I’m Jared Belcher

In 2015, I married the love of my life (Jill) and we have since been blessed with three kids. We are living that young family life in which everything is inexplicably sticky, there are random shards of crayons everywhere, and we’re pulling up to your house in a minivan. I never would have guessed how much I would love being a husband and dad, but I do. It is the best.

Jill is my partner in ministry. We got to know each other within the context of working in ministry together and it’s truly set the tone for our marriage. She is my sounding board for every decision and has wisdom beyond her years. I would not be an executive pastor, certainly not a good one, if not for her. I covet her perspective and help in every area of my life.

I’ve worked at Arrowhead full time for a little over a decade. I like to create things and build systems that connect people. If there’s anything I’ve learned on my journey to becoming an Executive Pastor in East Tennessee, it’s the value of others' support and the unexpected paths God can lead you on. I’m writing this blog, in part to help myself remember the useful practices we’ve learned over the years. But in the same way that others have passed their wisdom onto me, I want to carry it forward and perhaps, something here could spark an idea for you.

So here’s how I got to do what I do today.

Early Life

As a homeschooled kid, I was blessed with devout Christian parents who encouraged exploration and creativity. My childhood was filled with building forts, writing stories, and learning about the world through travel and books. This foundation of faith and exploration led me to a volunteer role in my local church as a high school student, where I started in video production. I was just a skinny, braces-wearing teenager, but the church staff, like Kevin, Justin, Brian, and Dr. Emmert, patiently nurtured my burgeoning interests in faith and technology.

University

At Carson-Newman University, I pursued business, but my heart was still with the church. It was a time of soul-searching, feeling a bit lost and unsure of where my diverse interests would lead me. However, Arrowhead Church offered a grounding influence. Starting as a part-time video guy, it fueled my passion for ministry, creativity, and business – and how they could intersect into a unique career path. Meanwhile, I gained a degree in accounting and social entrepreneurship, both of which I loved.

About 13 years ago now, I found myself directing a documentary in the Philippines. It was an unexpected project for me, but it was a key milestone, teaching me crucial lessons in leadership and project orchestration. For the first time, I saw how my passions for creativity, administration, faith, and leadership could form a career path. I knew that career path wasn’t directing documentary films, but the project became a “proof-of-concept” for me. These interests I had could be woven into something productive.

Arrowhead Church - Creative Director

Shortly after, I was offered the role of Creative Director at Arrowhead Church. It was a dream first job for me. I was doing what I loved, for a mission I believed in, alongside people I admired. Eventually, we had a small creative team that I got to lead, producing videos, branding, graphic design, podcasts, web and mobile platforms, and marketing training for our church staff.

After 4 years, I hungered for more administrative work. It was an itch that I couldn’t scratch in my everyday work. But, fortunately, I could use some free time to do those kinds of tasks. Our church was growing and there was a gap in our systems that I started to fill. I began to plan church wide events, help other ministries with their budgets, write training for new employees, play around in the unused features of our ChMS, and our lead pastor, Ben, took notice. Ben began to ask for my help on financial or strategic planning questions. I started to be handed more administrative and financial projects and eventually, we started to meet to discuss the potential for a new role, and what I would need to do to get there. In 2017, I became the Operations Pastor. I oversaw finances, administration, and creative.

Arrowhead Church - Executive Pastor

In 2021, our church adopted a new structure we call the “network model.” We have multiple, totally independent churches, but we share some resources - we share our name (Arrowhead Church), we are one 501(c)(3) with shared assets and liabilities, we share doctrine, ministry methods, administration, and creative content. But each church governs itself - it has its own elders, lead pastor, staff, giving, budgets, and it’s in the “network” voluntarily and can withdraw at anytime. The hope is it combine the benefits of a multi-site model with the benefits of fully autonomous churches. I helped build this multi-church structure and in 2021, I transitioned into a “network” role, essentially doing what I was doing at Morristown for all Arrowhead Church locations. That role is as “executive pastor.”

That means that I work for all of our churches. I spend time every week at each of their locations and with their staff. Our Network has its own small team and we manage the entire organization’s finances, HR, ChMS, systems, and creative. A major role we have is to provide all of those services to any new church plants, giving them a head start and a platform for future success.

Plus, I like to think of us as the “cross-pollinators,” taking ideas from Arrowhead Church to Arrowhead Church.

My hobbies include building stuff, traveling, house projects, reading, interior design, and yes, I still make some videos (shameless plug for my YouTube channel about space). But mostly, I just hang out with my family.