Pastor · Author · Speaker

Reaching people with the love of God — creatively, and with joy.

Rev. Patrick Ian Jackson preaches, writes, and walks alongside people — helping them find the gospel in the ordinary stuff of everyday life.

Rev. Patrick Ian Jackson in a dark suit
Harvard, B.A.· University of Wisconsin Law, J.D.· Andover Newton, M.Div. with honors· Ordained Baptist Minister
The Mission

To use God-given gifts in creative ways to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ — with warmth, wit, and the conviction that God is always “doing a new thing.”

The Work

A ministry shaped by an unusual road.

Capitol Hill, the courtroom, and the pulpit — three vocations, one calling: to serve people and point them to grace.

01

Preaching

Five years as Pastor in Cedar Rapids and a residency at Richmond's First Baptist — spirit-filled, scripture-rooted, and never without a story.

02

Writing

A published devotional, Chosen By Love, and years of weekly “Love Notes” that find God in food documentaries, family kitchens, and everyday worry.

03

Speaking

A former legislative aide and attorney who brings clarity, humor, and heart to the pulpit, the lectern, and the conversation.

Selected Writing

Words for the journey.

Devotional · Book

Chosen By Love

A devotional that meets you where you live. In “Day 27 — See It,” Patrick tells of actor Wendell Pierce rebuilding storefronts in Katrina-struck New Orleans:

“Where other companies see risk, I see reward.” … That is what God is calling each of us to have: vision to help those in need.
Find the book →
Love Note

The Recipe Is a River

Jacques Pépin, a food documentary, and Isaiah 43 — a meditation on letting God do “a new thing” in seasons of change.

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Love Note

Stop Competing

A gentle rant about comparison culture that lands on a promise: you are “God's special, one-of-a-kind, precious jewel.”

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About

From the Hill to the pulpit.

Patrick hails from Bartlett, Tennessee — a place that gave him a love of barbecue, SEC football, and vibrant worship. He earned a B.A. from Harvard and a J.D. from the University of Wisconsin, then spent seven years as a Legislative Assistant on Capitol Hill and nearly six years practicing law in Columbus, Ohio.

When he sensed God calling him to do more with his gifts, he answered — earning his M.Div. with honors from Andover Newton and being ordained at Richmond's First Baptist Church. He went on to serve five years as Pastor in Cedar Rapids, a tenure that began amid a pandemic and a derecho that tore a hole in the sanctuary roof. God, as Patrick likes to say, was faithful.

His passions: the Bible, music, mystery novels, travel, and helping people find the humor in life.

1992
Harvard University, B.A.
John Winthrop House Public Service Prize
1993–2011
Capitol Hill & Public Policy
Legislative Assistant; United Way of America
2001
University of Wisconsin Law, J.D.
Wisconsin Law Review; Commencement Speaker
2017
Andover Newton, M.Div. (honors)
Jonathan Edwards Honor Society
2019
Ordained, Richmond's First Baptist
Following a two-year Pastoral Residency
2020–2025
Pastor, FBC–Church of the Brethren
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Let's connect.

For preaching, speaking, pulpit supply, or pastoral inquiries — Patrick would be glad to hear from you.

ianj70@gmail.com