Growing up as the only young person in his church, Pierce Drake had no idea this experience would influence his later life and ministry. Having relationships intergenerationally became a part of who he was, and it influenced how he saw ministry. But Pierce’s spiritual walk wasn’t always an easy one. He accepted Jesus as his Savior when he was seven, but in high school and college, he questioned his faith. His parents were strong Christians and Pierce knew what was expected of him, but he struggled with belief. A friend in college questioned Pierce on his belief system, which led to a two-year journey of studying world religions. Because he grew up with Christianity and thought he knew it, Pierce saved it for last. He was surprised to find out that he didn’t know Jesus that well. “I encountered Jesus the end of my sophomore year of college, and from then on, I was in it,” he says. “I changed my degree to a religion major and began to answer the call and the doors began to open.” After graduation, he served two churches in London, England, for a year before moving back to south Georgia for four years. After that, he moved to Nashville, where he served for six years. Pierce now serves as Pastor of Formation at The Woodlands Methodist Church, and he feels his early experiences in the church serve him well. Pierce and his wife, Claire, have two children.