Rev. Jacob Hale
Planting Pastor
I'm Jacob Hale. I was born and raised in Huntsville, and it is my home in every meaningful sense of the word. I'm a minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, husband to Cait, and father to Lily, Luke, Asher, and Elanor. I'm planting Heritage Presbyterian Church because I want the people of my home, and the children who will grow up here after us, to know Christ and worship Him here for generations to come.
My Story
I am not a stranger to this place. My childhood homes are here. My elementary, middle, and high school are here. My grandfather pastored a church just up Winchester Road, and he and my grandmother rest here with more of my kin. I live here now, and when I die, Lord willing, my grave will be here with theirs. This is my home, and I love it.
I did not grow up knowing Christ. The Lord saved me at sixteen, at a youth retreat, when He opened my eyes to the beauty and truth of the gospel and pulled me out of shame and sin. In the years that followed God gave me older saints who loved me, discipled me, and taught me the Bible, and as I grew I felt a desire to be a Pastor.
That desire has been tested and confirmed through years of ministry. I hold a Master of Divinity from Birmingham Theological Seminary and was examined and ordained by Providence Presbytery. I have served as an associate pastor, taught at Westminster Christian Academy, led Bible studies, preached, counseled the hurting, and ministered through baptisms, weddings, and funerals.
The Lord has led me through deep waters along the way. My first wife, Rachel, died in faith in 2023 after a long battle with cancer, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar.
Then, in His kindness, the Lord gave me Cait. He brought us together through the means He loves to use, the wisdom of pastors and friends, the quiet workings of providence, and the glad confirmation of our families, and we were married in November of 2023. She is my delight and my helper, and she fills our home with love and laughter. Together we are raising four children: Lily, Luke, Asher, and Elanor. Our house is loud and full and good. We are bringing our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, in the same soil and under the same sky that raised me, and there is no work I am gladder to do.
Heritage Presbyterian Church exists to be an outpost of Christ's Kingdom in this community, proclaiming the Scriptures in word and sacrament, worshiping through the simple, ordinary means of grace our forefathers passed down to us, strengthening families, and reaching the lost with the gospel. My dream is to make disciples here, baptize their children, catechize them into the faith, and one day be buried close to a church still standing firm and faithful to her Lord a hundred years from now.
At Heritage Presbyterian Church, my journey continues as we build a community deep-rooted in biblical truth and Christ-centered worship. It is my deepest joy to witness the power of the Gospel as it unites families, strengthens the weary, and restores the soul. I invite you to join us on this path of discipleship, as we walk together for the good of our local community and the ultimate glory of our Savior, Jesus Christ.