shawn is married to Gretchen, and they have five sons: Benjamin, Jonathan, Aaron, Nathan, and Stephen.