SECOND Journey As Good As First


Jason Young received his Doctor of Ministry degree from North Greenville University as a member of the Class of 2020. The author, speaker, and coach owns his own company, working with leaders in churches and companies to help them build remarkable guest and team member experiences. He knows the value of consistent success, and the 2000 bachelor’s graduate knows that NGU tradition for himself.


The Loganville, GA, resident says he chose to attend NGU a second time for three reasons.


“First, I have a great history with the school as an alumnus and appreciated my undergraduate experience,” he said. “Second, Dr. Larry McDonald, director of the D.Min. program, was a draw. From the beginning, his actions showed a gen- uine interest in me as a student, leader, and follower of Jesus. Third, the degree was affordable and delivered in a format that worked well for me.”


Lessons he learned through research and writing stand out as a highlight of his doctoral program.


“This came through personal discipline, but a lot of it came from Dr. McDonald pushing me to uncover that next level of research to write a better dissertation with personal and professional applications,” he said.


Young defended his D.Min. professional dissertation on Biblical Hospitality last fall. He chose the topic because of the enormous implications for the church, corporations, and individual leaders.


“The more hospitable a leader and organization are, the more a person will want to be around them. The greatest example of this type of person is Jesus,” said Young. “Jesus reset the culture by breaking barriers and showing hospital- ity to people that were often overlooked. The result was a change in how people felt and what they believed.”


Along with the pressure of defending his dissertation, Young experienced a little extra tension. NGU President Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr., served as the second chair of his oral defense committee. While he has served on many graduate commit- tees in the past, this was President Fant’s first opportunity to serve on an oral defense committee at NGU.


“Because of Dr. Fant’s passion for hospitality, I knew he would be a great asset in serving on Jason’s D.Min. oral defense team,” said McDonald. “Jason’s topic of hospitality focused on examining the Bible’s teaching and example of hospi- tality as well as creating approaches for churches to adopt. Dr. Fant enhanced the breadth and depth of the defense team from his vast study and experience in this area. President Fant made time to serve and greatly strengthened the experience.”


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“When Dr. McDonald first mentioned him being on my oral defense committee, I acted chill about it. Inside, I was a little nervous. That did not change on the day of my oral defense,” Young said. “Dr. Fant asked great questions, pushed me to clarify content, and encouraged me with rich examples I had not pro- cessed before. He not only added to the committee but to my dissertation and my life as a leader.”


Young is a hospitality and leadership coach and communicator. He was most recently the Director of Guest Experience at Buckhead Church and North Point Ministries, a nationally known network of churches with 40,000 people in average weekly attendance. He has worked with numerous organizations, including Ford Motor Company, Life.Church, and Chick-fil-A. He has writ- ten four books: The Table of Influence, The Come Back Effect, The Volunteer Effect, and The Volunteer Survival Guide. He also has written for multiple publications and enjoys curating helpful content for the Saturday Rundown at jasonyounglive.com.


“I would encourage others to attend the doctoral program at NGU if there is a curiosity to increase knowledge on a topic, grow personally, and have a coach in their corner to help them get to the finish line,” Young said. “I would encour- age others to overcome their fear of the unknown and step towards what ‘next’ looks like for them academically and professionally.”


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