Pastor Jakob Kerlin

Pastor Jakob grew up in Syracuse, NY. His parents became Christians when he was young, and as far as he can remember, they have been in church ever since. His parents were what they called “radically saved” because of what their lives used to be without Jesus, compared to what their lives are now. Because of this radical transformation, they were in the church whenever the doors were open. He used to joke that they were at church more than the pastor’s kids (though that may have been true). His parents instilled in his family the importance of the Bible and serving God. He decided to follow Jesus when he was 7 years old. He was baptized at 13 and called into ministry at 16, while attending a youth convention in NY.

Jakob attended the University of Valley Forge, where he pursued General Education coursework. While attending UVF, Jakob met his wife, Amanda, and they were married in 2003. Together, they have two children, Ari and Mirabel. They began attending Victory Church in 2011 and felt called to be part of this committed, caring community of worshipers.

In 2014, the opportunity opened for Jakob to become the youth pastor at Victory, and he prayerfully accepted the position. His goal is to help youth connect to God, each other, and their worlds by creating an atmosphere where students can grow, begin to own their own faith in Jesus, and join God on His mission to reach every man, woman, and child with the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In 2021, Jakob moved into the role of Associate Pastor, where he leads the prayer team and care ministry.