Digital Resume

Rev. James Cleland

a man with a beard in a room with a large screen
a man with a beard and glasses
a group of people standing in front of a stage with a large logo
a collage of people
a group of people posing for a photo

St. Mark Houston

Discipleship Pastor

  • Preaching, weekly teaching, pastoral care and developing new discipleship programs.
  • Developed and implemented a weekly school chapel program that includes drive time podcasts, classroom resources and at home family Bible studies.
  • Created and launched the St. Mark Discipleship Pathway and small groups initiative.
  • Led seminars and events including Food in the Bible, Bible Bricks, The 75th Anniversary Party, and Sunday Night Live.



KFUO Radio

Production Specialist

  • Host and producer of afternoon and weekend sacred music shows.
  • Live Radio Production
  • Editor of the LWML Podcast, Thy Strong Word, Concord Matters and other shows.
  • Guest Co-Host of The Coffee Hour.
  • Guest on Thy Strong Word.


SoulThirst Church

Youth and Family Pastor

  • Preached innovative and engaging sermons throughout the year.
  • Led high school youth classes and events.
  • Developed and implemented new young adult curriculum using the language of film.
  • Hosts the GodGeeks Podcast, a religion and nerd culture podcast with over a thousand subscribers. Launched the God Geeks YouTube Channel.

Prince of Peace

Teacher

  • Developed and implemented 21st century curriculum for English, Film, and Communications classes.
  • Implemented Wordpress Blogging and Social Media into the Senior English curriculum.
  • Launched a Chinese Student Summer Program preparing first-year international students for the transition to the American educational system.
  • Created and led various student groups including the Nerd Club, a student ministry revolving around, film, tv, and video games.
  • Planned and led the annual high school retreat.
  • 2018 Commencement Speaker

Summer Camp Ministry

Counselor -> Director

Rockin' C Ranch

Executive Director

  • Oversaw all camp operations including summer camp programming, outdoor education for local schools, rental groups, facility maintenance, marketing, 60 summer staff, 40 horses, 50 head of cattle, 3 goats and an 800k budget.
  • Designed and implemented programming focused on teaching discipleship skills on a working ranch.
  • Designed and launched a new company website using the Wordpress platform.
  • Oversaw all company social media including, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Pinterest and Facebook.


Lakeside Christian Camp

Ministry and Program Coordinator

  • Redesigned Lakeside's summer program to bring it in line with all state laws, ACA standards, and modern camping best practices.

  • Created industry training films and curriculum for Expert Online Training.

Charis Hills / Star Ranch

Program Director

  • Developed and implemented Christ-centered summer camp and retreat programing for children with ADHA and ASD.
  • Recruited, trained and supervised 30 seasonal staff.
  • Oversaw all programs and assured the spiritual, mental, and physical wellbeing of campers and staff.

Dining Hall Manager

Special Needs Teacher

Lead Counselor / Lead Lifeguard

Education and Certifications

MDiv Pastor

Concordia Seminary

St. Louis, Missouri

2020-2022

SMP Pastor

Concordia Seminary

St. Louis, Missouri

2017-2020

Udergrad

TX A&M

College Station, Texas 

2000-2004

ACA

Visitor

American Camp Association

2010-2015

Skills and Passions

Radio and Podcasting

Host of the God Geeks Podcast and the St. Mark Drivetime Podcast.

Listen to James as a guest on The Coffee Hour and Thy Strong Word.


Video Editing

James is skilled with Premiere Pro and has edited videos for conferences, online courses, advertisements, fundraising videos and more.

Lego 

James loves all things Lego and has developed and led seminars, lessons and therapeutic play that involves hands-on Lego activities.

Missional Play and Recreational Therapy

James is an expert in building programs, curriculum and events that include fun with a purpose.

Recruiting

James is currently a Student Recruitment Ambassador for Concordia Seminary St. Louis. Over the past 20 years he has recruited over 300 college students for summer ministries.

Preaching and Teaching

James has over 20 years of experience in preaching, teaching, and public speaking. Check out some of his past seminar topics.