You might say that Jim Young inherited his passion for worship and education from his parents.
A Mississippi preacher’s kid, Jim’s father was a bi-vocational pastor and his mother, a pianist, led the children’s music programs in the church. His parents were also educators.
“From an early age I was drawn to music – especially church music,” said Jim. “Piano lessons at the age of seven were a rite of passage in our family, and by the time I was 18, I held a leadership role in my church music ministry while completing my undergraduate degree.”
Today, Jim enjoys his professional role at Belhaven University in Jackson, MS as Dean of Doctoral Studies as well as serving at Cornerstone Church in Pearl, MS where he will soon celebrate his 20th anniversary as worship pastor.
He also enjoys serving on the European Worship Institute teaching team.
A Strong Connection to EWI
Before joining the European Worship Institute (EWI) teaching team, Jim had participated in mission trips to Europe and Africa.
“The opportunity to integrate my dual passions for worship and education is the primary reason that I feel a strong connection to the work and mission of EWI,” says Jim.
Since 2016, that strong connection has led Jim to partner with EWI for training events in Portugal, Morocco, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, and Spain.
Worship Transcends Language and Culture
Thanks to his background in education, Jim has helped develop teaching content for EWI events, including an engaging team dynamics session where participants learn about personality types, communication, and strategies for building strong teams.
Jim views worship training with EWI as an opportunity to build community, foster relationships in worship ministry, and help teams strengthen their capacity for leading in worship both spiritually and musically.
“My experiences with EWI have shown me how worship transcends language and culture,” he said. “Through EWI, I’ve experienced authentic worship in languages I don’t speak or understand fully, but the intent and meaning resonate with my spirit. I have seen Holy Spirit move in amazing expressions through worship around the world.”
An Ever-Expanding Spiritual Family
Through his work with EWI, Jim enjoys seeing how God is moving in The Church and how He brings people with different gifts together and connects them through service in the local church.
“In addition, I’ve made incredible, authentic friendships with fellow believers across Europe and Northern Africa,” he said. “My involvement with EWI has led to the development of an ever-expanding spiritual family that I cherish. I am blessed to have an international community I can rely on for prayer and encouragement.”
When he’s not leading worship at Cornerstone, grading doctoral dissertations, or traveling on planes, trains, and automobiles with EWI, Jim enjoys doing home construction projects and making incredible cheesecakes for family and friends.
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