Personal life and education

Nelson Searcy grew up in North Carolina. He started a computer programming business at age 13 and was selected as one of the nation's Top Ten Young Entrepreneurs while in high school.

Searcy met his wife, Kelley, on a blind date while they were in college and the two were married in 1994. They have lived in North Carolina, Southern California, and currently reside in Manhattan. They have one son and are long time bulldog owners.

Searcy received a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina. He received his Master of Divinity (M.Div.) from Duke University and has pursued additional study at North Carolina State University, Gardner-Webb University School of Divinity, and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Early Ministry

After becoming a Christian while in college, Searcy entered full time ministry in 1990

Searcy served with the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and pastored churches in North Carolina from 1990 to 1999.

Searcy went on staff with Rick Warren in 1999. There he was the founding director of the Purpose Driven Community at Saddleback Church, with more than 5,000 member churches, and a key architect for Warren's PurposeDriven.com.

The Journey Church of the City

Searcy and his wife, Kelley, moved to New York City in late 2001 to start The Journey Church of the City.

On Easter Sunday of 2002 a handful of people gathered in two Manhattan locations as The Journey launched weekly services. From the very beginning, The Journey was one church that met in multiple locations - on the Upper West Side on Sunday mornings and in the East Village on Sunday evenings.

From there, The Journey has steadily grown in numbers and ministries . Over the years the church has met in comedy clubs, church basements, off-Broadway theaters, public schools, hotel ballrooms and even in larger concert venues. As of January, 2009, The Journey meets in three locations in the Metro New York area and are praying about adding more in the future.

Currently, The Journey-Manhattan meets at the Manhattan Center's Grand Ballroom for 4 services every Sunday (10:00am; 11:30am; 1:00pm and 6:30pm).

In the summer of 2006, The Journey-Jersey City launched and currently meets weekly in the Hyatt Regency. The Journey-Jersey City meets every Sunday at 11:00am.

The Journey-Brooklyn had its first weekly meeting on Easter of 2008, and currently meets at PS 261 in Brooklyn, Sundays at 11:15am.

The Journey has always been a diverse group of people united by their desire to give the people of the Metro New York area the best opportunity to become fully developing followers of Jesus.

By 2008 over 1,200 people attend one of six services each Sunday and over 1,400 people get plugged into a Journey Growth Group each semester.

Church Leader Insights

Searcy is the founder of Church Leader Insights (CLI), an organization that provides training and resources to pastors and church leaders. His bi-weekly Church Leader Insights newsletter (formerly known as Evangelism Online) is distributed to more than 46,000 pastors each month. Searcy has personally trained more than a thousand church planters through his seminars.

CLI hosts live training events throughout the United States and online through webinars, and offers resources for pastors in the following areas:

• Assimilation
• Church Planting
• Evangelism
• Growth Barriers
• Leadership
• Sermon Series
• Small Groups
• Stewardship
• Strategy
• Worship Planning

Honors

• 2004 Purpose Driven Church Health Award
• 2008 Alumni of the Year - Gardner-Webb University
• 2006 Top 100 Fastest Growing Churches in the US (Outreach Magazine)
• 2007 Top 10 Most Innovative Churches in America (Outreach Magazine)

Conference Speaking Highlights

• Willow Creek Community Church
• Saddleback Church
• Fellowship of the Woodlands
• Outreach Convention
• On Target Evangelism Conference of the California Baptist Convention
• Assembly of God National Church Planting Conference
• Baptist Convention of Ohio
• Florida Baptist Convention Pastors Conference
• Southern Baptist Convention Pastors Conference
• Church Planters.com National Conference
• Easum Bandy & Associates
• Purpose Driven Church Conference
• Preaching for Life Change Conference
• Liberty University Convocation Speaker
• General Baptist Convention
• National Servant Evangelism Conference